Mozilla Asks for License Integration into Ubuntu
Before Ubuntu users can run the Firefox open source browser, they will henceforth need to accept extensive licensing terms. According to Mark Shuttleworth, the terms were imposed by Mozilla Corporation.
Users of the next Linux version, Intrepid Ibex, will be greeted with a Mozilla End-User License Agreement (EULA) when they open the browser.
In a mailing list, users first declared this license behavior to be a bug and the agreement to be “largely irrelevant to Ubuntu users.” Ubuntu founder Shuttleworththen quickly jumped in to explain: “Mozilla Corporation asked that this be added in order for us to continue to call the browser Firefox.” Not that Shuttleworth is happy with the decision, which he feels does not constitute a “best practice” for users: “It's unfortunate that Mozilla feels this is absolutely necessary.”
Mozilla opened a fierce debate with this demand targeting the popular distribution, with annoyed responses from countless sources. Some users took the imposed EULA to mean that Mozilla’s Firefox is no longer free software. Several even suggested to “take a cue” from Debian and change to Iceweasel/Icedove as the default browser; others voted for the Gnome Epiphany browser.
Only a few users showed understanding for the licensing decision and considered it customary. For example, Vadim Peretokin commented: “Seeing an EULA the first time you launch a browser might be a bit odd to new users, it's not such a huge usability problem. People are used to it.”
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Linux Kernel 6.17 Drops bcachefs
After a clash over some late fixes and disagreements between bcachefs's lead developer and Linus Torvalds, bachefs is out.
-
ONLYOFFICE v9 Embraces AI
Like nearly all office suites on the market (except LibreOffice), ONLYOFFICE has decided to go the AI route.
-
Two Local Privilege Escalation Flaws Discovered in Linux
Qualys researchers have discovered two local privilege escalation vulnerabilities that allow hackers to gain root privileges on major Linux distributions.
-
New TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro Powered by AMD Ryzen AI 300
The TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro 14 Gen10 offers serious power that is ready for your business, development, or entertainment needs.
-
Danish Ministry of Digital Affairs Transitions to Linux
Another major organization has decided to kick Microsoft Windows and Office to the curb in favor of Linux.
-
Linux Mint 20 Reaches EOL
With Linux Mint 20 at its end of life, the time has arrived to upgrade to Linux Mint 22.
-
TuxCare Announces Support for AlmaLinux 9.2
Thanks to TuxCare, AlmaLinux 9.2 (and soon version 9.6) now enjoys years of ongoing patching and compliance.
-
Go-Based Botnet Attacking IoT Devices
Using an SSH credential brute-force attack, the Go-based PumaBot is exploiting IoT devices everywhere.
-
Plasma 6.5 Promises Better Memory Optimization
With the stable Plasma 6.4 on the horizon, KDE has a few new tricks up its sleeve for Plasma 6.5.
-
KaOS 2025.05 Officially Qt5 Free
If you're a fan of independent Linux distributions, the team behind KaOS is proud to announce the latest iteration that includes kernel 6.14 and KDE's Plasma 6.3.5.