Trying to build Firefox 59.0.2, from source, for stable

mark_alfred · 04-07-2018, 05:23 PM

Hello. I have Debian Stable. Currently I have Firefox-ESR 52.7.3. I'm looking to install Firefox 59.0.2. I'm trying to build a package from Sid's sources, but have not had any luck yet.

I obtained the source. However, when I run the command "apt build-dep firefox", I receive the following feedback:

Code:

The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 builddeps:firefox : Depends: rustc (>= 1.22.1)
                     Depends: cargo (>= 0.23) but it is not installable
E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.

It took a while to get it down to just these two. There were various other dependencies that I did manage to build and install. But I can't seem to get these two packages built.

"rustc" seems to depend on itself, which is quite the Catch-22.

Code:

root@debian:/home/mark/Downloads/rustc/rustc-1.24.1+dfsg1# apt build-dep rustc
<snipped>
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 builddeps:rustc : Depends: cargo (>= 0.19.0) but it is not installable
                   Depends: rustc (>= 1.23.0+dfsg)
E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.

And "cargo" also depends on itself (and rustc). So how do I build the packages for these two?

petelq · 04-08-2018, 12:04 PM

I know it's very satisfying to build something but firefox provide a tarball on their web site. You just download and extract to the folder of your choice (I use /usr/share/) and then create a symlink to the executable in /usr/bin/.
Everything's there and it works.

AwesomeMachine · 04-13-2018, 10:41 PM

But the package from mozilla is not a source package. It's precompiled.

OK, first off all, if your going to do build-deps for a Sid package, you have to have Sid sources in /etc/apt/sources.list. Build-deps doesn't actually build deps. It installs all the packages that a source package depends on to build properly.

The only time you want to build from source is if you want a certain configuration option that isn't in the precompiled binary package, or if the package is not available in a distro-specific package. Otherwise, there's no point whatsoever.

petelq · 04-14-2018, 05:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AwesomeMachine

But the package from mozilla is not a source package. It's precompiled.

I thought that's what I said.

m_yates · 04-17-2018, 01:05 PM

The errors that you see are part of the reason why the latest version of Firefox are not available in Debian stable or the stable-backports. The rust language compiler in Debian stable is too old.

The simplest thing to do is to just follow petelq's advice. Download the latest Firefox, extract it somewhere (I use /opt), and link the executable to /usr/bin:

Quote:

ln -s /opt/firefox/firefox /usr/bin/firefox

mark_alfred · 08-14-2018, 07:16 PM

I finally did just install the precompiled package from Mozilla, rather than build my own from Sid's source --> seems that's not possible. I installed it to /usr/local, since I have both that file and my own user as belonging to the group "staff", allowing my regular user to install stuff there.

So I now have Firefox Quantum 61.0.2 installed. I like the ability to have containers (particularly for Facebook, and I've also installed an add-on for containing Google). Makes me feel like I'm protecting my privacy better (though if in fact I am I really don't know).

I still have Firefox-ESR installed. Not sure if I should get rid of it or not.

[later edit] I did remove Firefox-ESR, and ran the following command:

Code:

root@debian:/usr/local/firefox# ln -s /usr/local/firefox/firefox /usr/bin/firefox

Works well. When newer programs are required, I still prefer porting to stable from Sid's source, but not possible in this case. Firefox-ESR worked fine, but I wanted to have the Facebook Container addon, to give myself at least an illusion of privacy.

ondoho · 08-15-2018, 12:13 AM

may i ask why you need specifically 59.0.2? iirc, firefox is at 61-something now.

mark_alfred · 08-15-2018, 01:33 PM

Note the date of the first post, and then read post #6.

ondoho · 08-16-2018, 01:03 AM

^ ah, my bad.