Linux Mint Firefox packages, what are the differences?

[ineuw]

In the past, I couldn't use Linux Mint's version of Firefox because their modifications interfered with editing in Wikipedia. So, uninstalled it and used the repository tarballs, extracting them to /opt and changed the symlinks to firefox-bin. It was simple and always reliable.

To simplify, these are the packages that are currently available to me:

The current Linux Mint version that comes with the OS installation.
The snap version (Ubuntu?). @ /usr/lib.
The flatpak version. @ unknown.
The tarball @ anywhere.
The .deb file @ /usr/lib.

What are the differences after installation?

[Grumpus]

With the snap and flatpack (Mint doesn't or isn't supporting snap) you don't download the package into the apt/archive for saving.
flatpak is the Linux Mint version of Ubuntu snap
In the case of the tarballs - they can be archives which can contain another file type like .deb or other instructions.
The .deb files usually if drawn from the repository will store in the apt/archive after installation and you can use dpkg or gdebi to install direct.
In some cases the native Debian version of a file might work in a Mint or Ubuntu OS but better to use the prescribed package from the distributions repositories
Leastwise for the past 20 years or so of using them it appears to be the most stable.
If you go to the Debian pages and look at the native Debian systems sometimes you can get a handle on stable, experimental, Etc for some packages.
There's any number of text files explaining all of this in the repository for all the above mentioned (as doc, txt or html files)
Also warning, If cruising through your file manager in admin/root mode do not open html files with Firefox. It will screw up your Firefox settings.
You can open the html files without being in admin/root and won't mess with the settings

[ineuw]

Thanks for clearing it up. I assume that they are based on the same original compilation, and the difference is in the packaging. I am only interested in enhancing my Linux Mint Cinnamon's environment with Firefox in the GTK/Gnome universe. I am an "informed" installer, and I am no longer attracted, or interested, in other Linux flavors. I have been through the mill, and I would like return my core activity, on Wikipedia, computer support volunteer for the elderly individually, and communally. Linux Mint Cinnamon serves me the best.

I am currently using the FF.deb file on the desktop, and comparing it to the snap installation on the laptop. Snap was enabled for Pinta photo editor, so installing Firefox was quick and there is no difference. However, I won't use the basic package provided on installation or Flatpak because of Mr Lefebvre`s policies.

[Grumpus]

For some issues you can use the Mint Forums
Synaptic can also be of use plus you set it up so you can save the individual packages which might not have come through the OS installation. Note Snap was for Ubuntu while Flatpak was Mint.
You can turn off Flatpak in the update manager.

[ineuw]

Pinta was only available through Snap, so I enabled it. I never used Flatpak and it is disabled in updates.