Updating with my old profile the language changes to English. Downgraded firefox, create a new profile, install the same extensions with the same config and update again: language didn’t change. A mistery.
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I guess, in this case, I need to figure out, how to restore all tabs and history in a new profile… Hmmm… Some time is needed to experiment with this. Or, I can try to backup tabs, restore them from a file, the FF will download extensions from the sync. This way, I will avoid using old folders that may have the cause of the issue.
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You can export and import the history etc, for tabs you could also send them to yourself via sync as a workaround.
The question is if the “broken” setting get’s synced or not. Guess we will know if it works after the next update.
Inside your profile’s folder there are some sqlite files. The one called “places” is the history, cookies.sqlite are cookies, permissions.sqlite, etc. You can simply copy the files you need to your new profile.
Yeah, but as I recall, this is what I did the last time (a few years ago) and the issue came back. Trying to recreate those files in most clean way could be the better.
I tested copying only cookies & places and after the update, language didn’t change. So there are 2 suspects less. 
You mean, it stayed as it should and didn’t revert to English? That’s good news.
I guess, I can try the quicker and easier approach, get the new profile, copy/move old files and if the bug returns, I can do it with tab backup and sync.
However, the issue that I’m seeing here is, that I already downloaded the language, so I wouldn’t even notice if this is fixed. I could downgrade it and update, but there is no certainty unless a real update comes in. So maybe I’ll wait for it and do experiments when the language reverts to English, otherwise it would be hard to tell if it’s really fixed.
That’s right.
Some updates don’t change the language, but 127.0.1 → 128.0 update switched from spanish to english while using my old profile, so downgraded a lot of times, changed one parameter each time, upgrade over and over and see the results: always changes to english no matter what I change.
Then I made the same with a new profile, copy cookies & places, set all settings the same in new & old profile, install the same extensions, import configuration and then update: the new profile always keeps spanish, never changed to english, so that’s why I’m quite confident that a new profile should solve this issue.
Anyway, Firefox 129 is scheduled on August 6, 2024, we will know soon if it’s solved or not.
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I’m wondering if firefox-esr might be a better option in these cases? Only seems to be available in the AUR though.
↓ A bit of a moan about their release schedule ↓
[rant]To be honest I think the change a few years back to their “rapid-release” FULL-new-version-every-six-weeks policy was, and still is, ridiculous.
What is wrong with doing periodical Full New Versions and fix all the annoying bugs in the interim, instead of just one or two bug-fixes between versions, then a complete new one (with, usually, as far as I can see at least visually, no obvious UI or functionality changes).
Since they are doing that, why not go the whole hog and adopt a true rolling-release model.
It’s also an unnecessary tax on unpaid volunteers’ time, who write the add-ons / extensions.
[/rant]
Yeah, I noticed that the language doesn’t change with every single update.
How do you do downgrades? Usually, when I do it and open FF, it flashes a warning that the current profile is adjusted to a different FF version and is not compatible with the current one, so it can’t be opened.
Eh, I don’t like the old stuff ;). That’s not why I am here on Arch based system, on testing branch, sometimes on unstable branch ;).
The issue is not serious enough to justify ESR version. It’s an annoyance, but a minor one. Still, it’s good to hear that I’m not the only one experiencing it, so we try to discuss it and find a way to fix it permanently.
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DOWNGRADE_FROM_ALA=1 sudo downgrade firefox firefox-i18n-es-es to downgrade firefox and then restore compatibility.ini file of previous version from backup. This file contains the last version installed. If you don’t have a backup, 127.0.1 file contains these five lines:
[Compatibility]
LastVersion=127.0.1_20240618215959/20240618215959
LastOSABI=Linux_x86_64-gcc3
LastPlatformDir=/usr/lib/firefox
LastAppDir=/usr/lib/firefox/browser
EDIT: today Firefox was updated from 128.0.1 to 128.0.2 and kept spanish language. Let’s see what happens with 129.0.
EDIT AGAIN: I’ve just updated to 129.0 and still kept spanish language. Good news.
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Yep, can confirm, also upgraded to 129.0-1 and the languages stayed the same.
Seems like a new profile did the trick once and for all, hopefully it stays that way also on other machines I sync with 
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I updated to FF 129 and had language change. I thought, I’ll try to deal with it this time, but scheduled it for later. Since there is new Plasma in unstable, I updated the system and it updated FF to 129.0.1 and… now my intended language is back… Or is it? Maybe it changed automatically before that and I just didn’t notice? It would be unlikely, because I recall 1-2 days, where I did see English descriptions on various actions.
Is it fixed? I somehow doubt it, but again, it’s not a good time to experiment with it, because the window of opportunity has gone…
Although, if you and me have the correct language on the same version of FF, it can raise suspicion that it was finally fixed. Hmmm… 129.0.1 release note doesn’t mention this fix thou…
FF 129.0.1, 129.0.2, now 130.0 and still no change in language. Good news. 
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I did say it’s solved now.
Either due to an Update or if not by creating a fresh new Profile.
This isn’t solved entirely… This is strange. After the update, the browser’s language change into English and stayed that way for 24 hours and just now, when I restarted it, it changed language into my preferred one. Note, that I did many restarts, and it didn’t help then, and now, it suddenly fixed somehow.
So this is twice now, when the bug appears after the update and fixes itself, but without any noticeable pattern.
It’s good that it fixes itself but for the whole day, I had to endure English version of FF, because I had no time to fix it. Also, wanted to check if it changes. At first reboot I was disappointed that it didn’t fix itself and assumed that this time the bug stays permanent. And now, just a few minutes ago, I restarted the browser and voilà - it is fixed, out of nowhere…
Maybe the pattern here is the passage of time? I updated FF last night in the evening. Now it’s evening and it’s mysteriously fixed… Need to track it the next time.
Note: I didn’t create a new profile. Maybe for those with a new one, this is fixed, but for old ones that experienced it, the bug appears temporarily. I am just too lazy for new profile 
. However, I have some means of restoring all tabs from a backup, but that means, no icons for tabs and I just don’t like it, so if the issue is not disturbing, I can endure it, at least for 24 hours .
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Okey nice to know, but for everyone here in this thread who created a new profile it is fixed, yes?
So it is fair to assume that upstream changed something but a fresh profile seems to be a permanent solution to the problem.
I think you are correct. Only I didn’t create a fresh profile and still have the issue, but only temporarily, so that’s not a big issue. I am still wondering why 24 hours? I recall, that I updated other browsers in that time, but I fail to see how relevant this maid be to this problem. Or maybe during update some refresh of the database happens, and the system starts to read the updated language package correctly? I’m just guessing.
From what I can see is that when language changes to English, FF doesn’t see installed language pack, but then see it again after some time… Weird. Anyway, this is a small issue and eventually I will refresh my profile, so it could be said, this is fixed.
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