Firefox 2 and SUSE

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I found near-perfect install instructions for Firefox at Installing Firefox in SUSE .

The only thing I’m stuck on is depicted in the graphic below, which is the error I get if I try to double-click an URL and have the default browser (Firefox) open it.

Any ideas how to fix this (association?)?

Regards,
Chuck Billow
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I’ve downloaded the firefox-2.0.tar.gz file. It’s in a folder “Downloads” on my Desktop.

I understand the tar command needed to unpack it and create the necessary directories ( tar -zxvf firefox-2.0.tar.gz) but I am not at all clear on where this should be executed — where the Firefox files will end up.

In addition, I’ve heard something about needing a symlink, or removing same.

What is this, and what or how do I do it?

Regards,
Chuck Billow

Chuck Billow

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Is this a file mozilla laid down or is it a symlink you created?

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Mike:

One I created… Firefox 2 didn’t put anything on the desktop.

Regards,
Chuck

Chuck Billow

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DO this:

ls -al /usr/share/applications/MozillaFirefox.desktop

Is it a file or link?

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Mike:

?

Got me. Is the code you gave me a link, you mean? Yes I believe so…

But, at 5.30 this morn, I solved it… not sure I could re-do what I did… it had something to do with conflicting paths and destinations. So I deleted all and started over, and I think it’s OK this time.

Now, root, all I’ve got to solve is my printer. Works in Windows, and in a VMware VM of Windows, but cannot get the darn thing to show up in SUSE…

Regards,
Chuck Billow

Chuck Billow

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the firefox tarball only needs extracting and you can extract it anywhere – I use the /usr/ directory. You end up with “/usr/firefox/etc… The executable is then /usr/firefox/firefox and you need a simlink to this in your /usr/bin/ like this:
ln -s /usr/firefox/firefox /usr/bin/firefox
This creates the necessary link for a taskbar or desktop icon which just needs to refer to “firefox” (no quotes, of course).

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Peter:

That makes pretty good sense…

Seems that you can really install stuff anywhere, with the links set right… are there any “accepted” standard folder assignments or structure? I’ve seen ‘bin’ in a few places. Why? Does (that one for example) end up having a “global” ‘bin’ folder for stuff everybody has access to, and another in local (for network/user stuff) and /usr/bin for stuff for just the user “of the moment”?

Regards,
Chuck Billow

Chuck Billow

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Peter:

I seem to repeatedly have one problem:

If I start working in SUSE, I invariable need to be logged in as root. But to do this, I have to open a terminal, yes? And in so doing, I “loose my place” in Konqueror for the (for instance) link I was trying to create.

How do I get around this?

Regards,
Chuck Billow

Chuck Billow

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Chuck
I’m no expert but I’m using Suse alot now and learning. The /usr/ files seem to hold the general programs that everyone can access but sometimes they go into /opt/ or /usr/share. I don’t think there’s a hard and fast rule.
The use of simlinks mean you can put things almost anywhere then create the link so the system picks up the executable. And it picks up these by looking in the bins or sbins. So your desktop just needs to point to the executable file not the full path.
As for logging in as root, this seems to be frowned upon as it compromises the security. If you think in MS anyone can do almost anything but in linux user access is limited by default as opposed to setting up permissions. When you need to make admin changes you sudo it in a console. You can do much more in console scripting in linux than in Windows which can be quick and easy when you get the hang.

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Peter:

Yes, it seems that a lot of Linux, in all of its flavors, is flexible enough to abide nea anything the user wishes… I guess I’m just trying to try to prepare for coming across the unspoken “givens”…

I don’t quite have the symlinks down yet… as I had noted in the VMware board, I can call Firefox now on command, but *not* just with “firefox”, but rather the entire path… My Firefox is installed in /usr/local/firefox. My sym is

ln -s /usr/local/firefox/firefox /usr/bin/firefox and is in the /usr/bin folder … something’s wrong, but I don’t see what as yet…

Maybe I’ll wait and look again tomorrow in the “cold light of…”

Thanks,
Chuck

Chuck Billow

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Hey, the symlink looks correct as long as the source directory is correct. Here’s a few commands that can help if you don’t know where the firefox executable is:

updatedb – updates the db for searching – this may take a min.
locate firefox | less – locate’s anything with ‘firefox’ in it and pauses between pages.

the symlink command looks like this:

ln -s

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root:

When I ran updatedb, I got a whole string of “Access denied”‘s, and that’s *with* logging in as root.

Should this be?

Regards,
Chuck Billow

Chuck Billow

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Chuck
I think if you make that /usr/sbin rather than binit should work.

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Peter:

Where the heck did I do *that*? I looked and don’t see it…

Regards,
Chuck Billow

Chuck Billow

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Chuck
That should have read /usr/sbin rather than /usr/bin. If you don’t have /usr/sbin I think your link may need to go in either /bin or /sbin in root (not “root” user)

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Peter:

Starting with

ln -s /usr/local/firefox/firefox /usr/bin/firefox

I’ve moved the link to

/bin
/sbin
/usr/bin

and adjusted the link so that the right side of the command matches the directory of presence…

None worked if I try to run with the command being just ‘firefox.

*Somewhere* I have a link or something with a “Firefox” (capital ‘F’) because I have several tiles gotten an error “Cannot launch Firefor.desktop” when the link is actually a small f.

??

Regards,
Chuck

Chuck Billow

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Chuck
We seem to be struggling with this. Maybe you just go with desktop shortcut pointing to the full path of the file! Unlike Windows, Linux is case sensitive so Firefox is different from firefox or FIREFOX. You need to make sure you stick with the right case.

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Peter:

OK, thanks for your help.

Regards,
Chuck

Chuck Billow

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Peter:

If I want to “start over” with my Firefox install, is there anything “harmful” about doing a search for any files with Firefox (or firefox) in the name, and then deleting them?

Regards,
Chuck Billow

Chuck Billow

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hold on, first, when you did a update as root, and got Access Denied, thats not a good thing. Second, are we sure firefox is in /usr/local/….?

sbin is used for binaries only executable by root. bin is for everyone.

It sounds like it could be a few things:

bad OS install
paths are defined

I work on figuring out why you can’t run updatedb…

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Mike:

I certainly can concur that under usual circumstances, solutions are better than re-starts. AAMOF, *that’s* one of the test they give in IQ, isn’t it? To determine frustration level etc.?

I wonder in this case however, since I am totally unfamiliar with the commands, their purpose, determination of correct/incorrect results, and solutions there for, if it wouldn’t be more productive, now that at least I have an inkling of the objective, to start with a clean slate as it were. In fact, if it is a bad OS install, I’d end up doing that anyway, wouldn’t I?

I ran a “Find” for ‘*firefox*.*’ irrespective of case, and found the following, and since it is (I think) supposed to be all lower case, it looks pretty messy.

Want to see the listing?

Regards,
Chuck

Chuck Billow

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I usully use locate. Its a little cleaner. BUT if updatedb isn’t working, locate may be a problem. Try this:

locate firefox | less

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Mike:

Attached is the output…

BTW, is there another way that you know of, if I’m in SUSE, and want to transfer the output to Windows, like I did this output, to do so without mailing it from SUSE to yourself in Windows?

Regards,
Chuck Billow

Chuck Billow

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ok, not sure which one is which but, from x-windows, if you run:

firefox
or
firefox-bin

does it open?

Your second question: you can mount a windows fat partition to write to. RIght now, without special software, ntfs is read-only. How is your windows partitions formatted?

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Mike:

My main WinXP partition is NTFS, but my thumb drive is FAT…

BTW, I was flirting with 10.2 (SUSE), but have reverted to 10.1. I liked a lot of what I saw in 10.2, but, as I have yet to get printers and internet working fully (BOTH in my VM AND on the separate partition) I figured why over-complicate, so I went back.

Regards,
Chuck Billow

Chuck Billow

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