Firefox 3.0.1 Not Running - 3x Installs

[ro9u3b46]

I haven't said this in many, many years but Kubuntu 8.04.1 is turning out to be an install from . . .

Firefox is running perfectly in 7.10. Used a new hard drive to install 8.04.1 three times from two separate downloaded CDs.

In all instances Firefox starts with hard drive activity then it dies - no error messages - no nothing. Started in a terminal - the cursor dropped a line and just stayed there.

I have searched for a solution but I haven't found any. My last install was 'by the book.' Minimum customization and still the same result.

My guess is a library is missing. It used to be libc6 but that is present. When I install Firefox (it is not loaded by default), it loads without any dependencies.

Has anyone else suffers any problems? What was your solution?

[aged hippy]

Re: Firefox 3.0.1 Not Running - 3x Installs

How did you install it, Adept, download it, or Ubuntuzilla?

I have had no problems with the Ubuntuzilla install, maybe it is worth your giving it a try.

You can get it with Adept, or from here: http://sourceforge.net/projects/ubuntuzilla/
and instructions for use are here: http://ubuntuzilla.wiki.sourceforge.net/

It may well pay to either delete or re-name any .mozilla or .firefox directories you can find (with show hidden files turned on).

[ro9u3b46]

Re: Firefox 3.0.1 Not Running - 3x Installs


Thanks for the reply. I appreciate the help.

The CDs are two separate downloaded Kubuntu 8.04.1.

The Firefox installs are from ubuntu repos or direct downloads from Mozilla.

The ~/.mozilla directories has been played with, with no success.

This includes:
starting from scratch
using backup copies
copies with all extensions and plugins removed
and whatever combination I may have missed here.

I MAY try your suggestion but I have already wasted about three days on this problem. My 7.10 works very well. I am waiting for KDE 4.2 to arrive next January because of some screen features so I may wait until then and use 8.10 but this would mean that I would miss the LTS.

Any other help ??

[The Liquidator]

Re: Firefox 3.0.1 Not Running - 3x Installs

I'm interested in your reference to backup. Have you checked the permissions in the hidden .mozilla file in the home directory? You should have read/write access as user to all files in the directory.

[ro9u3b46]

Re: Firefox 3.0.1 Not Running - 3x Installs

Thank You for the reply.

Yes. The permissions are all the users. From my experience with Firefox loading the local config file (~/.mozilla) comes towards the end of the executable loading process. My problems begin almost at the beginning.

I did do as aged hippy suggested and I tried to install ubuntuzilla (I'm a glutton for punishment). The automated install of Firefox failed about the time when ~/.gnupg enters the script. The automated install script stops and advises that it cannot accesss a file but the permissions are all OK. I followed the links and I tried the manual install of the script. Firefox nows rests in /opt.

The menu action fails to launch Firefox, still! But some success. When I start Firefox from a terminal, I get the Firefox gui and information about the home page (~/.mozilla works) but nothing else. The screen does not refresh. The gui has crashed. When I minimise and maximise Firefox all I get is the Firefox border and nothing inside. This to me as a long term user suggests that the part of the program that builds the gui is functional but the part of the program that retrieves the net information is broken. This supports my theory that I have library problems.

I am guilty of customising Kubuntu to my needs. For instance, I am in en-ca but I choose en-gb. I do not like network manager so I delete all associated files and modify the /etc network files. I do a few other things which may interfere with Firefox. It has not had any effect up until now.

I have just finished downloading Ubuntu 8.04.1. Ubuntuzilla states that Firefox is the default web browser for that distro so I'll try it. I will also try to modify then run Firefox, modify then run Firefox, modify then run Firefox until I crash Firefox. At least then I will know what I am doing wrong.

I will report back.

Anything else will be appreciated.

[ro9u3b46]

Re: [SOLVED] Firefox 3.0.1 Not Running - 3x Installs

SOLVED!!!

It took one more install with Ubuntu 8.04.1 and Kubuntu 8.04.1 and lots of research.

1. Network Manager is not only a network program but it is needed by at least six of my programs for installation and updating. I delete it after the initial install because I think it is a pain in the ... and it generates 6 lines of errors when I shutdown. I never would have known without the Ubuntu install. Kubuntu doesn't raise any error windows during the install but Ubuntu does. About six times during my Ubuntu updating, an error window appeared and said something like "Network Manager cannot locate" something or other. I tried another install without removing network manager until the end and I got a more successful install.

Still not completely out of trouble

2. One of my outside programs requires Xulrunner to be installed. It installed Xulrunner-1.9.0.1 which is an update to the already installed Xulrunner 1.9. Xulrunner is a required library for Firefox, et al. A minor number change but it broke all my gnome apps like Firefox, Thunderbird and gthumb. I downgraded to the repository 1.9 and now my gnome apps work as normal.

I left MS Windows because the program would not allow me to do most of my customising.The tweak* utilities were no longer written. Linux was great. I could customise to my hearts content until recently when I have noticed more complicated interactions in KDE. I am using 3.5.10 and I hate to see what 4.2 is going to give me but as long as I want to learn I'll stay with Linux.


If any body is listening this might help.

[The Liquidator]

Re: Firefox 3.0.1 Not Running - 3x Installs

Glad you got it sorted.

Ian