Linux - NewbieThis Linux forum is for members that are new to Linux.
Just starting out and have a question?
If it is not in the man pages or the how-to's this is the place!
Notices
Welcome to LinuxQuestions.org, a friendly and active Linux Community.
You are currently viewing LQ as a guest. By joining our community you will have the ability to post topics, receive our newsletter, use the advanced search, subscribe to threads and access many other special features. Registration is quick, simple and absolutely free. Join our community today!
Note that registered members see fewer ads, and ContentLink is completely disabled once you log in.
If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us. If you need to reset your password, click here.
Having a problem logging in? Please visit this page to clear all LQ-related cookies.
Get a virtual cloud desktop with the Linux distro that you want in less than five minutes with Shells! With over 10 pre-installed distros to choose from, the worry-free installation life is here! Whether you are a digital nomad or just looking for flexibility, Shells can put your Linux machine on the device that you want to use.
Exclusive for LQ members, get up to 45% off per month. Click here for more info.
I've downloaded firefox 3.6 to my downloads folder but I simply don't understand how to install it. Been trying for four hours. Does it install automatically? I tried opening it by clicking the "open" option in the downloads window but nothing happens. I don't know how to write code. I don't know what a terminal is. I've never downloaded a program (former mac user)that doesn't have an install option that installs automatically.Maybe I'm downloading to the wrong folder?
Have you tried to double-click the file in a file manager. For this to work you may need to make the file executable: right click on the file, choose Properties, then search for a tab on permissions and make sure it is executable by the user (owner).
Welcome to the forums! Which Linux distribution are you using? Most distros have an "update manager" or "package manager" that you can use to update your system using tested and trusted software sources. This is the best feature of Linux, IMHO. Downloading installers from the internet and double-clicking them on your desktop is a bad habit to get into.
@5sugarnoodle2 ; trusted software source for firefox ? won't you trust firefox developers ? download firefox software source from mozilla site.
snowpine is saying about package manager in post #6
i.e. instead of manual installing, package manager can be used. But repositories that you are giving for packagemanager must be trusted repostories.
I've downloaded firefox 3.6 to my downloads folder but I simply don't understand how to install it. Been trying for four hours. Does it install automatically? I tried opening it by clicking the "open" option in the downloads window but nothing happens. I don't know how to write code. I don't know what a terminal is. I've never downloaded a program (former mac user)that doesn't have an install option that installs automatically.Maybe I'm downloading to the wrong folder?
There's no "installing" to be done, assuming you unpacked the tarball. So, what do you have? The file available from firefox is "firefox-3.6.tar.bz2". If you opened that with a "download manager" and extracted it, then you have a folder somewhere. Did you extract it to some new folder you created, or just extract it "in place"?
If you just downloaded the file, then you have to uncompress it and then untar it to get the directory. To do this, first open a terminal, go to whatever location you downloaded it to and type "bunzip2 firefox-3.6.tar.bz2". That will give you a file named "firefox-3.6.tar". To convert that into the directory structure I mentioned above, type "tar -xf firefox-3.6.tar". That will give you a directory tree that starts with "firefox". Rename that to firefox-3.6 and move it to wherever you want it to permanently reside. Yes, you can do these two steps with one command, but I'm not sure you're ready for that at this point.
OK, now you have the new firefox folder. Still in the terminal, go into that folder using "cd firefox-3.6". Once there, type "./firefox" and the new firefox should run. If not, you've probably gotten lost somewhere along the way. Post back and let me know.
Added:
I do not, under any circumstances, reply to emails.
Last edited by Quakeboy02; 03-16-2010 at 12:29 AM.
yes...there is no "installation" is required...i did the samething as they (anisha & quakeboy) told. I have upgraded from the default version firefox 1.5 to firefox 3.6. It will work ....It should work
Linux
Software Requirements
Please note that Linux distributors may provide packages for your distribution which have different requirements.
* Firefox will not run at all without the following libraries or packages:
o GTK+ 2.10 or higher
o GLib 2.12 or higher
o Pango 1.14 or higher
o X.Org 1.0 or higher
* For optimal functionality, we recommend the following libraries or packages:
o NetworkManager 0.7 or higher
o DBus 1.0 or higher
o HAL 0.5.8 or higher
o GNOME 2.16 or higher
Last edited by Aquarius_Girl; 03-16-2010 at 12:39 AM.
LinuxQuestions.org is looking for people interested in writing
Editorials, Articles, Reviews, and more. If you'd like to contribute
content, let us know.