I had an issue with a web app on mobile and wasn’t sure what was wrong. So, I wanted to use the “remote debugging” feature of Firefox to troubleshoot. This means I need to connnect my Android phone via adb and then connect it with the Firefox Inspector. But, unfortunately, Firefox on my Android device is 97, and my NixOS Firefox version was 94. I assumed upgrading would be simple, but no.
I tried a variety of nix-env -qa firefox but could only see this:
$ nix-env -qa firefox
firefox-78.15.0esr
firefox-91.3.0esr
firefox-91.3.0esr
firefox-91.3.0esr
firefox-94.0
firefox-94.0
firefox-94.0
firefox-94.0 Nothing newer than 94. :(
Then, I read about this repository from Mozilla which provides an “overlay” for NixOS that permits you to install Firefox nightly builds. I wasn’t sure what an overlay means, but I’m game!
The steps are:
- Clone a repo from Mozilla
- Create an overlay directory for NixOS if you don’t already have it.
- Symlink the firefox nix file.
- Enter it in
nix-shell - Run Firefox!
First, clone this:
https://github.com/mozilla/nixpkgs-mozilla
Then:
$ mkdir ~/.config/nixpkgs/overlays
$ cd ~/.config/nixpkgs/overlays/
$ ln -s ~/ixpkgs-mozilla/firefox-overlay.nix .
$ nix-shell -p latest.firefox-beta-bin
these derivations will be built:
/nix/store/h0v87dqs5bwag9xg1x0fkb3796ffmh16-check-firefox-signature.drv
/nix/store/grj409fklnq4dxkrmr42n9m7gp1avf3c-firefox-98.0b2.tar.bz2.drv
/nix/store/i87gr5lrl2lpi4k5kmg0v0p3j96an2gr-firefox-release-bin-unwrapped-98.0b2.drv
/nix/store/p5rsn0c4cizi546qjqczx3znnfv1m44h-firefox-bin-98.0b2.drv
building '/nix/store/h0v87dqs5bwag9xg1x0fkb3796ffmh16-check-firefox-signature.drv'...
gpg: directory '/build/tmp.FlTQ0pdOXK/.gnupg' created
gpg: keybox '/build/tmp.FlTQ0pdOXK/.gnupg/pubring.kbx' created
gpg: key 61B7B526D98F0353: 24 signatures not checked due to missing keys
gpg: /build/tmp.FlTQ0pdOXK/.gnupg/trustdb.gpg: trustdb created
gpg: key 61B7B526D98F0353: public key "Mozilla Software Releases <[release@mozilla.com](mailto:release@mozilla.com)>" imported
gpg: Total number processed: 1
gpg: imported: 1
gpg: no ultimately trusted keys found
gpgv: can't allocate lock for '/build/tmp.FlTQ0pdOXK/.gnupg/pubring.kbx'
gpgv: Signature made Tue Feb 8 22:34:13 2022 UTC
gpgv: using RSA key 4360FE2109C49763186F8E21EBE41E90F6F12F6D
gpgv: Good signature from "Mozilla Software Releases <[release@mozilla.com](mailto:release@mozilla.com)>"
building '/nix/store/grj409fklnq4dxkrmr42n9m7gp1avf3c-firefox-98.0b2.tar.bz2.drv'...
trying [https://download.cdn.mozilla.net/pub/firefox/releases/98.0b2/linux-x86_64/en-US/firefox-98.0b2.tar.bz2](https://download.cdn.mozilla.net/pub/firefox/releases/98.0b2/linux-x86_64/en-US/firefox-98.0b2.tar.bz2)
% Total % Received % Xferd Average Speed Time Time Time Current
Dload Upload Total Spent Left Speed
100 74.4M 100 74.4M 0 0 995k 0 0:01:16 0:01:16 --:--:-- 1617k
building '/nix/store/i87gr5lrl2lpi4k5kmg0v0p3j96an2gr-firefox-release-bin-unwrapped-98.0b2.drv'...
unpacking sources
unpacking source archive /nix/store/yvq8qrkmq9i0nxj8fr2ya9b3cgbbar37-firefox-98.0b2.tar.bz2
source root is firefox
setting SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH to timestamp 1644352711 of file firefox/omni.ja
patching sources
installing
post-installation fixup
rewriting symlink /nix/store/mpg0zr7bqn4vpsx9idjpvhb157kdmhm2-firefox-release-bin-unwrapped-98.0b2/lib to be relative to /nix/store/mpg0zr7bqn4vpsx9idjpvhb157kdmhm2-firefox-release-bin-unwrapped-98.0b2
rewriting symlink /nix/store/mpg0zr7bqn4vpsx9idjpvhb157kdmhm2-firefox-release-bin-unwrapped-98.0b2/bin/firefox to be relative to /nix/store/mpg0zr7bqn4vpsx9idjpvhb157kdmhm2-firefox-release-bin-unwrapped-98.0b2
patching script interpreter paths in /nix/store/mpg0zr7bqn4vpsx9idjpvhb157kdmhm2-firefox-release-bin-unwrapped-98.0b2
checking for references to /build/ in /nix/store/mpg0zr7bqn4vpsx9idjpvhb157kdmhm2-firefox-release-bin-unwrapped-98.0b2...
Wrapping link: '/nix/store/mpg0zr7bqn4vpsx9idjpvhb157kdmhm2-firefox-release-bin-unwrapped-98.0b2/bin/firefox'
building '/nix/store/p5rsn0c4cizi546qjqczx3znnfv1m44h-firefox-bin-98.0b2.drv'... Once that is done, you can run firefox and it will be version 98!
Each time you run the shell command, it downloads a new build. I wish I could pin it, but I think this is getting the latest nightly each time?
Combined with this command I can get the adb tools:
nix-shell -p androidenv.androidPkgs_9_0.platform-tools Then, I can connect my Android phone and debug it in Chrome.
$ adb devices
List of devices attached
ZY22BNPPRV device