• From: Covington, LA
  • Registered: 2010-09-11
  • Posts: 79

Topic: Alternative Method to Get Firefox into your Debian Box

Do it the Ubuntuzilla way...

Note: I backed up my bookmarks and removed the previously installed version of Firefox on my system. before starting this procedure.

Manually add to your apt sources list:

deb http://switch.dl.sourceforge.net/project/ubuntuzilla/mozilla/apt all main

Or, have it placed there automatically:

echo -e "\ndeb http://switch.dl.sourceforge.net/project/ubuntuzilla/mozilla/apt all main" | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list > /dev/null

Then get the key:

sudo apt-key adv --recv-keys --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com C1289A29

Then update:

sudo apt-get update

Next:

- Open up Synaptic and look in the "Origin" section, then the subsection titled: "stable/main (downloads.sourceforge.net)".

- Seamonkey, Firefox and Thunderbird, will all be listed there.

- Install what you like.

Note: The first time I attempted installing Firefox this way in Statler, I received a missing maintainer error.  I closed the error box and reinstalled the package. Firefox then installed without any problems and it placed a menu entry into the Xfce menu. I fired it up and my bookmarks (from my previously uninstalled version) were still there.

Firefox suggests we run the binary download from our desktops if we can't get Fireofox from our package maintainer.  Installing Firefox this way, should allow updates to come straight from Mozilla.

See info on installing language packs, as this method installs only the US English version of Firefox:

http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/u … =Main_Page

Follow this link, to make the Crunchbang Google start page, your home page:

http://crunchbanglinux.org/start/

big_smile

Last edited by nolatux (2010-09-27 11:55:38)

Currently running "Statler" - Openbox edition.
  • Registered: 2009-09-06
  • Posts: 214

Re: Alternative Method to Get Firefox into your Debian Box

Nice one. Very useful.

"In spite of the cost of living, it's still popular."
Kathleen Norris
  • From: Srbija
  • Registered: 2010-04-06
  • Posts: 58

Re: Alternative Method to Get Firefox into your Debian Box

I just download FF from their website, and in this way get one localized to my own language, instead of using the English version, I unpack the folder anywhere and then just make a menu and keybind link to the executable. And yes it's very handy I can update from the browser interface this way. Are there any disadvantages to it compared to the way described here?

  • From: Covington, LA
  • Registered: 2010-09-11
  • Posts: 79

Re: Alternative Method to Get Firefox into your Debian Box

Iskander wrote:

I just download FF from their website, and in this way get one localized to my own language, instead of using the English version, I unpack the folder anywhere and then just make a menu and keybind link to the executable. And yes it's very handy I can update from the browser interface this way. Are there any disadvantages to it compared to the way described here?

It's a matter of personal preference really, but there also may be advantages or disadvantages that I'm not aware of. I'm curious to know how the Java and Flash updates are handled when running Firefox direct from the binary package.

It would be great if the binary download of Firefox was portable and could run off a USB key but executing the binary on any system that has Firefox installed will launch the installed version and not the binary one.

Last edited by nolatux (2010-09-27 12:26:10)

Currently running "Statler" - Openbox edition.
  • From: Athens, Greece
  • Registered: 2009-10-22
  • Posts: 600

Re: Alternative Method to Get Firefox into your Debian Box

I'm running firefox downloaded from firefox site since statler alpha1 and the last couple of months I noticed that when I have multiple tabs, or even after I close them, I get high cpu usage (~60%) resulting high temperatures (~65C instead of the typical 45C). I can only cool it down by quiting firefox and open a new instance.

I'll try your method and see if something will change, but in the meantime can someone verify or not this behavior?

p.s. I'm keeping firefox updated manually and this high cpu usage/temperature is unchanged from version to version.

  • From: Srbija
  • Registered: 2010-04-06
  • Posts: 58

Re: Alternative Method to Get Firefox into your Debian Box

@ nolatux

Well FF tells me that I should update Flash, and then sends me to get the .deb from the Adobe website... I do wish Firefox would be in the repos. Debian's.


@ slapfish

Have you looked at the plugin container process? I heard it can cause problems.

I've only had extremely high CPU usage with Google Docs running for more than a couple of minutes in Iceweasel, and the browser would freeze eventually. But this was a Google Docs bug, same thing when running it in Chromium.

  • From: Athens, Greece
  • Registered: 2009-10-22
  • Posts: 600

Re: Alternative Method to Get Firefox into your Debian Box

Iskander wrote:

Have you looked at the plugin container process? I heard it can cause problems.

I've never herd of that before and I just did a really quick reading about it. I'll disable it the next time that cpu/temp goes high due to firefox. Thanks for the tip!

By the way I'm running the deb package the last 2 hours and I've noticed a little improvement. It doesn't "haste" so often and it goes down if I close some of the tabs (which didn't before).