I have a weird problem with Firefox right now (Debian Iceweasel 2.0.0.3-1). The system is running Debian Lenny, and I have updated to the latest version of Firefox.

I maintain a client's web server on a remote machine (Debian Etch, Apache2). When I browse to it by URL, Firefox instead brings me to the Google English page (yes, it actually says "English"). It does this when I try to connect by https as well. All other computers can see this fine. All other applications on this machine don't seem to have a problem. It seems to be just this installation of Firefox.

Note that this happens regardless of which profile I use. I have also clear out the cache and other "private data".

Has anybody seen this before? Where else do I look? I'm tired of browsing to the site by IP address.

It sounds like a Firefox configuration problem. The easiest way around these is usually to delete the .mozilla hidden folder in your home directory. Firefox will re-create it on startup.

Try running Firefox in console, verify all messages .

timkb4cq: I didn't think that would work, and it didn't. As I said, I use two different profiles (which comprise a vast majority of what is stored in that directory). I'll admit that it was worth a try, though.

aspenbr: I get no console output. Nada-zip-zilch-zero. This is good, in a way (no hideous errors) but gives me no additional clues.

Anybody have any other ideas?

Try command strace firefox, case show many messages error redirect for file, strace firefox > debug.log .

Ok

This sounds like a DNS problem. See what address is returned by various DNS tools:

host thatsite.com
dig thatsite.com

Also, see what the top nameserver is in /etc/resolv.conf. Maybe rotate the names, or replace the top names with the OpenDNS addresses: 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220.

I feel sheepish, but I'm going to bite the bullet and post my stupidity (for your amusement and the enlightenment of future sheep). It was in the hosts file. I don't remember doing that. Oddly enough, neither host nor dig seem to retrieve hosts file entries.

I was just reading this thread for the first time.

I read the first post. I said to myself: "check the hosts file".

I read the rest of the thread. Then I read the last post.

So, I guess I won't post telling you to check the hosts file.