Installing Firefox
 

I have a Debian Jessie system with Iceweasel installed.

Due to some problems with Iceweasel, I now wish to install
firefox-esr.

Would the following commands work without any problems :-

apt-get update
apt-get upgrade
apt install firefox-esr

or is anything else required ?

Thanks.

A quick response would be much appreciated.

Yes.

No.

More info:

https://wiki.debian.org/Firefox#Firefox_ESR

Even more info:

I would personally just use

I do not use Debian, but if firefox is not in the repo, you can download it directly from mozilla.org:
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/

Installing Firefox
 

Thanks very much Lysander666 for your very helpful reply.

Do I need to reboot after installing firefox-esr or
can I just start firefox-esr by typing :

firefox-esr

The command

should work. If not, 'firefox-esr' [just 'firefox' works for me in Slackware]. It should also be in your menus automatically if you search for it.

The difference between Linux and Windows [one of them anyway] is that the need to reboot is very rare. Generally one only needs to reboot after updating the kernel [and even then there is no pressing hurry]. Debian will never force you to reboot.

No reboot is needed. Depending on which desktop environment you are using you might find an icon already added to the applications' menu.

Many thanks, Lysander666 and Turbocapitalist for your helpful comments.

The following was done :-

apt update
apt install firefox-esr
firefox-esr

However, the command "firefox-esr" is not known.

When I try "firefox", it doesn't work because it claims it is already running, which is not true, but Iceweasel is running
(and I wish to retain this at the moment) so it is equating Firefox with Iceweasel whereas I'd understood that they were
separate. Both need to run at the same time for various reasons.

Any suggestions, please ?

I find this kind of confusing. We need to know more about your system. Can you please post the output of

I can't remember if inxi is installed by default in Debian. If not,

then run the command again

Hi, welcome to LQ.

Iceweasel has now been replaced with normal Firefox on Debian.
You will need to delete Iceweasel first before installing firefox-esr.

It is very clear in your opening post that you already have a web browser on your Debian Jessie OS.
And that web browser is Iceweasel.

It's probably best to delete and purge Iceweasel and its dependencies.
After that you may still need to delete the Iceweasel directory in your HOME directory.
Then after an 'apt-get update' (there are various commands for this operation) - you can then install firefox-esr.

The debian wiki to install firefox is useful (https://wiki.debian.org/Firefox).
But please remember it may be better to uninstall Iceweasel first.

Once you have installed firefox-esr from the Debian repository you do NOT need to use the command line to open Firefox.
You simply use your GUI/desktop environment (like Mint, gnome etc) and the Firefox icon should appear under the 'Internet' tab.

There are experts here already helping you with this VERY SIMPLE task.
They will be able to give you the commands to do what I've said above.

You seem to get confused very easily.
OP has Iceweasel on Debian Jessie.
OP would like latest stable FF browser for Debian.
Is this really complicated?

Carlito386, would you stop having pops at fellow posters. You have a lot to contribute, you are obviously knowledgeable, but on several occasions now you seem to have been more interested in criticising or making jibes at fellow posters here on LQ rather than concentrating on what is our main purpose, i.e. helping those who need it. Many thanks.

That kind of attitude may be de rigueur on the Debian forums but it won't wash here. I would leave such a mindset behind when you post on LQ. You have already been warned once.

@ carlito386:-

I find the insistence on uninstalling one browser before using another to be kinda contradictory.

At any given time I'm running FF-Quantum, FF-esr, Palemoon and Seamonkey in my Puppy installs. Puppy may be considered odd, but it works along the same lines as any other Linux distro.

So long as each Mozilla-based browser is installed in its own directory (and this is default behaviour for 'zilla browsers anyway), and the executable for that browser is called by its own launcher script/.desktop menu entry, you can open up and run as many of these browsers as you like, simultaneously if you so desire.

I'd love to hear your explanation for why this isn't possible in Debian.....

And I have to agree with other members, here. A 'snotty', 'catty' attitude toward other members does not help. Nobody on this or any other Linux forum is paid for their contributions; we're all volunteers, whether veteran or newbie.....and the entire raison d'etre for forums like these is to help each other out. Nasty attitudes do not help, and just generate bad feelings.


Mike. ;)

https://packages.debian.org/jessie/firefox-esr

60.6.2 ESR is available via the security repository. Ensure you have that repository enabled and a typical:
should fetch it as an upgrade to iceweasel, which became a transisitonal package:

https://packages.debian.org/jessie/iceweasel

(which probably answers any and all "do I need to uninstall iceweasel first" type questions)

I believe something like iceweasel 45, back in 2016 was the last iceweasel upload, so you're either not upgrading or you don't have security repository enabled...

Firefox is handled by Debian security as a security update, so these days you get pretty much the upstream firefox as standard as I understand it? Back in the iceweasel era you were stuck with a specific release with bakported security patches or got newer versions via Mike Hommey's mozilla.debian.net repository, which now seems pretty much defunct (though still up).

Yes, you're quite right.
I still have 'Iceweasel' as well as 'firefox-esr' appearing as options on the Applications tab on my GUI.
So yes, Iceweasel doesn't need to be uninstalled at all.

I overlooked that OP wanted a 'quick reply' and my concentration was not very focused at the time.
Apologies to all concerned.