Firefox/Thunderbird installation
 

Message
frnklnlb
New Member
Joined: 18 Jan 2005
Posted: Jan Tue 25th 2005 10:05pm Running Firefox/Thunderbird


I have installed Firefox and Thunderbird on my home desktop computer. The Computer is a Dell Dimension XPS T500, running Redhat Linux 9.0. During the initial install, the Firefox browser came up and operated correctly. Ditto, Thunderbird. However, neither installation put a shortcut icon on the desktop. Also, I cannot find either program listed in the programs shown by going through the menus. How am I supposed to run these programs a second and succeeding times if I cannot find them to start them up? Can anyone tell me how to find/run these programs on my computer?

Toto, I don't think we're in Windows anymore...

Installs don't commonly clutter your desktop. Firefox is a product of mozilla, so i've seen it packaged with a binary of mozilla-firefox. but i think their install system will put it in as just plain firefox.

so pull up a shell, and start looking a little... just type firefox and see if that works. My favorite thing to do with shells is to let them complete my commands -- try typeing 'fire' (without quotes) and then hit <tab> twice...

once you know what it's called, you can say 'which whatever' to find the real location... use that to setup any 'shortcuts'

Right! I am trying to overcome eight years of windows mindset and learn how to operate in Linux. I tried your suggestion with the following result:

[abc@localhost abc]$ fire
fire firewall-config
[abc@localhost abc]$ fire
Fire V1.5
Written by David Bucciarelli (tech.hmw@plus.it)
Xlib: extension "XFree86-DRI" missing on display ":0.0".
[abc@localhost abc]$ firefox-installer/
bash: firefox-installer/: is a directory
[abc@localhost abc]$

I do not want to reinstall the program if it is already installed. I just want to be able to run what is already supposed to be available.
Thanks

ok, let's back up... you ran firefox-installer, and what'd it have to say?

--i'll dig this in a little, i don't remember off hand what binary the installer put on the system--

Just what I expected. I get the dialog box that says I am about to install Firefox. It is the same as I got when I actually installed Firefox a couple of days ago. It implies that I can install it again, but cautions that I should exit all instances of Firefox before continuing.

sorry.. i had forgot about this... i looked here: http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/releases/

and best i saw was reference to firefox-bin

have you solved this yet?

and a quick turn around the FF forums got me:

/usr/local/lib/firefox/firefox

you solved yet?

To install firefox you run: "./firefox-installer"
after you install it you need to know where it is the program; go there and click on the file "firefox". That's the file who opens it.

To install thunderbir you need to unpack the .tar.gz file, then go to the unpacked folder and click on "thunderbird". That's the file who opens it.

Then you can create a link from your desktop to the files. And you are ready.

thanks lier, but you didn't read the post.

the problem is not with using the installer, the problem is with finding the location of the binary after the installer has done its thing.

in shell

> locate firefox

comes up with listing of all instances of files with name firefox in it (if none then as root type >updatedb and try again)
this should give you installation path and all associated files so just execute firefox by entering the full path. eg on my system

> /opt/firefox/firefox

repeat for thunderbird

then you should know the paths to both the files and can add shortcuts to your desktop or where ever.

firefox install
 

I installed firefox under xandros open circulation version 2. when you run firefox-installer, it install all the files including a shell script called firefox which launches firefox. So if you know the directory where you originally ran firefox-installer, you will find firefox script in the same directory. create a shortcut on your desktop for that location.

Sorry if i'm wrong, but i think that the problem it is that you don't know how can you open this programs once they are installed. Well, you have to go to the folder were you installed it (in my last post i explain you how to) and just click on the file with the name firefox (or thunderbird).

Thanks secesh, but you didn't understand what i was trying to explain.

Thanks guys. I just got on and read the replies. I'll try these suggestions the next time I have some time to do so. Thanks again for all the responses.

Ok, tonight I did the following:
In the terminal window I entered <cd $HOME>, then <cd thunderbird> to get into the t-bird subdirectory, then I entered <./thunderbird>.
Thunderbird started and came up with all the messages that it had transfered over from netscape when it started up during the initial installation.
I scrolled down the emails until I found one that had a link to a web page. I clicked on the link and Firefox started up and brought up the web page requested.
So... I know it is installed and still works, but I still do not know how to start it up on its own. Also, I would like to have shortcut icons for each of these programs on my desktop so that I do not have to go through all the rig-a-marole with the terminal and starting up Firefox through the back door.
All help is greatly appreciated.

did you look here:
/usr/local/lib/firefox/firefox

??