FAQ: Firefox

[Rog131]

FirefoxFAQ
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/FirefoxFAQ

Firefox, which is produced by the Mozilla project, is the default browser in Ubuntu. Mozilla also produce SeaMonkey an all-in-one browser & email client.

Note
Firefox is GTK/1/ application, so K > System Settings > Look & Feel > GTK Styles and Fonts...


Installing

You can install Firefox from

1) repositories

Repositories/Kubuntu
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Repositories/Kubuntu

2) Ubuntuzilla

Ubuntuzilla:
http://ubuntuzilla.wiki.sourceforge.net/

This is the home of the Ubuntuzilla project, which is a python script that allows the user to install the latest versions of Mozilla Firefox, Mozilla SeaMonkey, and Mozilla Thunderbird on Ubuntu Linux. Ubuntuzilla has a support forum on the Ubuntu Forums in the 3rd party projects area, which you are encouraged to use if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions.

3) Mozilla

Mozilla
http://www.mozilla.com/

Fully Localized Versions
http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/all.html

Release notes
http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/3.0/releasenotes/


You just download tar ball. Unpack it into your home folder and run firefox.

Example #1:
Dowaloading firefox-2.0.0.12.tar.gz
Unpacking; click (or right click -> Open with) firefox-2.0.0.12.tar.gz -> ARK will pop up and ask where you want to extract firefox (using ~/bin/net/ that is /home/<username>/bin/net/)
Lauch; Firefox will start in the konsole:

:~$ ~/bin/net/firefox/firefox

Example #2:
Downloading firefox-3.0.tar.bz2. Here it is in the /media/sda6/tmp_firefox3/. If it is in the desktop then the path is /home/<USER>/Desktop; <USER> is your username.

In the konsole:

sudo tar -C /usr/local -xvf /media/sda6/tmp_firefox3/firefox-3.0.tar.bz2

This will unpack firefox to the /usr/local/firefox.

Check:

ls /usr/local

bin etc firefox games include lib man sbin share src

Symlinking:

sudo ln -s /usr/local/firefox/firefox /usr/local/bin/firefox3

Check:

ls -l /usr/local/bin/firefox3

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 26 2008-06-18 11:03 /usr/local/bin/firefox3 -> /usr/local/firefox/firefox

Now Firefox 3 will start with the command:

:~$ firefox3

Adding Firefox in the KDE menu:
Highlight an item in the section of K-menu (Internet), right click. A menu will appear, click "Edit menu" option. KDE Menu Editor starts. Now you can add Firefox to the menu.

Topic: TAR BALLS
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3085135.0



Differences (repo vs. non-repo)

From repository

Updates are through the Ubuntu repositories, not from Mozilla (Firefox).


Non repository

Updates are directly from the Mozilla. Firefox has a built into auto/manual-updater...

(Is this still true ?)
FirefoxNewVersion
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/FirefoxNewVersion

For some reason, the build of Firefox from Mozilla is significantly faster than the default Ubuntu one.

Gnome applications may need Firefox:

Do not remove the Ubuntu version of Firefox. Doing so will break the following packages: Yelp (help viewer), Epiphany, Gnome-app-install (Add Applications), Liferea, Blam and any application requiring the Gecko rendering engine.

Can't launch Firefox (Mozilla tar-ball)

Error (in the konsole)

firefox-bin: error while loading shared libraries: libstdc++.so.5: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

Solution, install package: libstdc++5


Error (Firefox 3)

firefox-bin: error while loading shared libraries: libxul.so: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

Solution, install package: libxul-common


Plugins

You install plugins through the repositories, not with "Click here to download plugin."

FirefoxUpdates
https://wiki.kubuntu.org/FirefoxUpda...=%28firefox%29

Topic: How do I install a Quicktime plugin for Firefox in Kubuntu?
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3089978.0

Topic: quicktime/wmv ?
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3087813.0


Adobe Flash

FAQ: Adobe flash
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3090377.0


Embedded video

You need: browser + media player + plugin

So, Firefox and
kaffeine + kaffeine-mozilla
or
mplayer + mozilla-mplayer
or
VLC+ mozilla-plugin-vlc


You may need codecs:

Medibuntu
http://www.medibuntu.org/

Medibuntu
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Medibuntu

HOWTO: Add the Medibuntu Repository and PGP Key
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3089281.0

Topic: how to install video codec
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3088279.0


Problems with plugins

If you have installed plug-in and aboutlugins /2/ don't show it. Try to copy plugins from
/usr/lib/mozilla/plugins/ to the ~/.mozilla/plugins/

Topic: Embedded video firefox application/x-mplayer2
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3090893.0


Moving Firefox file cache

Moving file cache to the home folder (no problem with permissions):
1) about:config to create a new preference. (hidden preference that doesn't appear until you create it.)

2) Type in the Filter: browser.cache.disk.parent_directory
Right click - > New (string) -> Enter path /home/username/.diskcache (or something)

Topic: Where do stored web pages live?
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3086444.0

Topic: How can I save flash videos?
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3084638.0



/1/

GTK wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GTK%2B

The GTK Project
http://www.gtk.org/

Qt wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qt_%28toolkit%29

Qt
http://trolltech.com/


/2/
about: URI scheme
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/About:_URI_scheme


More links:

Topic: SeaMonkey or Firefox/Thunderbird?
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3089363.0

How to install ANYTHING in Ubuntu!
http://monkeyblog.org/ubuntu/installing/

FirefoxTipsAndTricks
https://wiki.kubuntu.org/FirefoxTips...=%28firefox%29

Convert Firefox into a text-only browser
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9837331-7.html

15 must-have Firefox tricks