Install Firefox 3.5 in BT4 pre-final

[orange]

Community,

due to the fact that BT4 pre-final is based on Intrepid, it's quite a challenge to install FF 3.5 as it's not at all available via apt-get. There's a rather comfortable python-script called "Ubuntuzilla" available though that automates the process by downloading FF 3.5 directly from Mozilla, put FF 3.0 aside and is even able to revert the whole process with a single command. Furthermore "Ubuntuzilla" introduces a cron job that notifies you of updates on FF 3.5. So, let's get started:

1st Step: Download the "Ubuntuzilla" installer from Sourceforge and install it utilizing dpkg and apt-get to resolve dependencies (ignore the warnings while running dpkg)

# wget http://downloads.sourceforge.net/sourceforge/ubuntuzilla/ubuntuzilla-4.6.1-0ubuntu1-i386.deb?use_mirror=surfnet
# dpkg -i ubuntuzilla-4.6.1-0ubuntu1-i386.deb
# apt-get install -f

2nd Step: Execute the "Ubuntuzilla" python-script and follow the rather simple y/n questions (should be self-explanatory)

# ubuntuzilla.py -a install -p firefox

"Ubuntuzilla" puts FF 3.0 (installed from repositories) aside utilizing dpkg-divert and replaces the KDE menu-item to launch FF 3.5 instead of FF3.0 (both are installed in parallel). FF 3.5 gets btw installed to /opt/firefox

If you want to revert the process for some reason, you just need to execute the "Ubuntuzilla" python-script again like this

# ubuntuzilla.py -a remove -p firefox

Have fun! For an even smoother FF experience, please also checkout my other tutorial about "Integrating GTK-apps into the KDE3 desktop environment" here

[drumbum]

works a treat but the version i downloaded is in a language i dont understand and I dont have a clue how to change it back to english.

[orange]

works a treat but the version i downloaded is in a language i dont understand and I dont have a clue how to change it back to english.

The installer should ask you for the desired localization *confused*
Change it back? I'd run

# ubuntuzilla.py -a remove -p firefox

followed by another

# ubuntuzilla.py -a install -p firefox

and select the RIGHT language while re-installing

[Deadboy]

works a treat but the version i downloaded is in a language i dont understand and I dont have a clue how to change it back to english.

When you are prompted to this...

Please choose the localization (language) for Firefox. Enter the number of your choice from the list below. [If you do not see a list of localizations, please check the help section of our website at hxxp://ubuntuzilla.sourceforge.net/ for steps you can take to resolve this problem.]


input: "14" for en-US (English-US) if you want English.

[rajuguru]

The 3.5 release includes several Web standards improvements. It's based on the updated 1.9.1 Gecko layout engine which includes speculative parsing to render (draw) content even faster. Support for new web technologies, such as HTML5 video and audio elements, JavaScript query selectors and downloadable fonts, have also been added. The HTML 5 (HyperText Markup Language Version 5) <video> and <audio> tags allow for the embedding of arbitrary video and audio formats. Firefox includes support for several royalty-free codecs, like Ogg Vorbis, Theora, WAV and others. Support for proprietary formats including patented technology, such as QuickTime and MPEG-4, will be optional.

[imported_RaderCad]

Thanks a bunch this walk-through did it nicely. Checking on the rest of your 'improvements' as this is my sole Ubuntu based OS on my system.

[Goldhedge]

Thanks for the great tuto

After installing unbuntuzilla, I have two packages now on my desktop (one may be a duplicate). What should we do with them? Can (or should) they be deleted?

GH

[lund99]

nice and easy upgrade, thank you very much for this one

do you know if the ubuntuzilla .deb package required for the cron job, or can i delete this one after the initial install?

EDIT: I guess I'm wondering the same as goldhedge

[Archangel-Amael]

nice and easy upgrade, thank you very much for this one

do you know if the ubuntuzilla .deb package required for the cron job, or can i delete this one after the initial install?

EDIT: I guess I'm wondering the same as goldhedge

One way to determine if the folders are needed would be to rename them and see if everything still functions as before, if not then they would be needed.
If all seems ok then you could move them to /tmp and if things are still ok then again you could delete them.
If anything would later be needed a reinstall would most likely fix it.

[lund99]

thanks i renamed them and it turned out i had no need for them...