hi all. my name is dave and im new to linux.i have a problem with firefox.i downloaded it and installed it but when i want to use it to surf the net i carnt find it any where.please can some one help me please.also when you down load new soft ware do i save it to the desktop and what is the easiest program to open it with.ive tryed ark which seems ok. any help would be gratefull.

Did you donwload an rpm file or the installer?? In case you used the rpm file, just type firefox in a terminal, If you have run the installer, you should know where it is installed (you have to choose where to install to), so go to that directory and the executable should be there. type ./firefox while you're in the directory and firefox will lauch (note the ./ before firefox).

Also, what distro are you running? What Desktop environment? (kde, gnome, other...). Installing from rpm most probably has created an entry in the menu.

hi hammet thanks for the reply.im using mandrake linux 10.1 official and the kde desktop.i migrated from winxp coz i hate it.mandrake was the only os i could get to work with my broadband modem sagem fast 800. not sure if i down loaded firefox rpm but im confused a litle with linux but i will learn as i use it more.webpages are very slow loading up on linux compaired with winxp. dwnload speed is ok just need to configure things to get them working properly.i do so want to lern linux and how to use it but it seems complicated at the moment. the browser konqueror is not very good thats why i whent for firefox coz i use it on windows. any help will be gratefull
cheers dave..

Since you are new to the linux scene, you will find yourself saying "Now, where was that file?" quite frequently. In order to help with this, I would highly recommend you become firmiliar with the "locate" tool. It is a program that allows you to quickly find files and programs on your hard drive(s). In order to use it, you need to run "updatedb" as root. Then after that, you can just type "locate (filename)" in order to find a file. I this case, you would want to type "locate firefox". Once you've found it, you can create a desktop icon, or quick launch button, or menu entry, or whatever you want, to make it easier to get to later. In the future, just run "updatedb" every once in a while to make sure that the "locate" command can find new files.

Coincidentally, on my computer, firefox is located at /usr/bin/firefox.

- Stephen