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Note: This guide is for installing Firefox 1.5.0.2 in Ubuntu Breezy 5.10 also DapperDrake. Ubuntu Breezy and its repositories have Firefox 1.0.7. If you use this guide, 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.

Installing Firefox from mozilla.com

For some reason, the mozilla.com build of Firefox is significantly faster than the default Ubuntu one. Firefox 1.5.0.2 is even faster, and has many new features. These instructions lead you through installing Firefox 1.5.0.2 final, but should also work for 1.0.7 or any other version.

Notes

• You will no longer get automatic updates through the repositories (but firefox itself has a built into auto-updater, see below for how that works).
• The Totem video plugin doesn't seem to work with firefox 1.5.x. You may want to install package 'mozilla-mplayer' instead before you start.

• You need package 'libstdc++5' installed.

   sudo apt-get install libstdc++5

• This is for i386. If you are on amd64, there are some specific tips in [https://wiki.ubuntu.com/FirefoxAMD64FlashJava FirefoxAMD64FlashJava]

• If you are using scim-1.0.2 as your input method platform, firefox will crash on startup. You may manually build firefox 1.5(.x) to make both of them work. See ["SCIM"] and ["CompileFirefoxNewVersion"] for more information. If you don't know what SCIM is, you probably aren't using it - it is used for some non-english character sets only.

Installing

• First, back up your bookmarks and settings:

   cd ~/.mozilla/firefox/*.default
   mkdir ~/Desktop/ffsettings
   cp bookmarks.html cert8.db cookies.txt formhistory.dat key3.db signons.txt history.dat  mimeTypes.rdf ~/Desktop/ffsettings

• Download firefox-1.5.0.2.tar.gz from http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/ , and change to the directory you downloaded it to.

• Install it to /opt/firefox:

   # extract tar into /opt (you should make sure /opt already exists)
   sudo tar -C /opt -x -z -v -f firefox-1.5.0.2.tar.gz
   # remove the package if you no longer require it
   rm firefox-1.5.0.2.tar.gz

• Link to your plugins (and remove totem-mozilla as it doesn't seem to work with Firefox 1.5.x):

   cd /opt/firefox/plugins/
   sudo ln -s /usr/lib/mozilla-firefox/plugins/* .
   sudo rm libtotem_mozilla.*

• Change to your home directory, and rename your old profile, leaving it as a backup (using the existing profile may cause problems with Firefox 1.5.0.2):

   cd
   mv .mozilla/firefox .mozilla/firefox1.0.x.ubuntu

• To ensure it is used as the default version, modify the symbolic link in /usr/bin:

   # First, /usr/bin/firefox
   sudo dpkg-divert --divert /usr/bin/firefox.ubuntu --rename /usr/bin/firefox
   sudo ln -s /opt/firefox/firefox /usr/bin/firefox
   # Then, /usr/bin/mozilla-firefox, used as the default gnome browser
   sudo dpkg-divert --divert /usr/bin/mozilla-firefox.ubuntu --rename /usr/bin/mozilla-firefox
   sudo ln -s /opt/firefox/firefox /usr/bin/mozilla-firefox

  The dpkg-divert command will move the original system-wide /usr/bin/firefox to a new name. The ln command will place a symlink to the newly installed firefox in /usr/bin

• Try it out:

   firefox

• Running firefox in terminal may cause errors to show, dont worry about that it will still work once firefox is restarted. The reason for the errors is due to FireFox 1.5.0.2 is checking for updates. FireFox 1.5.0.2 does that at every start-up.

• Restore your old data:

   cd ~/Desktop/ffsettings
   mv * ~/.mozilla/firefox/*.default

• Restore your Searchplugins:

   sudo cp -i --reply=no /usr/lib/mozilla-firefox/searchplugins/* /opt/firefox/searchplugins/
   sudo cp -i --reply=no ~/.mozilla/firefox1.0.x.ubuntu/*.default/search/* /opt/firefox/searchplugins/

• If you want to keep the original Ubuntu icon for firefox, enter this command:

   sudo cp /usr/share/pixmaps/firefox.xpm /opt/firefox/chrome/icons/default/default.xpm

• To ensure that other programs use version 1.5.02 of firefox and not the old 1.07 version, go to Preferences -> Preferred Applications in the System menu. For the "Web Browser" tab, choose "Custom" and then enter the command:

   firefox %s

• Firefox 1.5.0.2 should now be installed and working properly. If for whatever reason you become unhappy with firefox 1.5.0.2 and would like to remove it, see the "Removing" section below for directions.

Restoring Extensions and Themes

In addition to restoring your settings, you can also restore your themes and extensions. As indicated above, this should only be done after running firefox at least once and fully closing it.

• Backup the new profile (just in case):

   cd ~/.mozilla/firefox
   mkdir ff1.5
   mv profiles.ini *.default ff1.5/

• Restore your previous profile:

   # Shutdown firefox
   cp ~/.mozilla/firefox1.0.x.ubuntu/profiles.ini .
   cp -r ~/.mozilla/firefox1.0.x.ubuntu/*.default .

• Start firefox and try it out. A dialog may appear indicating that one or more extensions and/or themes are not compatible. This is normal and firefox may be able to find updates for you.

Updating from 1.5.0 to a later version

Backup your profile with:

cp -R ~/.mozilla ~/.mozilla.backup.150x

Close Firefox, give your user (yourself) file ownership: sudo chown -R ${USER}:${USER} /opt/firefox Start Firefox normally and update (Help -> Check for updates...) Once the update is completed, close Firefox and than restore ownership to root: sudo chown -R root:root /opt/firefox Again, do NOT browse other sites while firefox has these elevated permissions, that is without changing back the ownership of /opt/firefox over to root. Such a practice is not safe.

Removing

If for some reason you want to undo the installation and revert back to the standard Firefox 1.0.7, here's how.

• Restore the symbolic links:

   # First, /usr/bin/firefox
   sudo rm /usr/bin/firefox
   sudo dpkg-divert --rename --remove /usr/bin/firefox
   # Then, /usr/bin/mozilla-firefox, used as the default gnome browser
   sudo rm /usr/bin/mozilla-firefox
   sudo dpkg-divert --rename --remove /usr/bin/mozilla-firefox

• Restore your old profile:

   cd
   mv .mozilla .mozilla-1.5
   mv .mozilla.ubuntu .mozilla

• (optional) Delete the firefox directory

   sudo rm -r /opt/firefox

Installing Firefox as a debian package

It is nice to have a package (easier to upgrade, etc). There is an experimental package building tool at [http://kidsquid.com/programs/ubuntu/firefox-1.5.0-0nonfree1_i386.tar.gz]. It can automatically download the i386 version of Firefox 1.5 (or you can copy in your existing Firefox download), then it will create a .deb package for it. Follow the steps in the README to install the new package. Please do not distribute any files created by this tool, as copying may violate the Firefox copyright.

Installing Firefox quick and dirty

Some people are too lazy or too impatient to install Firefox the way it should be in Ubuntu (see section 1). This section is not the proper installation method. It is also not safe compared to "Section 1". This current section is only for those too lazy and / or too impatient and / or need a quick fix to temporarily use a nightly Firefox trunk. Please note that if you follow this installation option instead of the others, you may have problems with some plugins. The instructions to install are basically: unzip, move existing profile, change file permissions, run. The instructions to update are basically: change file permissions, launch and update, change file permissions back. The instructions to uninstall are basically: change file permissions, delete its folder. During these instructions, do not use sudo except when apt-getting the prerequisite (dependency).

If you are following these instructions to try out Firefox 2.x alpha/beta, please make sure to backup your profile and use a new one if possible.

Installing Firefox quick and dirty

1. Install the prerequisite: You need package 'libstdc++5' installed.

sudo apt-get install libstdc++5

2. Download the tar.gz archive from firefox's site to /home/username (username is your own username; adjust to your settings).

3. Untar to home:

cd
tar -xvzf firefox-1.5.02.tar.gz

4. Change permissions so that something does not owerwrite your firefox:

chmod -R uog-w /home/username/firefox

5. Move existing Mozilla Firefox profile:

cd
mv .mozilla/firefox ./firefox.oldfx

6. Run Firefox

cd /home/username/firefox/
./firefox

That's all.

You can manipulate existing shortcuts to point to the new firefox, or create new shortcuts. I prefered creating a new one in my desktop.

Get bookmarks back (if installed via the quick and dirty section)

Your old bookmarks can be imported back: In your new firefox, go to Bookmarks>Manage Bookmarks>File>Import; navigate to /home/username/firefox.oldfx/somenumbers.default/ and choose bookmarks.html.

Update Firefox (if installed via the quick and dirty section)

1. Change permissions of firefox so it can write to itself:

chown -R u+w /home/username/firefox

2. Launch firefox

/home/username/firefox/firefox

3. Go to Help>Check for updates. Update as needed. You may want to backup your profile beforehand though.

4. Close firefox

5. Restore permissions

chown -R uog-w /home/username/firefox

That's all.

Uninstalling Firefox (if installed via the quick and dirty section)

This is the easiest:

1. Change permissions (as usual):

chown -R u+w /home/username/firefox

2. Use nautilus (or any other file manager) to navigate to /home/username/ and delete the folder "firefox" (just repeating myself: you will be deleting /home/username/firefox -> the folder you untarred firefox into)

3. Move your old profile (from 1.0.x) back to its place

cd
mv .mozilla/firefox .mozilla/firefox.150.uninstalled
mv firefox.oldfx .mozilla/firefox

That's all.

Discuss this page at http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=79283

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