Downloaded and installed FireFox in SuSE9.1 Everything seemed to go just fine but I can't seem to get it to run.

I found a big folder named firefox with all kinds of stuff in it - but how do I run/execute it?

Typing the word 'firefox' in a terminal gives me an 'error: failed to find a running server'...

Anyone?

In case you haven't guessed I'm a total noob - but I'm not ready to give up yet because SuSE is so freakin good!

Thanks...

Hi, I'm not sure about Suse 9.1 installation of Firefox but since you know where the directory is then the simple solution is this:
1. Become the root user ( open a console session and type su, then enter the root password when prompted.)
2. type "cd /usr/local/bin" to go to that particular directory.
3. create a symbolic link to the firefox executable like this:
(assuming your firefox directory is in /home/your_uid/firefox)
ln -s /home/your_uid/firefoox/firefox firefox.
Important: notice that there is a space between the last two firefox words.
4. press Ctrl+d to terminate your su session.

Now when you want to start firefox just type "firefox" and it will work.

Hope this helps.

Rick

yast put the firefox folder in a main folder called 'opt' - there is also gnome, kde & openoffice there.

I've tried various combinations of commands but none work. I'm on a personal computer with a root pw and my own pw - I'm the only one using the computer.
I'm confused about where the firefox directory is - is that the firefox folder?

This is as far as I'm getting now...
linux:/usr/local/bin # /opt/firefox/firefox firefox
Xlib: connection to ":0.0" refused by server
Xlib: No protocol specified


(firefox-bin:4987): Gtk-WARNING **: cannot open display:
linux:/usr/local/bin #

OK. Seems to me that there are restrictions on the GUI for root. No problem.
If you are using KDE press the keys Alt + F2. A Run Command box will popup. In there type the path to firefox, or if you have already created the symbolic link just type "firefox" that will run the program.

note: to find out where an executable resides you type on the command promt "whereis firefox" and it will show you the path to that executable file.


Rick

Whereis firefox returns this

/usr/X11R6/bin/firefox /usr/bin/X11/firefox /usr/X11/bin/firefox

I pasted all of that into the run box but the screen just flashed briefly and nothing.

This is what I dl'ed and installed
firefox-1.0.cvs.20050203-1.i686.rpm - is it the right one?
Boy this is getting frustrating...Any other ideas?

OK. Each of these is a path to firefox (and each points to a different file):
/usr/X11R6/bin/firefox
/usr/bin/X11/firefox
/usr/X11/bin/firefox

try each one of them. I would guess that /usr/X11/bin/firefox or /usr/bin/X11/firefox is what you are looking for.

Rick

Hey Rick,
none of those worked in the run box and if I try them in the console I get the same error as above...Bummer man - Well if you guys come up with anything else-
And this version of SuSE was so easy to install!!!

well my firend ... do not give up so easily.
Try this "find / firefox"
This command will scan from the root directory (/) on looking for any instance of "firefox". This may take awhile, depending on your computer's speed. At the end will give you something like this:
firefox
firefox/res
firefox/res/dtd
firefox/res/dtd/xhtml11.dtd
firefox/res/dtd/mathml.dtd
firefox/res/table-add-column-after.gif
firefox/res/html
firefox/res/html/gopher-menu.gif
firefox/res/html/gopher-audio.gif
firefox/res/html/gopher-telnet.gif
firefox/res/html/gopher-sound.gif
firefox/res/html/gopher-image.gif
firefox/res/html/gopher-unknown.gif
firefox/res/html/gopher-binary.gif
firefox/res/html/gopher-find.gif
firefox/res/html/gopher-text.gif
firefox/res/html/gopher-movie.gif
firefox/res/cmessage.txt
firefox/res/table-remove-row-hover.gif
firefox/res/fonts
firefox/res/fonts/mathfontPUA.properties
firefox/res/fonts/fontEncoding.properties
firefox/res/fonts/mathfontMath1.properties
firefox/res/fonts/mathfontMath2.properties
firefox/res/fonts/mathfontMTExtra.properties
firefox/res/fonts/mathfontSymbol.properties
firefox/res/fonts/mathfontCMSY10.properties
firefox/res/fonts/mathfont.properties
firefox/res/fonts/mathfontMath4.properties
firefox/res/fonts/mathfontCMEX10.properties

Notice all the instances of firefox (it is showing the firefox directory tree). Once we get to that we should be able to figure out where firefox was installed.

Hope this helps.

Rick

Ok - what does this tell us?
Also this version of firefox was dl'ed from
http://www.sjaensch.org/projekte/firebird/index.en.php
/root/.mozilla
/root/.mozilla/firefox
/root/.mozilla/firefox/profiles.ini
/root/.mozilla/firefox/bqon7i6j.default
/root/.mozilla/firefox/bqon7i6j.default/bookmarks.html
/root/.mozilla/firefox/bqon7i6j.default/mimeTypes.rdf
/root/.mozilla/firefox/bqon7i6j.default/xpti.dat
/root/.mozilla/firefox/bqon7i6j.default/compreg.dat
/root/.mozilla/firefox/bqon7i6j.default/chrome
/root/.mozilla/firefox/bqon7i6j.default/chrome/userContent-example.css
/root/.mozilla/firefox/bqon7i6j.default/chrome/userChrome-example.css
/root/.mozilla/firefox/bqon7i6j.default/chrome/userChrome.css
/root/.mozilla/firefox/bqon7i6j.default/localstore.rdf
/root/.mozilla/firefox/bqon7i6j.default/prefs.js
/root/.mozilla/firefox/bqon7i6j.default/search.rdf
/root/.mozilla/firefox/bqon7i6j.default/extensions
/root/.mozilla/firefox/bqon7i6j.default/extensions/Extensions.rdf
/root/.mozilla/firefox/bqon7i6j.default/extensions/installed-extensions.txt
/root/.mozilla/firefox/bqon7i6j.default/extensions/{972ce4c6-7e08-4474-a285-3208198ce6fd}
/root/.mozilla/firefox/bqon7i6j.default/extensions/{972ce4c6-7e08-4474-a285-3208198ce6fd}/install.rdf
/root/.bash_history
/root/.fonts
/root/.fonts/kde-override
/root/.gnupg
/root/.gnupg/pubring.gpg
/root/.gnupg/trustdb.gpg
/root/.gnupg/suse_build_key
/root/.gnupg/secring.gpg
/root/.fonts.cache-1
/media
/media/cdrecorder
find: /media/cdrecorder: No medium found
/media/floppy
find: /media/floppy: No medium found
find: firefox: No such file or directory

OK. I see a couple of things.
1. You are running the system as root (are you not?). That is not advisable, even is you are the only user in the computer. It is better (highly advisable I wold say) that you create a user account for yourself and only use the root account for administration.
2. I do not see any firefox executable in your listing. Perhaps the program did not install properly?
3. Have you considered downloading firefox and installing it "by hand"? I used to do that for some programs in SuSE 9.0 in my office. It's easy, you can customize where to put the directory and ... it just works.
If you decide to give it a try this is what you need to do:
a) Download the file from http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/
b) You will get a file called "firefox-1.0.1.installer.tar.gz" Put the file wherever you want ( I use my tmp directory)
c) As a user open a console and type tar -xzvf firefox*.gz to unzip all the files into the firefox-installer directory.
d) cd firefox-installer (so you "move" yourself into this directory)
e) run the installer with this command "./firefox-installer" (notice the dot before the forward slash)

This command will start the installer in graphical mode.

Now two things. One: You must be a regular user for this to work, so create an account for you as a regular user. Two: If you find problems just keep posting here until we figure it out.

Good luck!

Rick

Hey Rick,
That sounds like the best idea yet.
I do have a regular account besides root - yast just put it there.
Will I be downloading 1 file or 2?
And do I go ahead and try uninstalling what I have now?
I really do appreciate all of your help!
Will try posting back tomorrow - Mon at the latest.
Last but not least - How do I uninstall this version? I took a look at it in yast and it's all locked up.

Just to keeps things clean I would uninstall whatever YAST installed.
Then download the file from the URL I sent to you (it's just one file) and then go from there.

Rick

You got back to me before I edited my last post

How do I uninstall everything - it seems to be locked up and the buttons grayed out?

To remove you open YAST, then type firefox in the text box for the application.
It will show you firefox (if in fact did install it well) on the right hand-side of the screen panel.
If you click on the file name there are small icons that show near by the file, one of them is a trash can. That will remove the files.
If for whatever reason you find troubles doing that, do not worry. The way we are going to install firefox will not interfere with whatever YAST did.

Hope this helps.

Rick

Ok Rick - I believe I've got it deleted - Will try the new install and repost tomorrow - Geeze I'm ready for a brew, man oh man!