Install Path for Firefox2?

carlosinfl · 01-24-2007, 10:41 AM

I downloaded and un-tared the latest version of Mozilla Firefox. Right now it is in my home directory and I just created a launcher on my desktop to link the Firefox.sh but this sucks because I have 2 more people who use the PC and they too want to use Firefox and rather everyone download the same file and place it in their home directory, is there no way we can place the Firefox directory and files in a common path that everyone can access? I obviously have everyones user home directory locked down so nobody else can r-w-x it.

Thanks for any info!

deroB · 01-24-2007, 11:00 AM

Maybe there is a better way.... but I put things like this in /opt (move the whole folder to /opt)

After this, just create a symlink to /usr/bin or /usr/local/bin (depending on your setup) so all users can run it.

something like this:

Code:

[as root]
ln -s /opt/firefox/firefox /usr/bin/firefox

PTrenholme · 01-24-2007, 11:10 AM

Here's how I do it:

Code:

$ whereis firefox
firefox: /usr/bin/firefox /usr/local/bin/firefox /usr/local/firefox /usr/share/man/man1/firefox.1.gz
$ ls -l `whereis firefox`
ls: firefox:: No such file or directory
-rwxr-xr-x  1 root root 5102 Dec 19 11:52 /usr/bin/firefox
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root   18 Dec 20 09:28 /usr/local/bin/firefox -> ../firefox/firefox
-rwxr-xr-x  1 root root 1120 Sep 14  2004 /usr/share/man/man1/firefox.1.gz

/usr/local/firefox:
total 13800
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root      230 Dec  8 16:09 browserconfig.properties
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root     4096 Dec  8 16:10 chrome
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root     4096 Dec  8 16:11 components
[snip]

In other words, unpack firefox into /usr/local/firefox then create a symlink to the firefox executable in /usr/local/bin. (/usr/local/bin normally precedes /usr/bin, so that entry isn't used.)

Note that this arrangement is what is assumed by firefox for automatic updates.

nx5000 · 01-24-2007, 11:12 AM

On which distro? Debian?

Why not using apt-get ?

carlosinfl · 01-24-2007, 11:18 AM

So I do the following?

Code:

tar -xvf firefox.tar.gz
mv firefox /opt
ln -s /opt/firefox/firefox /usr/bin/firefox

If I understand this code correctly, I am extracting the tar ball, moving the entire directory under /opt, and then I am creating a symbolic link "to" /usr/bin/firefox?

So when I right click my desktop and create the launcher for Firefox Web Browser, what is the path? /usr/bin/firefox?

deroB · 01-24-2007, 11:24 AM

that will work..
you could also try PTrenholme's suggestion of putting it in /usr/local..

especially if this helps automatic updates

(cheers PTrenholme, i'll try this with mine)

carlosinfl · 01-24-2007, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nx5000

On which distro? Debian?

Why not using apt-get ?

Because I don't understand what apt is doing. Yeah - its easy to APT-GET INSTALL WHATEVER and it installs but then what? You have no idea where anything is and it puts packages and dependancies all over. Don't get me wrong, I love APT - and live by it every second but it kind of spoils me and leaves me wondering.

I am just trying to understand the best way to do things if I was on a generic or any Linux system. I don't want to reply on a specific package manager for everything if you know what I mean.

Thanks for the info!

carlosinfl · 01-24-2007, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deroB

that will work..
you could also try PTrenholme's suggestion of putting it in /usr/local..

especially if this aids in automatic updates

So /usr/local/ is better than /opt? Will all shell users have permissions to execute the firefox command from there.

nx5000 · 01-24-2007, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carlwill

I am just trying to understand the best way to do things if I was on a generic or any Linux system. I don't want to reply on a specific package manager for everything if you know what I mean.

Yeah that's a real argument. You are right to do so. And /opt or /usr/local are good then.
I won't annoy you with the "apt does what it wants". I would just advise you to install (sorry apt-get again) dlocate
apt-get install dlocate
dlocate <packagename> will give you the list of files contained in a package

PTrenholme · 01-24-2007, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carlwill

So /usr/local/ is better than /opt? Will all shell users have permissions to execute the firefox command from there.

Note, please, that I'm a Fedora user, and other distributions may have different $PATH rules. That is, I apologize if I've mislead any of you. What I stated, above, may have been Fedora specific, although the /usr/local thing was, if I recall correctly, discussed in the installation instructions on the Firefox web site.

carlosinfl · 01-24-2007, 02:40 PM

So I will be doing this as a test and lets put distro's aside for the time being...

Code:

wget firefox.tar.gz
tar -xvf firefox.tar.gz
mv firefox /usr/local

Then what? What would the symbolic link command look like as you suggested PTrenholme?

craigevil · 01-24-2007, 04:16 PM

Why do people try to make things so complicated?

Your using Debian that has APT use it, apt-get install iceweasel.

If you must use Mozilla's Firefox here is a detailed guide on how:
Howto: Install Firefox 2 and various plugins on Debian Etch-Debian
http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/deb...bian-etch.html