FireFox 0.9.3 is out [Archive]

rkl

7th August 2004, 01:41 AM

Just want to let you guys know Mozilla has released FireFox 0.9.3
Which is a security fix release only (I think 4 fixes since 0.9.1 is all that's changed) and no other bugs have been fixed or features added. Sadly, no-one's built an FC2 RPM yet, though with fedora.us managing to eventually wrestle 0.9.1 into submission and Dag kicking in with the bizarre 0.9.2 (bizarre, because there never was an official Linux 0.9.2 release !), we should hopefully see 0.9.3 shortly as an RPM.

Note that you can get FC2 x86 Mozilla 1.7.2 RPMS (ftp://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/mozilla/yum/SeaMonkey/releases/1.7.2/redhat/2/i386/) while you're waiting for Firefox 0.9.3 RPMs to emerge...

imdeemvp

7th August 2004, 02:20 AM

no need for rpm....tarball is good enough :D

ats-tech

7th August 2004, 03:07 AM

I don't understand what the huge deal is with needing rpms. It's not like it's that tough to build from a tarball.

ewdi

7th August 2004, 03:08 AM

not every linux users are veteran users, when i was using linux in 1996, i was hardly able to install it :p

ats-tech

7th August 2004, 03:19 AM

I agree, but I bet when you first started using linux, you learned how to

./configure
make
make install

Pretty quick. I understand that rpms are nice, I still use them when available, but I dont' think it should stop people from installing an application just because it's not available via rpm. If someone needs help, all they need to do is ask. That's the great thing about this forum.

crackers

7th August 2004, 03:55 AM

Ah, yes, but my wife (who I tout as the prototypical "smart user") doesn't and wouldn't want to know a durn thing about that. In fact, her system doesn't have GCC on it - many "typical" users will not have installed the "Programming Tools" packages - which makes using autoconf and make somewhat problematic.

Keep in mind that the current thrust of "desktop" Linux is to make this easier for the "typical" user - and still leave more than enough flexibility for everyone else. Not an easy route, to be sure...

ats-tech

7th August 2004, 04:07 AM

eep in mind that the current thrust of "desktop" Linux is to make this easier for the "typical" user - and still leave more than enough flexibility for everyone else. Not an easy route, to be sure...

I agree, but Fedora does this well... I think we can all agree to that.

ghaefb

7th August 2004, 09:57 AM

What's wrong with firefox-installer ?
It's even better than rpm if you ask me..

And there is no need for ./configure make make install anyways

imdeemvp

7th August 2004, 10:17 AM

What's wrong with firefox-installer ?
It's even better than rpm if you ask me..

And there is no need for ./configure make make install anyways

i agree :D

rkl

7th August 2004, 10:46 AM

What's wrong with firefox-installer ?
I have multiple work desktops I want to roll out Firefox non-interactively to. The installer isn't any use for that. .tar.gz files are "messy" to install on multiple machines (you'd end up having to write a wrapper script to delete the old version and unpack the new one and then run anything post-unpack that might be needed to set it up for the end user).

This is the "big deal" about RPMs - they non-interactively install, correctly remove the old version, run anything pre-unpack or post-unpack they need to and, of course, add to the list of RPMs installed ("rpm -qa") so you can easily tell it's installed and where it is ("rpm -ql"). Sadly, people just think in the point-and-drool single-machine mindset (just like Windows users !) when it comes to software installation on Linux.

When you're maintaining a network of Fedora Core Linux desktops like I do, RPMs are the only way to retain some sort of sanity when it comes to unattended installation.

ghaefb

7th August 2004, 11:46 AM

Sadly, people just think in the point-and-drool single-machine mindset (just like Windows users !) when it comes to software installation on Linux.
That's true..

I dont't "maintain a network of Fedora Core Linux desktops" but I hope some day I will :rolleyes:
That's why I didn't see this non rpm problem here..
But I thank you for enlightening me.

ats-tech

7th August 2004, 12:11 PM

Tis true, I was not thinking of a mass install either. Thanks for the reminder that linux desktops aren't just single user machines anymore.

Avix

7th August 2004, 06:17 PM

I've been doing MS support for over 20 years (blech), when I installed Fedora I couldn't get the tarballs or any of that to install, I didn't install the Programing tools, the desktop setting didn't say anything about needing the Programing tools to install software.

Linux will grow as long as it's made easier to install.

tchung

8th August 2004, 09:06 AM

Hello,

I've written following article on Aug 06 based on Firefox 0.9.3:

"HOWTO build Firefox RPM package for Fedora Core"

http://fedoranews.org/tchung/firefox/

Thomas

ps. This is my first post from Firefox 0.9.3 :)

rkl

8th August 2004, 01:52 PM

Hello,
"HOWTO build Firefox RPM package for Fedora Core"

http://fedoranews.org/tchung/firefox/

Just tried this in FC2 and it didn't work me - I got the binary RPM created, rpm-installed it, but then firefox just ran for a few seconds and then exited (I've had this before trying RPMs of Mozilla or Firefox built for other distros). Still, it was interesting to get instructions on "converting" a binary .tar.gz into a binary RPM, so thanks for that.

micha

8th August 2004, 04:17 PM

tchung

8th August 2004, 06:00 PM

Just tried this in FC2 and it didn't work me - I got the binary RPM created, rpm-installed it, but then firefox just ran for a few seconds and then exited (I've had this before trying RPMs of Mozilla or Firefox built for other distros). Still, it was interesting to get instructions on "converting" a binary .tar.gz into a binary RPM, so thanks for that.

Hello,

Please read following section in the article:

Note: If you install in the default directory (which is usually /usr/local/firefox), or any other directory (in this article, we used /usr/lib/firefox) where only the root user normally has write-access, you must start firefox first as root before other users can start the program. Doing so generates a set of files required for later use by other users.

Thomas

foolish

8th August 2004, 09:04 PM

The rpm vs tarball debate is silly. When using a rpm based distro, rpms are superior in every way. It's not just about ease of use, it's also about control. Managing files are hard. Managing packages where every file belongs to one package is easier. Automatic resolvment of dependencies is easy. Tarballs are an ancient, unpractical and time-consuming method of installing software. Use packages.

I've written an introduction to rpm packages and yum: http://foolish.fedorausers.org/rpm/index.html

imdeemvp

9th August 2004, 12:45 AM

what happen to the search engine that defaulted to google?

tchung

9th August 2004, 04:02 AM

I've written an introduction to rpm packages and yum: http://foolish.fedorausers.org/rpm/index.html

Excellent article. I think it ought to be included in the Fedora Doc Project. :)

Thomas

tchung

9th August 2004, 04:09 AM

what happen to the search engine that defaulted to google?

Well, I realized Google didn't do a good job as far as indexing our articles in FedoraNEWS.ORG and sometimes it takes more than a couple of days before an article to be indexed by googlebot.

So I've decided to install our own search engine with our own search robot called "htdig"
Now our articles in FedoraNEWS.ORG are indexed every night.

If you still prefer google search, it's available at http://fedoranews.org/google/ :)

Thomas

rkl

9th August 2004, 01:30 PM

If you install in the default directory (which is usually /usr/local/firefox), or any other directory (in this article, we used /usr/lib/firefox) where only the root user normally has write-access, you must start firefox first as root before other users can start the program. Doing so generates a set of files required for later use by other users.

Hmmm...then it's not really a working binary RPM then - RPMs allow you to execute post-install commands to sort out this sort of post-install issue. I'm guessing here that there isn't a "firefox --run-this-to-init-files-for-other-users-then-exit" non-interactive (and non-X-display-requiring) command option then ? I seem to remember folks discussing this on Mozilla's Bugzilla, but it looks like they haven't fixed this yet.

The reason I'm bringing this up is that I was doing an "rpm -Uvh" to the 0.9.3 RPM from the already-installed 0.9.1 version I had - previous firefox RPM upgrades have not required me to run it as root first, so I fully expected this one to be the same. I guess I'll have to wait until the Firefox team fix this issue before I can roll out 0.9.3 to the multiple FC2 desktops I manage...

wshawn

9th August 2004, 09:24 PM

Here! Here! Me too. I agree. I PREFER linux over windows anyday of the week. And I am not even close to a newb on either operating system (Dos, Solaris, OS/2 either). BUt I would like to be able to play mp3's and install firefox without thinking about it...

Installs need to be as simple as posible while allowing me to play at the CLI as much as I want when I want for what I want. I can unzip / tar/ make etc with the best of them, but if I am running a system with x running then I shouldn't have to drop to a prompt. Its outdated, unless you are a sysadmin over a system (like a webserver like I am) with no GUI then it is to be expected.

I've been doing MS support for over 20 years (blech), when I installed Fedora I couldn't get the tarballs or any of that to install, I didn't install the Programing tools, the desktop setting didn't say anything about needing the Programing tools to install software.

Linux will grow as long as it's made easier to install.

engwnbie

9th August 2004, 10:57 PM

tchung

9th August 2004, 11:14 PM

Tried the installer but I could not get it to install properly? Installed it and it worked, but does any one know how to proper procedure to installing it right? I had no icon and it would not run from panel menu.

Hello,

Please specify your Fedora Core Release.

You said "installer", are you referrring to RPM installer you've created using my article or the original TAR installer from Firefox?

You said "it worked", which one are you referring to?

Have you followed my article step by step and created binary RPM package?

Have you run it from terminal as a root before running it as user as I described in the article?

Have you log out and log back in to refresh Main Menu?

Thomas

engwnbie

9th August 2004, 11:21 PM

No I used the installer version from Mozilla site. Just could not get it to extract and install in the proper location using the gui. By the way I have used your methods before and worked great for me just thought I would try and experiment with something different this time. Thanks and keep up the great how to's Thomas.
Leo

Shadow Skill

26th August 2004, 11:01 PM

Before I reformatted my fedora partition I installed Firefox using the installer, and it sucked, didn't give me any icons or an easy way (Within Firefox itself line in windows.) to set Firefox as the default browser. Instead I had to do some hokey thing with the launcher in gnome to make Firefox the default browser, and even then it still acted wierd asking me from a profile sometimes. There definetly should be an rpm for Firefox that installs icons and allows you to set firefox as the default browser, since the browser itself won't do it.

superbnerd

26th August 2004, 11:21 PM

there IS. just use yum people!!! i have had firefox installed for weeks now. and, if you JUST USE YUM, everything will automatically update for you! make sure you have configured your yum.conf (http://www.fedorafaq.org/#installsoftware) and just give the command yum install firefox thats it. for the vaint of command line, here is a gui for yum (http://fedoranews.org/tchung/gyum/fc2) and more instructions to buils an up2date like applet for it here (http://fedoranews.org/tchung/yum-applet/).

Flawed

4th September 2004, 03:22 PM

When I try to install Firefox using YUM, All I get is Firefox 8.3. I feel stupid. :confused:

Here's my yum.conf in /dev/

[main]
cachedir=/var/cache/yum
debuglevel=2
logfile=/var/log/yum.log
pkgpolicy=newest
distroverpkg=redhat-release
tolerant=1
exactarch=1
retries=20

[base]
name=Fedora Core $releasever - $basearch - Base
baseurl=http://download.fedora.redhat.com/pub/fedora/linux/core/$releasever/$basearch/os/

[updates-released]
name=Fedora Core $releasever - $basearch - Released Updates
baseurl=http://download.fedora.redhat.com/pub/fedora/linux/core/updates/$releasever/$basearch/

#[updates-testing]
#name=Fedora Core $releasever - $basearch - Unreleased Updates
#baseurl=http://download.fedora.redhat.com/pub/fedora/linux/core/updates/testing/$releasever/$basearch/

#[development]
#name=Fedora Core $releasever - Development Tree
#baseurl=http://download.fedora.redhat.com/pub/fedora/linux/core/development/$basearch/

[freshrpms]
name=Fedora Linux $releasever - $basearch - freshrpms
baseurl=http://ayo.freshrpms.net/fedora/linux/$releasever/$basearch/freshrpms/
gpgcheck=1

[dag]
name=Dag RPM Repository for Fedora Core
baseurl=http://apt.sw.be/fedora/$releasever/en/$basearch/dag/
gpgcheck=1

When I try to use the Firefox installer, it just exits after telling me "Click Install to continue". I use Fedora Core 2, fully patched, Gnome and the latest kernel. I'm really liking Fedora 2 so far, though. :confused:

cas

4th September 2004, 03:42 PM

Try adding this to your yum.conf:

[mozilla-seamonkey]
name=Latest mozilla releases from mozilla.org
baseurl=ftp://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/mozilla/yum/SeaMonkey/releases/1.7/redhat/$releasever

superbnerd

4th September 2004, 09:32 PM

our getting that 0.8 release from the dag repo. if the above post doen't work for, you should get the 0.9.3 release from the fedora extras. [fedora-stable]
name=Fedora.us Extras (Stable)
baseurl=http://mirrors.kernel.org/fedora.us/fedora/fedora/$releasever/$basearch/RPMS.stable
http://fedora.quicknet.nl/fedora/fedora/$releasever/$basearch/RPMS.stable
http://mirrors.usc.edu/pub/linux/fedora/fedora/fedora/$releasever/$basearch/RPMS.stable
http://fedora.mirror.sdv.fr/fedora/fedora/$releasever/$basearch/RPMS.stable
http://download.fedora.us/fedora/fedora/$releasever/$basearch/RPMS.stable
#gpgcheck=1
[livna-stable]
name=Livna.org - Fedora Compatible Packages (stable)
baseurl=http://rpm.livna.org/fedora/$releasever/$basearch/yum/stable
http://livna.cat.pdx.edu/fedora/$releasever/$basearch/yum/stable
##gpgcheck=1

imdeemvp

4th September 2004, 09:47 PM

i just go right to the download site for linux firefox (http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/) :D

steffanstringer

12th September 2004, 07:24 PM

I've had FC1 on an older PC for 3 days (normally playing with Macs) and couldn't agree more that non-rpms are hard to install. I didn't know that Programming tools had to be installed either. Linux will spread faster when software installation is as easy as on the Mac. Having said that FC1 has gotten new life out of my old PC (800 Mhz, 30 GB - although originally at 128 Mb RAM I now have 384 Mb RAM onboard).

Regards, Steffan

denvergeek

22nd September 2004, 11:17 PM

Thomas,

A little help please - I am running FC1 fully patched via yum and using KDE as desktop.
I yum installed firefox-0.9.3 today and I followed the advice of running it first as root and it works great. However, when I log in as any other user and launch it from the start menu it pulses on the taskbar and then dies. If I try to launch it from a terminal window the system pauses for about 1 second and I get the prompt back but nothing happens. Not even the action on the task bar. I am thinking that it has to to with the permissioning issues in /usr/lib/firefox-0.9.3 but I do not know where to start. Could you please help?

Thanks.

Mike
denvergeek

superbnerd

22nd September 2004, 11:27 PM

how did you install firefox, from the mozilla download or from yum?

denvergeek

22nd September 2004, 11:30 PM

superbnerd,

From my original post - I yum installed firefox-0.9.3 today.

Mike
denvergeek

superbnerd

23rd September 2004, 12:06 AM

sorry about that :o
what repo did you get it from rpm -q firefox if its still a profile problem, you should try starting it with the profile editor firefox -ProfileManager

denvergeek

23rd September 2004, 12:27 AM

superbnerd,

No worries - :)

From the /etc/yum.conf file

[stable]
name=Fedora Core 1 -- Fedora US Mirror
baseurl=http://download.fedora.us/fedora/fedora/1/i386/yum/stable

firefox-0.9.3-0.fdr.4 is the response I get from rpm -q firefox.

I also tried the firefox -ProfileManager and it hangs. I can CTL-C and kill it, and I can see the processes with a ps -ef. But there is no error message evident and no obvious crash like before. Progress... :)

Thanks.

Mike
denvergeek

superbnerd

23rd September 2004, 03:38 AM

you should read this post about mozilla not starting after doing a yum update (http://www.fedoraforum.org/forum/showthread.php?p=104794#post104794). it be a simialar problem.

denvergeek

23rd September 2004, 05:42 PM

superbnerd,

Can Mozilla and Firefox co-exixt on the same machine? Or is it one or the other?

Thanks.

Mike

sayeeth

23rd September 2004, 07:19 PM

superbnerd,

Can Mozilla and Firefox co-exixt on the same machine? Or is it one or the other?

Thanks.

Mike

Both can co-exist. Set whichever you prefer as your default browser. :)

denvergeek

23rd September 2004, 07:20 PM

sayeeth,

Have you seen this type of issue before?

Mike
denvergeek

sayeeth

23rd September 2004, 07:23 PM

Not at all, I used to run Mozilla and Firefox simultaneous when I first started out. I had no issues. Afterwhich I removed Mozilla and have been using Firefox since. I have been using Firefox stand-alone since 0.9.1 I think.

denvergeek

23rd September 2004, 07:26 PM

Cool - this is pretty damn frustrating. It works sweet as the root user, but all other users cannot access it.

sayeeth

23rd September 2004, 07:35 PM

Cool - this is pretty damn frustrating. It works sweet as the root user, but all other users cannot access it.

Which works as the root user and doesn't work on other users? The question is this. Do you really need more than 1 browser for your system. Yes open source gives you more options, you can choose to use only one which is most comfortable for you. My personal preference is Firefox. :)

denvergeek

23rd September 2004, 07:43 PM

Mozilla works for everyone and is currently the default browser. I was trying to load up Firefox to test it as I have heard many great things. So far no joy on testing for the users.

sayeeth

23rd September 2004, 07:51 PM

Mozilla works for everyone and is currently the default browser. I was trying to load up Firefox to test it as I have heard many great things. So far no joy on testing for the users.

I am sure someone with more and better experience can help rectify your problem. In the mean time, keep trying. Perseverance will prevail in the end! Patience is a virtue! Good luck! :)

imdeemvp

23rd September 2004, 07:59 PM

Cool - this is pretty damn frustrating. It works sweet as the root user, but all other users cannot access it.

did you install it while login as ROOT? that is why no one can access it....because if you download tarball in root home and unpack the tarball in the root home, it will not be accessiable to other users...

as regular user open terminal and become root and type: yum install firefox

denvergeek

23rd September 2004, 08:36 PM

imdeemvp,

I did not use the tarball - I am using yum. I ran sudo yum install firefox on another machine just to be sure of my install method. Should I run it the first time as root or as a user?

Mike
denvergeek

crackers

24th September 2004, 04:58 AM

Do not run it as root if you used sudo or "just" su (no " -"). Running Firefox as "root" without actually logging in as "root" effectively sets the owner of the non-root user's Firefox hidden directory and files, which prevents the normal user from being able to modify the appropriate files and prevents Firefox from running for that user.

If this is not your issue, can you provide any more details other than "it don't work!"