Firefox is wrongly being transitioned from deb to snap on a fresh Budgie install

[fossfreedom]

Reported here - 6 minutes in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBTws4KoPtg

In update manager the transition to snap is being made as an update

i.e. this is a fresh 21.10 ubuntu budgie install where firefox is seeded as a deb not a snap

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 21.10
Package: firefox 93.0+build1-0ubuntu3
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.13.0-20.20-generic 5.13.14
Uname: Linux 5.13.0-20-generic x86_64
AddonCompatCheckDisabled: False
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu70
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: dad 828 F.... pulseaudio
BuildID: 20210927210923
CasperMD5CheckResult: pass
Channel: Unavailable
CurrentDesktop: Budgie:GNOME
Date: Fri Oct 22 17:46:11 2021
DefaultProfileExtensions: extensions.sqlite corrupt or missing
DefaultProfileIncompatibleExtensions: Unavailable (corrupt or non-existant compatibility.ini or extensions.sqlite)
DefaultProfileLocales: extensions.sqlite corrupt or missing
DefaultProfilePrefErrors: Unexpected character ',' before close parenthesis @ /usr/lib/firefox/omni.ja:greprefs.js:360
DefaultProfileThemes: extensions.sqlite corrupt or missing
ForcedLayersAccel: False
InstallationDate: Installed on 2021-10-22 (0 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu-Budgie 21.10 "Impish Indri" - Release amd64 (20211011)
IpRoute:
 default via 10.0.2.2 dev enp0s3 proto dhcp metric 100
 10.0.2.0/24 dev enp0s3 proto kernel scope link src 10.0.2.15 metric 100
 169.254.0.0/16 dev enp0s3 scope link metric 1000
Profile0Extensions: extensions.sqlite corrupt or missing
Profile0IncompatibleExtensions: Unavailable (corrupt or non-existant compatibility.ini or extensions.sqlite)
Profile0Locales: extensions.sqlite corrupt or missing
Profile0PrefErrors: Unexpected character ',' before close parenthesis @ /usr/lib/firefox/omni.ja:greprefs.js:360
Profile0PrefSources: prefs.js
Profile0Themes: extensions.sqlite corrupt or missing
Profiles:
 Profile1 (Default) - LastVersion=None/None (Out of date)
 Profile0 - LastVersion=93.0/20210927210923
RunningIncompatibleAddons: False
SourcePackage: firefox
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 12/01/2006
dmi.bios.vendor: innotek GmbH
dmi.bios.version: VirtualBox
dmi.board.name: VirtualBox
dmi.board.vendor: Oracle Corporation
dmi.board.version: 1.2
dmi.chassis.type: 1
dmi.chassis.vendor: Oracle Corporation
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvninnotekGmbH:bvrVirtualBox:bd12/01/2006:svninnotekGmbH:pnVirtualBox:pvr1.2:sku:rvnOracleCorporation:rnVirtualBox:rvr1.2:cvnOracleCorporation:ct1:cvr:
dmi.product.family: Virtual Machine
dmi.product.name: VirtualBox
dmi.product.version: 1.2
dmi.sys.vendor: innotek GmbH

[Olivier Tilloy (osomon)]

I can confirm the problem, tested in a newly installed budgie VM installed from the 21.10 ISO.

[Olivier Tilloy (osomon)]

This is an unintended side-effect of the changes to ubuntu-release-upgrader for bug #1943840. I was unaware that update-manager reads /usr/share/ubuntu-release-upgrader/deb2snap.json.

[Olivier Tilloy (osomon)]

update-manager reading /usr/share/ubuntu-release-upgrader/deb2snap.json was implemented in https://code.launchpad.net/~marcustomlinson/update-manager/update-manager/+merge/380060.

The rationale is that if a deb was replaced by a snap in the seeds, then users updating will also want to transition. It makes sense, but it contradicts the statement in https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/feature-freeze-exception-seeding-the-official-firefox-snap-in-ubuntu-desktop/24210 that « This will only impact users of Ubuntu Desktop installing 21.10 or upgrading to 21.10. If you run one of the flavours, you won’t be affected - yet. ».