Can't run Firefox from chroot

peter7089 · 02-11-2020, 02:24 AM

I want to run firefox from chroot directory. I copy firefox installation files which i get by running 'sudo dpkg -L firefox', then i copy the shared libraries which i get by running 'ldd /usr/bin/firefox-esr'. But when i try to start firefox i get this:

Code:

bash-5.0# firefox-esr 
Couldn't find the application directory.

This is my chroot directory:

Code:

Firefox/
├── bin
│   └── bash
├── etc
│   └── firefox-esr
│       └── firefox-esr.js
├── lib
│   └── x86_64-linux-gnu
│       ├── libc.so.6
│       ├── libdl.so.2
│       └── libtinfo.so.6
├── lib64
│   └── ld-linux-x86-64.so.2
└── usr
    ├── bin
    │   ├── firefox
    │   └── firefox-esr -> ../lib/firefox-esr/firefox-esr
    ├── lib
    │   ├── firefox-esr
    │   │   ├── application.ini
    │   │   ├── browser
    │   │   │   ├── blocklist.xml
    │   │   │   ├── chrome -> ../../../share/firefox-esr/browser/chrome
    │   │   │   ├── chrome.manifest
    │   │   │   ├── crashreporter-override.ini
    │   │   │   ├── defaults -> ../../../share/firefox-esr/browser/defaults
    │   │   │   ├── features
    │   │   │   │   ├── formautofill@mozilla.org.xpi
    │   │   │   │   ├── fxmonitor@mozilla.org.xpi
    │   │   │   │   ├── screenshots@mozilla.org.xpi
    │   │   │   │   ├── webcompat@mozilla.org.xpi
    │   │   │   │   └── webcompat-reporter@mozilla.org.xpi
    │   │   │   └── omni.ja
    │   │   ├── chrome.manifest
    │   │   ├── crashreporter
    │   │   ├── crashreporter.ini
    │   │   ├── defaults
    │   │   │   └── pref
    │   │   │       └── channel-prefs.js
    │   │   ├── dependentlibs.list
    │   │   ├── distribution -> ../../share/firefox-esr/distribution
    │   │   ├── firefox-bin -> firefox-esr
    │   │   ├── firefox-esr
    │   │   ├── fonts
    │   │   │   └── TwemojiMozilla.ttf
    │   │   ├── gmp-clearkey
    │   │   │   └── 0.1
    │   │   │       ├── libclearkey.so
    │   │   │       └── manifest.json
    │   │   ├── gtk2
    │   │   │   └── libmozgtk.so
    │   │   ├── libfreeblpriv3.chk
    │   │   ├── libfreeblpriv3.so
    │   │   ├── liblgpllibs.so
    │   │   ├── libmozavcodec.so
    │   │   ├── libmozavutil.so
    │   │   ├── libmozgtk.so
    │   │   ├── libmozsandbox.so
    │   │   ├── libmozsqlite3.so
    │   │   ├── libmozwayland.so
    │   │   ├── libnspr4.so
    │   │   ├── libnss3.so
    │   │   ├── libnssckbi.so
    │   │   ├── libnssdbm3.chk
    │   │   ├── libnssdbm3.so
    │   │   ├── libnssutil3.so
    │   │   ├── libplc4.so
    │   │   ├── libplds4.so
    │   │   ├── libsmime3.so
    │   │   ├── libsoftokn3.chk
    │   │   ├── libsoftokn3.so
    │   │   ├── libssl3.so
    │   │   ├── libxul.so
    │   │   ├── minidump-analyzer
    │   │   ├── omni.ja
    │   │   ├── pingsender
    │   │   ├── platform.ini
    │   │   ├── plugin-container
    │   │   └── Throbber-small.gif
    │   ├── gcc
    │   │   └── x86_64-linux-gnu
    │   │       └── 8
    │   │           └── libgcc_s.so.1
    │   ├── mime
    │   │   └── packages
    │   │       └── firefox-esr
    │   ├── mozilla
    │   │   ├── extensions
    │   │   │   └── {ec8030f7-c20a-464f-9b0e-13a3a9e97384}
    │   │   └── plugins
    │   └── x86_64-linux-gnu
    │       ├── libgcc_s.so.1
    │       ├── libm.so.6
    │       ├── libpthread.so.0
    │       └── libstdc++.so.6
    └── share
        ├── applications
        │   └── firefox-esr.desktop
        ├── bug
        │   └── firefox-esr
        │       ├── control
        │       ├── presubj
        │       └── script
        ├── doc
        │   └── firefox-esr
        │       ├── changelog.Debian.gz
        │       ├── copyright
        │       ├── NEWS.Debian.gz
        │       └── README.Debian
        ├── firefox-esr
        │   ├── browser
        │   │   ├── chrome
        │   │   │   └── icons
        │   │   │       └── default
        │   │   │           ├── default128.png
        │   │   │           ├── default16.png
        │   │   │           ├── default32.png
        │   │   │           ├── default48.png
        │   │   │           └── default64.png
        │   │   └── defaults
        │   │       ├── preferences
        │   │       │   ├── debugger.js
        │   │       │   ├── devtools-client.js
        │   │       │   ├── devtools-startup.js
        │   │       │   ├── firefox-branding.js
        │   │       │   ├── firefox.js
        │   │       │   ├── vendor.js
        │   │       │   └── webide.js
        │   │       └── syspref -> /etc/firefox-esr
        │   └── distribution
        │       └── searchplugins
        │           └── common
        │               └── debsearch.xml
        ├── icons
        │   └── hicolor
        │       ├── 128x128
        │       │   └── apps
        │       │       └── firefox-esr.png -> ../../../../firefox-esr/browser/chrome/icons/default/default128.png
        │       ├── 16x16
        │       │   └── apps
        │       │       └── firefox-esr.png -> ../../../../firefox-esr/browser/chrome/icons/default/default16.png
        │       ├── 32x32
        │       │   └── apps
        │       │       └── firefox-esr.png -> ../../../../firefox-esr/browser/chrome/icons/default/default32.png
        │       ├── 48x48
        │       │   └── apps
        │       │       └── firefox-esr.png -> ../../../../firefox-esr/browser/chrome/icons/default/default48.png
        │       ├── 64x64
        │       │   └── apps
        │       │       └── firefox-esr.png -> ../../../../firefox-esr/browser/chrome/icons/default/default64.png
        │       └── symbolic
        │           └── apps
        │               └── firefox-esr-symbolic.svg
        ├── lintian
        │   └── overrides
        │       └── firefox-esr
        ├── man
        │   └── man1
        │       └── firefox-esr.1.gz
        └── mozilla
            └── extensions
                └── {ec8030f7-c20a-464f-9b0e-13a3a9e97384}
 
69 directories, 92 files

I am testing this on virtual machine with debian 10.

michaelk · 02-11-2020, 03:06 AM

There is more to running a jailed application then just coping files to another directory. Did you configure your chroot environment using schroot?

https://wiki.debian.org/chroot

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Ba...ide_the_chroot

peter7089 · 02-11-2020, 03:56 AM

I don't want to use debootstrap. I was hoping that i can run firefox from chroot just by copying the necessary files, but i guess it's not possible.

michaelk · 02-11-2020, 04:51 AM

I think it makes it easier and you can always delete what you don't need.

You don't have a path environment, you need to copy the /etc/resolv.conf file, you need to mount the virtual filesystem to manage running processes etc.

It's been awhile since I've played with it...

peter7089 · 02-11-2020, 08:28 AM

I tried to use debootstrap. I created folder in my home directory - debian1, and downloaded debian buster. Then i run 'sudo chroot debian1' and installed firefox with 'apt install firefox-esr'. Then in the chroot i run 'export DISPLAY=:0.0' and on my system i run 'xhost +'. Then i tried to start firefox with this command 'firefox-esr -DISPLAY=:0.0', but i get the same error: 'Couldn't find the application directory.'

boughtonp · 02-11-2020, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by peter7089

i get the same error: 'Couldn't find the application directory.'

I don't know anything about chrooting, but that error message appears to be a Firefox one - looks like two applicable instances of that error in the Firefox source (at least in that unofficial Github copy of the source).

If you feel like figuring out Mozilla's C++ then you could workout out exactly why the error is occurring, but it's clear they're both concerning argv[0] - i.e. the command being run - so I would first confirm with "which firefox-esr" what it is you're calling.

Also, I don't know the relevance, but it seems odd that /usr/bin/firefox-esr points to /usr/lib/firefox-esr/firefox-esr whilst /usr/bin/firefox doesn't.

Do you get same or different error messages when executing /usr/lib/firefox-esr/firefox-esr directly, or with /usr/bin/firefox instead?

Maybe test with passing -help or -version options to see if they result in different errors which narrow down what the cause is.

michaelk · 02-11-2020, 10:20 AM

I also used debootstrap to create a buster chroot environment.

On one of the howto pages once you installed firefox you need to exit and then run the xhost command. I also installed schroot which lets an unprivileged user run chroot. I had to export LC_ALL=C before chrooting but firefox still fails with an exception handler and have not figured that one out yet.

While not chroot firejail might be an alternative and it creates a sandbox environment for an application.

peter7089 · 02-11-2020, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boughtonp

Do you get same or different error messages when executing /usr/lib/firefox-esr/firefox-esr directly, or with /usr/bin/firefox instead?

Maybe test with passing -help or -version options to see if they result in different errors which narrow down what the cause is.

I tried to run /usr/lib/firefox-esr/firefox-esr directly, but get the same error. Also, tried to use firefox options, but again, the same error.