Updated: 6 November 2026. If a video-call background effect suddenly turns red areas blue, the camera is not necessarily broken. Firefox 159.0.1, released on 3 November, corrects a Linux rendering problem involving swapped colour channels. This guide helps isolate the symptom and update carefully; it is not a fix for every colour problem. [1] Important: A second colour-channel regression in 159.0.1 is now confirmed; the update is not a general all-clear. [6]
Which systems and symptoms match?
This is for Linux desktop users of Firefox 159, particularly those using WebGL graphics or video background effects. Bug 2087301 concerns copying a WebGL canvas to an accelerated 2D canvas; reports cover Wayland and X11. It does not establish a general camera defect. The bug marks ESR 153 as unaffected, and the uplift request says Android is unaffected. This is not a Windows, macOS or mobile fix guarantee. [2]
Prepare without losing data
Save your work and record the site, time, Firefox version and installation method. Use a non-sensitive subject without involving people or confidential material in a test call. Before additional setting changes, locate the profile through about:support, close Firefox completely and make a protected copy. It contains personal data and must not be attached to a public bug report. [5]
Five safe checks
- Record the baseline: Open about:support and note the version, operating system, graphics adapter and displayed graphics status. Do not blindly publish the complete report. Distinguish swapped red and blue from a blue tint, black picture or missing camera.
- Compare like with like: In the same service, compare the preview with and without the background effect. Also check a familiar red and blue subject outside that effect. If the whole system is discoloured, stop this Firefox-specific path and investigate display or camera separately. A normal comparison alone does not prove the bug's cause.
- Update through the existing channel: For a direct Mozilla installation, use Help → About Firefox; for distribution packages use the software manager, and for Flatpak/Snap use the existing package channel. Consult IT on managed devices. Install at least the confirmed 159.0.1 fix or a newer approved Release version, then restart Firefox. Do not change installation channels just for this guide. [3]
- Recheck version and subject: After restarting, verify the version actually running and reopen the same service and background effect. Compare red and blue with your baseline. If a preview is available, start there; an external test call is unnecessary.
- Only if the problem remains: As a reversible comparison, temporarily deselect recommended performance settings and then hardware acceleration under Settings → Performance. Restart Firefox and repeat the comparison. Record and then restore the original settings, restarting again. This can affect performance and effects; it does not replace the update. Do not force about:config switches, disable WebGL globally or install drivers from unknown sources. [4]
Verify success and recover
Success means the corrected Release version is running and the previously affected subject has correct colours after restart, ideally with the original effect and performance settings. If not, temporarily use another permitted browser or omit the effect. Give graphics/distribution support the version, installation method and anonymised observations. Do not install an old insecure Firefox version as a recovery route. Keep the profile copy and original intact; restore selectively only with Firefox closed. [5]
Limits and sources
Editorial source analysis, not our own Firefox/GPU reproduction test. The vendor fix is documented but does not rule out a driver or camera problem. Mozilla's general graphics help includes old Windows instructions; only the distribution route and reversible performance comparison are relevant here for Linux. No buying advice, affiliate links or claimed search-trend demand. [4] Update on Bug 2089043: Mozilla confirms with two diagnostic paths that 159.0.1 fixes the WebGL→2D swap but introduces swapped colours when uploading an accelerated 2D canvas into WebGL. The user reported this in Elvenar on Intel UHD 730/Wayland. A developer explained the connection on 5 November; a patch landed in the development branch on 6 November. The bug remains ASSIGNED, with no corrected Release established. The temporary performance comparison in step 5 can help isolate it but is not a confirmed permanent fix. Do not install development builds or downgrade. [6]