Phoronix: Kubuntu 12.04 To Drop KDE Support For Firefox

[67GTA]

I looked at the package this morning, and the only useful file I saw was kmozillahelper. I guess if it gets dropped we can just manually set the dialogs/file associations/ protocol handlers. No other browser has the addons I use daily as of yet. I wonder how many more packages will be affected in the future?

[67GTA]

It seems kmozillahelper is from the openSUSE camp and is packaged for Ubuntu according to the copyright file:

Format-Specification: http://svn.debian.org/wsvn/dep/web/deps/dep5.mdwn?op=file&rev=135
Name: kmozillahelper
Maintainer: Lubos Lunak <l.lunak@suse.cz>
Source: http://gitorious.org/firefox-kde-opensuse

I guess if push came to shove you could use openSUSE's OBS to build it for Ubuntu.

[romabacor]

For nobody is it important that firefox does not have support for kde integration?? for my it is a very useful firefox, I have proved opera, chrome, chromium and none satisfies, serious well a ppa support kde, PLEASE, EXCUSE MY ENGLISH

[bra|10n]

If support is really being dropped, then I'm wondering whether a switch to this may be the reason?

[SteveRiley]

Ah, a paradox of choices for Qt/KDE browsers...

* rekonq (which I've been trying to make my primary browser)
* QupZilla
* QtWeb
* arora

[GreyGeek]

I downloaded QupZilla. Nice! Haven't got it to play YouTube stuff yet, but it is trying. Looks like FireFox.

I downloaded QtWeb, unzipped it and marked "QtWeb" as executable. Running it gave:

:~$ cd Downloads/QtWeb-elf386/jerry@jerry-Aspire-7739:~/Downloads/QtWeb-elf386$ ./QtWeb
./QtWeb: error while loading shared libraries: libjpeg.so.62: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory
jerry@jerry-Aspire-7739:~/Downloads/QtWeb-elf386$ locate libjpeg.so
/usr/lib/jvm/java-6-openjdk-amd64/jre/lib/amd64/libjpeg.so
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libjpeg.so.8
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libjpeg.so.8.0.2

I am not in the mood to make a soft link from libjpeg.so.62" to ...amd64/libjpeg.so" and probably can't if QtWeb is 32 bit, as I suspect.

Ergo, Arora isn't ready for prime time on my box, yet.

I switched to the Chromium-browser about a year ago but after a couple weeks switched back to FF because it was incompatible with the way I browse and want to use a browser. After Kubuntu announced that it would no longer support FireFox I thought I had plenty of time to switch again. BUT, recent upgrades seemed to have made FF highly unstable. A couple days ago I begin using Chromium again. My BSOD earlier today, triggered while running FF, solidified my decision to move away from FF.

Right now, however, at first glance, QupZilla is looking pretty good.

[67GTA]

I have tried many times to move away from FF, but no other browser has the addons I like to use. The firefox-kde-support package still works in 12.04. If it goes away, I guess I will use my openSUSE OBS account to build it. Someone at SUSE maintains it. Debian even has it. The OBS has the option to build debian packages too.

[dequire]

I downloaded QupZilla. Nice! Haven't got it to play YouTube stuff yet, but it is trying.

Hi GG. I added the repo as per the download page instructions: http://www.qupzilla.com/download

On my system at least, Flash videos play just fine.

[GreyGeek]

Hi GG. I added the repo as per the download page instructions: http://www.qupzilla.com/download

On my system at least, Flash videos play just fine.

That's what I did as well. Qup began playing videos for me also. However, I did notice a tendency for it to crash, and this was without all the addons and plugins that I have on FF. So, I uninstalled it and remove the repository.

I began adding extensions and plugins to Chromium to achieve the usability with it that I had with FF and it, too, began crashing too often. So, I began deleting plugins that wanted to call external websites to do things, like establishing the location & IP address of the web page I am on. I also removed the YouTube plugin that offered "settings" for YouTube. Once I deleted them Chromium has been rock solid. I'm still looking for a plugin like "Download Helper".

[Guest]

you can use opera, it's free, faster and for a lot of platform and system and with lot of extension.

That's what I did as well. Qup began playing videos for me also. However, I did notice a tendency for it to crash, and this was without all the addons and plugins that I have on FF. So, I uninstalled it and remove the repository.

I began adding extensions and plugins to Chromium to achieve the usability with it that I had with FF and it, too, began crashing too often. So, I began deleting plugins that wanted to call external websites to do things, like establishing the location & IP address of the web page I am on. I also removed the YouTube plugin that offered "settings" for YouTube. Once I deleted them Chromium has been rock solid. I'm still looking for a plugin like "Download Helper".

[ardvark71]

If support is really being dropped, then I'm wondering whether a switch to this may be the reason?

Hi...

If so, then it would be in conjunction with this reason....

"This is becoming because the Ubuntu Firefox maintainer no longer wants to maintain the KDE support patch, which isn't mainline in Firefox."

Furthermore...

"The stock Firefox web-browser could be used instead, but it will be without any KDE integration support. This "KDE support" is about using KDE file dialogs, file associations, protocol handlers, and other features that up to this point have been better integrated with the KDE desktop."

I hope someone from Kubuntu's inner circle (developers) could pick this up and continue to maintain it. This, along with Canonical's previous decision to discontinue support for Kubuntu....:roll:

@fmasotti: Welcome to the forums. Yes, Opera is a good alternative, although I've had it not work well with some pages in terms of getting buttons to work, etc. However, this was with version 10.61, perhaps they worked out the bugs since then.

Regards...

[bra|10n]

Hi ardvark71,

Thanks for the link.
I enjoy reading snippets from the developers 'chat'.

Regarding Firefox though, I think rather than the 2+2 guesswork I put forward as a "possible reason" I'd say your link contains the actual reason.

What does it mean though for Kubuntu Firefox users though? I did a search for "firefox" in Muon and found I only had 3 packages installed;

1. Firefox, of course
2. firefox-locale-en
3. flashplugin-installer

Is there some Kubuntu-related functionality built into other peoples firefox that I'm missing?
I only use a few add-ons also; adblock+, Oxygen-KDE and disable compatability checker, otherwise I presume what I use is almost pure Mozilla Firefox.

Without the mentioned support, what would really be different?

Edit: I just noticed in the first post here the following;

I guess if it gets dropped we can just manually set the dialogs/file associations/ protocol handlers.

Would this really be the case?

[GreyGeek]

I tried Opera. Didn't like it. Just a personal choice.

[ardvark71]

What does it mean though for Kubuntu Firefox users though? I did a search for "firefox" in Muon and found I only had 3 packages installed;

1. Firefox, of course
2. firefox-locale-en
3. flashplugin-installer

Is there some Kubuntu-related functionality built into other peoples firefox that I'm missing?
I only use a few add-ons also; adblock+, Oxygen-KDE and disable compatability checker, otherwise I presume what I use is almost pure Mozilla Firefox.

Hi...

Very good question. So you don't have the "firefox-kde-support" package installed (assuming you're running 11.10?) If not, then yes, I would guess your Firefox installation could be considered "pure." The package probably doesn't make a whole lot of difference but I'm sure it adds some enhancements and features specifically for KDE that are helpful.

Regards...

[bra|10n]

Hi ardvark71,

No I'm on 12.04_64 and to be honest have always used firefox in the same fashion. I initially had a moment thinking there was something more that kde was adding into the mix.
I have also run the nightly from time to time on this machine and it seemed 'as-complete' as v.11 to me.

cheers