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-   -   Why won't Pat include Firefox? (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/slackware-14/why-wont-pat-include-firefox-243012/)

Franklin 10-16-2004 09:02 PM

Quote:

Then why even include any browser? There's an easy installer for Mozilla Suite, too. As well as Epiphany, Galeon, and others.
There's a big difference between compiling the source for galeon, epiphany, lynx <grin>, or any other program and installing firefox which, as far as I can see, is just a script that plops the firefox folder in /usr/local and the executable binary in /usr/local/bin. Ditto for thunder bird. You not compiling anything here, you just installing it. Correct me if I'm wrong here. As far as mozilla is concerned, a lot of things are/were compiled against it's libs which I think makes that an entirely different animal.

Thats why I say "what's the point". It's not like saying "gee Pat doesn't include mplayer - wish he did cuz compiling it's a pain." It's easy (firefox) and it's beta and it gets redone every 3 weeks - why should he bother.

Moot point really as he will likely include it and thunderbird when they are not beta releases.

Quote:

I only brought it up because Firefox is clearly the leader in the Alternative Browser MarketTM.
This may be so, but I think most of the fanfare is from Windows/IE users discovering alternative browsers for the first time. I personally don't think Firefox is that much better than any of the other browser that any linux distro provides. For instance, Konqueror has its problems, flash is useless in it for instance, but it's a lot faster than firefox rendering web pages. (my experience - YMMV) Actually, once Mozilla is up and running, it renders faster than firefox for me as well - again YMMV.

Quote:

Like it or not, Pat's already said that he's moving towards Firefox
My argument is not about whether I like it (firefox) or not or have an issue with it being included. Just that as the situation stands now, why should he bother to build a .tgz for it. Windows users have to download and install shit all the time. Are linux users getting lazy? ;)

Big Al 10-16-2004 10:26 PM

Is there any big advantage to Firefox? So far, I've just stuck to Mozilla.

win32sux 10-16-2004 10:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Big Al
Is there any big advantage to Firefox? So far, I've just stuck to Mozilla.
one of the main advantages of firefox is that's it's much sleeker... it's not bloated like mozilla... it also has some features that mozilla doesn't have: i think "live bookmarks" would be an example, but i'm not sure if mozilla has those too or not...

firefox rules!

philipacamaniac 10-16-2004 11:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Franklin
My argument is not about whether I like it (firefox) or not or have an issue with it being included. Just that as the situation stands now, why should he bother to build a .tgz for it. Windows users have to download and install shit all the time. Are linux users getting lazy? ;)
Point taken. Not lazy, but my campaign to slackify everyone around me requires that Linux be at least SOMEWHAT as user-friendly as Bill's microcrap. Really a moot point, I guess, since I'm working on customizing an install CD for that very purpose, and yes, it will include the latest stable Firefox.

And no, not lazy, especially when I'm compiling kernel 2.6.8.1 on a Centrino laptop and getting everything to work. Guh...

Firefox rules!

Franklin 10-17-2004 12:11 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by philipacamaniac
Point taken. Not lazy, but my campaign to slackify everyone around me requires that Linux be at least SOMEWHAT as user-friendly as Bill's microcrap. Really a moot point, I guess, since I'm working on customizing an install CD for that very purpose, and yes, it will include the latest stable Firefox.

And no, not lazy, especially when I'm compiling kernel 2.6.8.1 on a Centrino laptop and getting everything to work. Guh...

Firefox rules!

My lazy comment was more in response to people who seem offended by the reply "Then download the source and compile it yourself". I don't see the difference between that and downloading stuff for windows. I think people can become spoiled by the volume of things we get - sometimes for free - in our fav distro. The time involved to produce these collections 2x per year and maintain them is quite large. For PV to do it alone is amazing and whatever he decides goes in or out is fine by me.

I understand where you are coming from with the "user-friendly" comment, but sometimes people can benefit from being forced to learn a little - depends on the person I guess. In order to sell a lot of computers (and OS's) wintel had to make the computer look like anything BUT a computer. I have a friend who has a laptop I would kill for and all she does is play spider solitaire and surf the web. [sigh] There are a lot of people with a lot of machine and very little clue.

Makaelin 10-17-2004 03:30 AM

Like was already said, I'm sure that once Firefox and Thunderbird are out of beta, they'll be in. And while I think they're great programs, I also think they're a little hyped. Epiphany runs a little better for me than Firefox on Linux (some of the devs commented that the original plan for Firefox was to be the best Windows browser, Linux was a later idea).

nick_th_fury 10-17-2004 07:41 AM

I can't see them making it anything but more difficult.
I download new version.
Delete current firefox directory.
Untar file. Done, thats it. Works like a champ for me.

Granted most programs are not that easy.
FFox, Thunderbird & Sunbird are though.


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