Mark Whitis's Website

Installing Firefox 0.8 on Redhat 8.0

Firefox looks like a nice browser but the current version has a lot of rough edges. Installing a new version of opera took about 10 minutes. Instaling firefox took hours.

The first package I tried to install, firefox-0.8-i686-pc-linux-gnu.tar.gz, crashed on startup with misleading error messages. [Bugzilla 243147].

apt is a package tool from debian that has been ported to work with rpms. It automatically installs dependencies. Here, it is just used to install xine (where it installs about a dozen packages with one command).

xine/gxine is a Video Player somewhat like VLC, mplayer, ogle, etc. gxine can work as a firefox plugin. However, all it seems to do is display the xine logo in the web page where the video should be embedded and launch the external player. So far, xine has been less reliable than mplayer at actually playing streams.

adobeSVG was installed to make SVG work. Acrobat is used to display PDF files. Plugger-4.0-17 is already installed on redhat 8.0.

Many of the problems with installing firefox extensions are due to trying to install them system wide as root. Permissions issues. And there are some broken extensions.

The firefox GUI by default gives you access to a very small subset of the engines settings. You can enter the url "about:config" to see/change (temporarily?) the individual settins without having to edit the config file or you can install an extension such as Preferential.

This illustrates installing the extensions and plugins I have selected. You may want to select a different mix. The extensions I have selected provide a reasonable mix of opera like feature with some tools that are useful for web development and for debugging other peoples broken web sites.

Ctrl-+/Ctrl-- zoom text in and out. There is a broken extension that gives you access via the toolbar but apparently one of the other toolbar extensions I installed already has that.

Here are the relevent excerpts from the Captain's Log

The firefox extension package installer is currently a train wreck. GUI installer scripts do not cut it.

"Cancel"/"Ok" is not a substitute for "Install for all users"/"Install for Current User Only"

It is necessary that system managers can perform installation from command line tools with no X server availible; something that can work from scripts and over ssh. Something like:

       firefox-extension-mgr --install --all-users --add-profile foo.xpi
       firefox-extension-mgr --install --current-user -add-profile foo.xpi
       firefox-extension-mgr --uninstall foo.xpi
       firefox-extension-mgr --enable foo.xpi
       firefox-extension-mgr --disable foo.xpi
       firefox-extension-mgr --set-option popup=false foo.xpi

is needed.

Permissions are a big problem. These are probably partly the fault of the individual extensions (possibly being written by users on platforms with no file permsions) or not installing system wide. However, the larger fault is that the installation is being done by the extension script and not part of firefox.
Multiple dialog boxes should be combined. I.E. ask on a single dialog box if installation should be single user vs multi user and if it should be added to the profile.
Installation needs to be data oriented, not dialog box oriented. I.E. it should be like SANE not TWAIN. Like RPM not install sheild; ok,Redhat botched RPM, but can you imagine installing the 1537 packages I have on my linux box using installation wizards? If the user click on a link to download an application, the firefox gui can display a dialog box for installation. On a typical multiuser network, dozens or even a hundred approved plugins would be installed and then users (who may not have permission to install plugins at all) could selectively enable and disable to customize.
No unistallaton
Need to restart firefox after each install.
Some protection against spyware is needed.
Upgrading firefox will apparently necessitate reinstalling all the plugins.

The directory "/dist/" should exist before executing the following commands. It is where distribution files are downloaded to. It can be a symbolic link to a directory on a large writeable disk partition. You can also replace "/dist/" in the commands before cutting and pasting them into your terminal window. All the following commands are executed as root unless otherwise specified.

Acrobat


###
### Acrobat 508
###
cd /dist
wget http://ardownload.adobe.com/pub/adobe/acrobatreader/unix/5.x/linux-508.tar.gz
mkdir acroread-5.08
cd acroread-5.08

tar zxvf /dist/linux-508.tar.gz
./INSTALL
   # interactive
   # accept defaults
#/usr/local/Acrobat5/bin/acroread
# splat!
# reverted to Acrobat 4
# later fixed after reading:
# http://www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/2eeea.htm

patch /usr/local/Acrobat5/bin/acroread <<\...EOF...
###--- /usr/local/Acrobat5/bin/acroread~   2004-03-12 23:51:27.000000000 -0500
+++ /usr/local/Acrobat5/bin/acroread    2004-05-20 03:54:41.000000000 -0400
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 #
-
+export LANG=C
 ver=5.0.8
 install_dir=/usr/local/Acrobat5/Reader

...EOF...

rm -f /usr/local/bin/acroread
ln -s /usr/local/Acrobat5/bin/acroread /usr/local/bin/acroread

Automatic Package Tool



###
### apt
###
# http://apt.freshrpms.net/
cd /dist
wget 
http://ftp.freshrpms.net/pub/freshrpms/redhat/8.0/apt/apt-0.5.5cnc6-fr0.rh80.1.i386.rpm
wget 
http://ftp.freshrpms.net/pub/freshrpms/redhat/8.0/apt/apt-devel-0.5.5cnc6-fr0.rh80.1.i386.rpm
wget 
http://ftp.freshrpms.net/pub/freshrpms/redhat/8.0/apt/apt-0.5.5cnc6-fr0.rh80.1.src.rpm
rpm -i apt-0.5.5cnc6-fr0.rh80.1.i386.rpm
apt-get update
patch /etc/apt/apt.conf <<\...EOF...
--- /etc/apt/apt.conf~  2003-06-24 09:07:54.000000000 -0400
+++ /etc/apt/apt.conf   2004-05-07 21:26:00.000000000 -0400
@@ -30,5 +30,6 @@
     Source {
         Build-Command "rpmbuild --rebuild";
     };
+    Fake-Provides { "libgimp.so.1"; "libgdgeda.so.4"; "libgdgeda"; };
 };

...EOF...
patch /etc/apt/sources.list <<\...EOF...
--- /etc/apt/sources.list~      2003-07-19 14:48:27.000000000 -0400
+++ /etc/apt/sources.list       2004-05-07 21:31:29.000000000 -0400
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 # $Id: sources.list.i386,v 1.1 2003/06/20 16:56:30 dude Exp $

 # Red Hat Linux 9
-#rpm http://ayo.freshrpms.net redhat/9/i386 os updates freshrpms
+rpm http://ayo.freshrpms.net redhat/9/i386 os updates freshrpms
 #rpm-src http://ayo.freshrpms.net redhat/9/i386 os updates freshrpms

 # Red Hat Linux 8.0
...EOF...

Mozilla Firefox



###
### mozilla firefox 0.8+xft
###
# http://www.mozilla.org/
cd /dist
wget 
http://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/firefox/releases/0.8/firefox-0.8-i686-linux-gtk2+xft.tar.gz
cd /usr/local/src
mkdir firefox
cd firefox 
tar zxvf /dist/firefox-0.8-i686-linux-gtk2+xft.tar.gz
mv firefox 0.8-xft
cd 0.8-xft/
# quick test
./firefox
    # interactive, GUI
ln -s /usr/local/src/firefox/0.8-xft/firefox /usr/local/bin/

# as normal user:
firefox

# see plugins and extensions below

XINE/GXINE video player and plugin



###
### xine
###
apt-get install xine gxine

#Get:1 http://ayo.freshrpms.net redhat/8.0/i386/freshrpms aalib 1.4rc5-fr1 
[104kB]
#Get:2 http://ayo.freshrpms.net redhat/8.0/i386/freshrpms alsa-lib 
0.9.6-1.fr [319kB]
#Get:3 http://ayo.freshrpms.net redhat/8.0/i386/freshrpms flac 1.1.0-fr3 
[921kB]
#Get:4 http://ayo.freshrpms.net redhat/8.0/i386/freshrpms libfame 
0.9.0-fr1 [94.5kB]
#Get:5 http://ayo.freshrpms.net redhat/8.0/i386/freshrpms xvidcore 
0.9.2-0.1.rh80.fr [282kB]
#Get:6 http://ayo.freshrpms.net redhat/8.0/i386/freshrpms xine-lib 
1.0.0-fr0.beta9.1 [2074kB]
#Get:7 http://ayo.freshrpms.net redhat/8.0/i386/freshrpms gxine 0.3.2-fr1 
[469kB]
#Get:8 http://ayo.freshrpms.net redhat/8.0/i386/freshrpms xine 
1:0.9.20-fr1 [1744kB]

# bug workaroune
mkdir ~whitis/.gxine
mkdir ~root/.gxine

Adobe SVG viewer



###
### Adobe SVG viewer
###
cd /dist
wget 
http://download.adobe.com/pub/adobe/magic/svgviewer/linux/3.x/3.01x88/en/adobesvg-3.01x88-linux-i386.tar.gz
cd /usr/local/src
tar zxvf /dist/adobesvg-3.01x88-linux-i386.tar.gz
mkdir adobesvg
mv adobesvg-3.01/ adobesvg/v3.01
cd adobesvg/v3.01
./install.sh
# actually not interactive
# installs to /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins and /usr/local/adobesvg

Mozilla firefox plugins



###
### mozilla firefox plugins
###
# http://plugindoc.mozdev.org/en-AU/linux.html
ls /usr/lib/mozilla-1.0.1/plugins
ls /usr/lib/mozilla/plugger
ls /usr/lib/netscape/plugins
ls /usr/lib/opera/plugins

# Desireable plugins:
#   Adobe Acrobat Reader
#   Adobe SVG Viewer
#   Shitwave Flush
#   Plugger   (there is a new version called MozPlugger but we already 
have plugger)
#   mplayerplug-in or xine
#   RealPlayer

plugindir=/usr/local/src/firefox/0.8-xft/plugins/
ln -s /usr/lib/gxine/gxineplugin.so ${plugindir}
ln -s /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins/plugger.so ${plugindir}
ln -s /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins/libNPSVG3.so ${plugindir}
ln -s /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins/libflashplayer.so ${plugindir}

Mozilla firefox extensions



###
### mozilla firefox extensions
###

# extensions are installed using the tedious method of visiting web page
# (via Tools -> Extensions -> getnextensions)
# clicking on them, clicking the "Bend over here it comes again" button, 
and
# then restarting the browser.
# as a shortcut, the following commands will reduce the amount of clicking
# to about 4 clicks per application.  Be careful to select system wide
# versus user specific install which is done by the clumbsy means of
# using Ok/cancel dialog popups - not even consistent about whether
# cancel installs system wide or per user.

# INTERACTIVE, GUI
# run as root for system wide isntall:

firefox http://gorgias.de/mfe/abhere.xpi # Add bookmark Here
firefox http://downloads.mozdev.org/editcss/editcss.xpi  #  Edit CSS
firefox nhttp://downloads.mozdev.org/imagezoomer/imageZoomer-v0.1.xpi # 
image zoomer
firefox http://downloads.mozdev.org/clav/toolbarext/toolbarext.xpi # 
Toolbar Enhancements
# breaks toolbar:
# firefox http://www.cosmicat.com/software/textzoom/textzoom.xpi # text 
zoom
firefox http://fls.moo.jp/moz/rssreader/rssreader_170.xpi # feed reeder
firefox http://gorgias.de/mfe/flst.xpi  # Focus last selected tab
firefox http://downloads.mozdev.org/clav/flowtabs.xpi # Flowing Tabs
firefox http://downloads.mozdev.org/macroeditor/MacroEditor.xpi  # Macro Editor
firefox http://downloads.mozdev.org/livehttpheaders/livehttpheaders.xpi #Live HTTP headers

firefox http://gratisdei.com/mtypes.xpi # Mozilla MIME type Editor
firefox http://downloads.mozdev.org/mozedit/mozedit-11-21-03.xpi  # MozEdit
firefox http://www.pikey.me.uk/mozilla/extensions/popupcount.xpi # Popup Count
firefox http://downloads.mozdev.org/preferential/preferential.xpi # Preferences

firefox http://downloads.mozdev.org/mozedit/mozedit-11-21-03.xpi  # MozEdit
firefox http://downloads.mozdev.org/adblock/sessionsaver-02-dev.xpi # Session Saver
firefox http://downloads.mozdev.org/cdn/x/x.xpi # x - adds paranoia button to clear private info
firefox http://www.cosmicat.com/software/scriptstatus/scriptstatus.xpi
firefox http://downloads.mozdev.org/spiderzilla/spiderzilla.xpi  # downloads many file
# useragentswitcher causes firefox to hang
# firefox 
http://downloads.mozdev.org/useragentswitcher/useragentswitcher.xpi # User 
Agent Switcher
firefox http://downloads.mozdev.org/uabar/uawidget.xpi # User Agent 
Toolbar widget

# Note that most of what the stuff above is doing is installing the .jar 
file
# (not java) inside the .xpi file into 
/usr/local/src/firfox/0.8-xft/chrome/
# it appears it also adds the program to chrome.rdf

# if you try to run firefox as non root user it hangs
# displays the following messages
# *** Failed to load overlay chrome://useragentswitcher/content/menu.xul
# *** Failed to load overlay 
chrome://popupcount/content/popupcountOverlay.xul
# *** Failed to load overlay chrome://mtypes/content/menuOverlay.xul
# *** Failed to load overlay chrome://macroeditor/content/menu_all.xul
# *** Failed to load overlay chrome://macroeditor/content/menu_fb.xul
# *** Failed to load overlay chrome://flowtabs/content/flowtabs.xul
# *** Failed to load overlay chrome://textzoom/content/textzoomOverlay.xul

cd /usr/local/src/firefox/0.8-xft/chrome
chmod g+rw flowtabs.jar MacroEditor.jar popupcount.jar 
useragentswitcher.jar mtypes.jar
chmod o+r flowtabs.jar MacroEditor.jar popupcount.jar 
useragentswitcher.jar mtypes.jar
chmod g+rw *
#chmod o+w installed-chrome.txt
#chmod o+w chrome.rdf chromelist.txt
# Fixing permissions helped, but useragentswitcher.jar is still breaking 
things
# don't need these commands anymore since useragent disabled above, 
# but keep for historical reasons:
#   mkdir dead
#   mv useragentswitcher.jar dead/
# Note: deleting useragentswitcher from chrome.rdf doesn't work - it hangs 
again.

# Note, even though it still complains it can't load 
# chrome://textzoom/content/textzoomOverlay.xul
# the text zoom still seems to work (ctrl-+, ctrl--).  However,
# it kills two of the toolbars.  And, with the extension disabled
# the hot keys still work.

chmod -R g+rw uawidget
chmod -R o+r uawidget

# Still need to use the toolbar customize feature (right click on address 
bar)
# to add icons to toolbar.

# In individual users gaim configuration, 
#  Select Browser -> Manual = firefox -remote "openurl(%s,new-tab)"

bk_edit - bookmark conversion



###
### bk_edit
###
# http://www2.fht-esslingen.de/~clfuit00/sasnt/bk_edit/
cd /dist
wget 
http://www2.fht-esslingen.de/~clfuit00/sasnt/packages/bk_edit-0.6.23.tar.gz
cd /usr/local/src
mkdir bk_edit
cd bk_edit
tar ztvf /dist/bk_edit-0.6.23.tar.gz
tar zxvf /dist/bk_edit-0.6.23.tar.gz
cd bk_edit-0.6.23/
./configure
make
make install

bkedit --load .opera/opera6.adr --load-plugin Opera7 --save 
.phoenix/default/vwwiakg0.slt/bookmarks.html.opera --save-plugin Mozilla

# manually edit those converted bookmarks into the existing
# firefox bookmarks file (assuming you have run firefox by now as
# the ordinary user).   You want to keep the "Bookmarks Toolbar Folder"
# and "Quick Searches" sections since they illustrate how to use
# keyword searches in the address bar and add things to the bookmarks
# toolbar

# Note: an easier way to merge these after conversion would be to use 
# Bookmarks -> manage bookmarks -> import

Firefox customization



# recommended firefox customization:
#   - Right click on toolbar and select customize
#   - Add separator, "RSS Reader", "Bookmarks", and "Add Bookmark" to 
#     bookmark toolbar
#   - Create new "misc toolbar", add:
#     images, cookies, plug-ins, redirections, javascript, separator
#     Edit CSS, Mozedit, Source, separator
#     Zoom in, Zoom out, new window, new tab, separator
#     info, paranoia, user agent widget,
# - Turn off Java
# - Add 
# - Quick Seaches:
# edit the html portion below into the .phoneix/.../bookmarks.html file
# in place of original quick searches to add:
#    g           http://www.google.com/search?&q=%s
#    dict        http://dictionary.reerence.com/search?q=%s
#    quot        http://www.google.com/search?&q=stocks:%s
#    freshmeat   http://www.freshmeat.net/search/?q=%s&section=progects&Go.x=0&Go.y=0
#    wiki        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%s
#    urbandictionary http://www.urbandictionary.com/defin.php?term=%s
#    lii         http://lii.org/search?m=p&query=%s&Search=SEARCH+LII.ORG&searchtype=keywords
#    imdb        http://www.imdb.com/find?tt=on;nm=on;mx=20;q=%s
# to the existing searches:
#    goto        http://www.google.com/search?q=%s&btnl=I'm+Feeling+Lucky
#    quote       http://www.quotationspage.com/search.php3?Search=%s&x=0&y=0& ...
#    google      http://www.google.com/search?&q=%s
# Also add (not in html below):
#    archive     http://www.archive.org/web/*/%s

Quick Search HTML bookmarks snippet



    <DT><H3 LAST_MODIFIED="1085106512" ID="rdf:#$+NVeb">Quick 
Searches</H3>
<DD>Handy searches that can be performed in the addressbar
    <DL><p>
        <DT><A 
HREF="http://devedge.netscape.com/viewsource/2002/bookmarks/" 
LAST_VISIT="1085060604" LAST_MODIFIED="1085053031" 
ICON="http://devedge.netscape.com/favicon.ico" LAST_CHARSET="ISO-8859-1" 
ID="rdf:#$0OVeb">Using Firefox Quick
Searches</A>
<DD>unknown
        <DT><A HREF="http://www.google.com/search?&q=%s" 
LAST_VISIT="1085060546" LAST_MODIFIED="1085053032" SHORTCUTURL="google" 
ICON="http://www.google.com/favicon.ico" LAST_CHARSET="UTF-8" 
ID="rdf:#$1OVeb">Google Quicksearch</A>
<DD>unknown
        <DT><A HREF="http://www.google.com/search?&q=%s" 
LAST_VISIT="1085060546" LAST_MODIFIED="1085060556" SHORTCUTURL="g" 
ICON="http://www.google.com/favicon.ico" LAST_CHARSET="UTF-8" 
ID="rdf:#$71QSS">Google Quicksearch</A>
<DD>unknown
        <DT><A 
HREF="http://www.google.com/search?q=%s&btnI=I'm+Feeling+Lucky" 
LAST_MODIFIED="1085053033" SHORTCUTURL="goto" ID="rdf:#$2OVeb">I'm Feeling 
Lucky Quicksearch</A>
<DD>unknown
        <DT><A HREF="http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=%s" 
LAST_VISIT="1085060425" LAST_MODIFIED="1085053034" SHORTCUTURL="dict" 
ICON="http://dictionary.reference.com/favicon.ico" 
LAST_CHARSET="ISO-8859-1" ID="rdf:#$3OVeb">Dictionary.com Quicksearch</A>
<DD>updated
        <DT><A HREF="http://www.google.com/search?&q=stocks:%s" 
LAST_VISIT="1085060616" LAST_MODIFIED="1085053034" SHORTCUTURL="quot" 
ICON="http://www.google.com/favicon.ico" LAST_CHARSET="UTF-8" 
ID="rdf:#$4OVeb">Stock Symbol Quicksearch</A>
<DD>unknown
        <DT><A 
HREF="http://freshmeat.net/search/?q=%s&section=projects&Go.x=0&Go.y=0" 
ADD_DATE="1085060684" SHORTCUTURL="freshmeat" LAST_CHARSET="ISO-8859-1" 
ID="rdf:#$81QSS">freshmeat.net</A>
        <DT><A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%s" 
ADD_DATE="1085060959" SHORTCUTURL="wiki" LAST_CHARSET="ISO-8859-1" 
ID="rdf:#$91QSS">Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</A>
        <DT><A HREF="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=%s" 
ADD_DATE="1085061033" LAST_VISIT="1085061048" LAST_MODIFIED="1085061073" 
SHORTCUTURL="urbandictionary" LAST_CHARSET="ISO-8859-1" 
ID="rdf:#$a1QSS">UrbanDictionary</A>
        <DT><A 
HREF="http://www.quotationspage.com/search.php3?Search=%s&x=0&y=0&Author=&C=mgm&C=motivate&C=classic&C=coles&C=lindsly&C=poorc&C=net&C=devils&C=contrib" 
ADD_DATE="1085061323" SHORTCUTURL="quote" LAST_CHARSET="ISO-8859-1" 
ID="rdf:#$b1QSS">Quotation Search </A>
        <DT><A 
HREF="http://lii.org/search?m=p&query=%s&Search=SEARCH+LII.ORG&searchtype=keywords" 
ADD_DATE="1085061472" SHORTCUTURL="lii" LAST_CHARSET="ISO-8859-1" 
ID="rdf:#$c1QSS">Librarians Index to the Internet</A>
        <DT><A HREF="http://www.imdb.com/find?tt=on;nm=on;mx=20;q=%s" 
ADD_DATE="1085106512" LAST_MODIFIED="1085106549"
SHORTCUTURL="imdb" LAST_CHARSET="ISO-8859-1" ID="rdf:#$.eZB3">IMDb name 
and title search</A>
    </DL><p>

Useful URLs:

about:config: The gecko browser engine used by firefox has over a thousand parameters that can be set. Most are not exposed by the default firefox user interface (unless you add an extension like Preferential). The page loaded by about:config lets you configure all of the gecko parameters. For example, set browser.tabs.loadInBackground=false if you want new tabs you open urls in to become the current tab.
about:blank: Does nothing
about:bloat: Does nothing
about:credits: Lists the names of hundreds of people who have contributed
about:plugins: See which plugins are loaded. You do not need to restart the browser after adding plugins to the plugin directory but you do need to reload this page.
about:mozilla: Displays a quotation
about:logo: Does nothing
about:buildconfig: Describes how mozilla was compiled
about:about: Does nothgin
about:cache: Displays cache disk/memory usage
about:cache?device=disk: Displays pages in disk cache
about:cache?device=memory: Displays pages in memory cache
about:cache-entry: Used by about:cache?device=... above
about:layout-dummy-request: Does nothing
about:PreferenceStyleSheet: Does nothing
about:parser-dummy-request: Does nothing
about:xul-master-placeholder: Does nothing
about:internal-mathml-attribute-stylesheet: Does nothing

This file is maintained by Mark Whitis (whitis@freelabs.com).

Senior Engineer for hire
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The author of these pages is looking for a new gig.
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