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Installing Firefox on Macbook

  • 3 replies
  • 1 has this problem
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  • Last reply by rdb1

rdb1
rdb1
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i wish there was a "Comments" section on https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/mac/ so i could tell people "NEVER use this!!"

i tried last week, downloaded and installed. The installation process, after unpacking the download, tried to install a "helper application". Popped up a dialog box asking for an admin userid+passwd. (even though i was obviously already running as an admin user... because i was in the middle of doing the install.) This was not an iOS dialog box from Apple, and it didn't have an option for scanning my fingerprint; this was something the "helper app" was doing on its own. Well i gave it my userid+password, and it went on to say the installation failed, and bombed out with no Firefox installed on my machine. Now, for all i know, my credentials are out there, God only knows where. So i had to go change my passwd on all of my machines.  :(

i wish there was a "Comments" section on https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/mac/ so i could tell people "NEVER use this!!" i tried last week, downloaded and installed. The installation process, after unpacking the download, tried to install a "helper application". Popped up a dialog box asking for an admin userid+passwd. (even though i was obviously already running as an admin user... because i was in the middle of doing the install.) This was not an iOS dialog box from Apple, and it didn't have an option for scanning my fingerprint; this was something the "helper app" was doing on its own. Well i gave it my userid+password, and it went on to say the installation failed, and bombed out with no Firefox installed on my machine. Now, for all i know, my credentials are out there, God only knows where. So i had to go change my passwd on all of my machines. :(

Chosen solution

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-download-and-install-firefox-mac

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All Replies (3)

Amelia
Amelia
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Hello,

I am sorry to hear that you have had this issue. Please make sure that you only download Firefox from a trusted source. I would not be surprised if there was a website that mocked Mozilla's official site.

As for the last part, if the app had root, it could simply make a different account with admin, maybe this was to make itself harder to detect; however, I think it would be easier to simply make and hide an account.

James
James
  • Top 25 Contributor
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Chosen Solution

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-download-and-install-firefox-mac

rdb1
rdb1 Question owner
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i downloaded again and verified that the https://www.mozilla.org connection is secure, and saw a valid certificate belonging to www.mozorg.moz.works i assume that is correct?

Then the instructions from James in the https://support.mozilla.org link were very clear, and following those steps, it worked. (And did not ask to install a "helper application" :)

Thank you both!!