Installing Pale Moon on Ubuntu 22.04 or 20.04 can sidestep Firefox’s auto‑update headaches by following a quick guide that covers both PPA and manual .deb approaches, each with clear commands to keep your system fresh and dependencies satisfied. The first method adds the Mozilla team’s lightweight PPA, updates package lists, installs Pale Moon, and verifies its version in one tidy sequence, while the second downloads the latest Debian package, fixes broken packages if needed, and launches the browser from either the menu or terminal. Along the way, the tutorial reminds you to install the legacy libgconf‑2‑4 library, refresh desktop databases when missing menu entries appear, and address shared memory errors on minimal systems. Finally, it explains how to keep the browser up‑to‑date via apt updates for PPA users or by re‑downloading the .deb file whenever a new release arrives.

Install Pale Moon on Ubuntu 22.04/20.04

If you’re tired of Firefox’s auto‑update drama or just want a leaner browser, installing Pale Moon on Ubuntu is a quick fix. This guide walks you through the two most common methods—PPA and manual .deb—and explains why each step matters.

Why Pick Pale Moon?

I’ve seen users crash out of Firefox after a driver update that broke the integrated WebRender engine. Pale Moon, built on the evergreen Gecko core, sidesteps those headaches while staying compatible with most extensions. It’s lighter than Chrome and doesn’t mind older hardware.

Step 1: Prepare Your System

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Fresh packages avoid conflicts when you pull in new libraries later.

Step 2: Install the Missing Dependency

Pale Moon still relies on an old GConf library. Ubuntu has dropped it, so add it manually.

sudo apt install libgconf-2-4 -y

Without this, the browser will refuse to launch.

Installing via PPA (Recommended)

The Pale Moon team maintains a lightweight PPA that automatically tracks releases.

1. Add the repository

   sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mozillateam/ppa -y

It pulls in the latest stable build without you hunting for .deb files.

2. Refresh package lists

   sudo apt update

3. Install Pale Moon

   sudo apt install pale moon -y

The command names are split to match the repo’s packaging convention.

4. Verify installation

   pale-moon --version

You should see something like Pale Moon 28.x.

Manual .deb Installation

If you prefer a one‑off download, grab the Debian package directly from the official site.

1. Download the latest build

   wget https://www.palemoon.org/downloads/palemoon-latest-linux64.deb

2. Install dependencies first

   sudo apt install libgconf-2-4 -y

3. Install the .deb package

   sudo dpkg -i palemoon-latest-linux64.deb

If you hit missing libraries, run:

   sudo apt --fix-broken install

4. Launch it from your application menu or via terminal:

   pale-moon

Common Pitfalls and Quick Fixes

• “Pale Moon not found in menu” – The desktop entry was created in /usr/share/applications, but the menu cache needs refreshing. Run sudo update-desktop-database.
• “Error: Could not open /dev/shm” – Some minimal installs lack a shared memory segment. Install libc6-dev or create a temporary mount:

  sudo mkdir -p /dev/shm && sudo mount -t tmpfs none /dev/shm

• “Firefox still opens by default after uninstalling” – Clear the default browser setting:

  xdg-settings set default-web-browser palemoon.desktop

Keeping Pale Moon Updated

If you used the PPA, simply run sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade. With a manual .deb, repeat the download‑install cycle when a new release drops.

That’s all there is to it. Give that a shot and let me know if your browsing feels smoother—no more auto‑update surprises!