Firefox-3.5 in Ubuntu, and Facebook

Many people have noticed, after upgrading to firefox-3.5 in ubuntu (sudo apt-get install firefox-3.5; sudo ln -sf /usr/bin/firefox-3.5 /usr/bin/firefox) that Facebook stops liking you. Facebook chat insists on running as an external app. The handy dandy menu-bar doesn’t work the way it used to. Well, I noticed this too.

I also noticed, the Firefox-3.5 insists on calling itself Shiretoko, the codename for firefox-3.5, in its title bar. Aha! A clue! The problem here is that the wise old owls at Canonical decided to install firefox-3.5 into the system with a different name. Don’t ask me why… I can’t figure it. I can, however, fix it so that Facebook Chat works again, and here’s how.

The short story, for those in the know, is that you’ve got to change the browser’s useragent string. The easiest way to do this is in about:config. Here are some detailed instructions on how to do it.

1. Start firefox-3.5 the usual way. In the location bar type the following: about:config and press enter.
2. You’ll be warned that you’re about to change some fancy settings and should be careful. Don’t sweat it. Click the “I’ll be careful” button. You’ve opened a window to the soul of firefox. Excited?
3. In the long “Filter” bar at the top, type the following: useragent.extra. You’ll see some junk flash by as you type, but you should be left with just one setting called general.useragent.extra.firefox.
4. Notice it’s value is Shiretoko/3.5.1 or something to that effect. We want to change that value to Firefox/3.5.1. Do this by double clicking on the value, editing it in the little window that pops up, and pressing OK.

That’s it! You should now be able to open up a new tab with Facebook and give it a go. If you’ve done things right, Facebook Chat should work again the way you’re used to.