Install Firefox2 in Ubuntu and List of Recomended Addons

Oct 252006

Firefox 2 is the next generation release of the award-winning Firefox web browser from Mozilla.This article describes how to install fiefox in ubuntu linux system.

What is new in Firefox 2 ?

If you want to know what is new in Firefox 2 check here

Installing Firefox2 in ubuntu

Preparing your system

sudo apt-get install libstdc++5

Now you need to take backup of your old firefox prferences

sudo cp -R ~/.mozilla ~/.mozillabackup

Now you need to download firefox 2 from Mozilla site

wget -c ftp://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/firefox/releases/2.0/linux-i686/en-GB/firefox-2.0.tar.gz

Unzip the .tar.gz file in /opt directory using the following command

sudo tar -C /opt -xzvf firefox-2.0.tar.gz

Now you need to link the plugins using the following command

cd /opt/firefox/plugins/

sudo ln -s /usr/lib/mozilla-firefox/plugins/* .

Now you need to create a link to your new firefox launcher using the following command

sudo dpkg-divert --divert /usr/bin/firefox.ubuntu --rename /usr/bin/firefox

sudo ln -s /opt/firefox/firefox /usr/bin/firefox

sudo dpkg-divert --divert /usr/bin/mozilla-firefox.ubuntu --rename /usr/bin/mozilla-firefox

sudo ln -s /opt/firefox/firefox /usr/bin/mozilla-firefox

This will complete the installation of firefox 2

You can see in the following screen firefox 2 in action

Firefox Version Details

Firefox2 Recommended Addons

If you want firefox2 recommended addons list check here

For debian users they can run the above commands without sudo should work without any problem.

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Jesse

[QUOTE]sudo dpkg-divert .divert /usr/bin/firefox.ubuntu .rename /usr/bin/firefox[/QUOTE]

I have to change it to this to get it to work:

sudo dpkg-divert –divert /usr/bin/firefox.ubuntu –rename /usr/bin/firefox
Kevin

When I do:
sudo dpkg-divert –divert /usr/bin/firefox.ubuntu –rename /usr/bin/firefox
I get:
dpkg-divert: –add needs a single argument
http://fcarmona.com.mx/weblog/ Paco Carmona

Use this:

sudo dpkg-divert –divert /usr/bin/firefox.ubuntu –rename /usr/bin/firefox
http://fcarmona.com.mx/weblog/ Paco Carmona

Sorry the page change the double “-”, so before divert and rename use double “-”
maco young

good directions, thanks. however, on Dapper Drake, the fonts on Firefox2 are not near the quality as those on Ubuntu’s installed Firefox. anybody know how to restore the original fonts?
http://www.pcwize.com Leif Gregory

Thank you very much. The double dashes got me at first too, but it’s all working great. The first time I clicked the icon to launch Firefox from the panel, it didn’t load. The second time, was when it checked for updates to my extensions and themes, then loaded up. Seems to be working just fine.
Admin

Hi Paco,

that is typo mistake and i have corrected now.

Thanks for you
Shiv Kumar

so how will the comment look with the typo corrected? please email to me on journoshiv (at) gmail.com
Admin

corrected commands same as present article
Jim H

Thanks for the information. Upgrade went perfectly, but have one problem. Java no longer works.
Java worked fine in firefox 1.5.08 Ubuntu 6.06.
Any help on how to get Java working in firefox 2 Ubuntu 6.06 would be appreciated.
Jim
Junior Mautairi

Newbee to Linux,I just would like to thank yous for providing this page with clear precise instructions on installing firefox2 you have made it so easy.I have now reccommended this web-site to my friends.I’m a converted Windows user even with Vista coming soon I will never return to Windows.(currently using Ubuntu 6.06 LTS)
Thanks Again.
Best wshs for Christmas and New Year.
cesar moreno

JAVA Not Working:

I am running Ubuntu Edgy 6.10. I installed Firefox 2 and downloaded all of the needed plugins. Everything seems to be working fine except Java. I already created the link ” sudo ln -s usr/java/jre1.5.0_09/plugin/i386/ns7/libjavaplugin_oji.so ” and the plugin appears in the plugins directory. However, when I load a site with Java, it tells me that I am missing the JRE plug in. If I do about:plugins, I do not see it either. Any ideas anyone???
Bob Eastwood

I had the same problem, have never had Java working in Firefox, only Mozilla. That was JRE 1.5.
I followed instructions from Mozilla.org regarding installing Java, it recommended installing Blackdown Java, due to the version of gcc it was compiled with.
Using Adept, I searched for j2re, then installed j2re, and j2re-mozilla-plugin
Works fine now. You may need your adept to have universe and multiverse enabled.
I am running Kubuntu, Breezy Badger.

The simlink that gets installed after doing this is:
dir: /usr/lib/firefox/plugins
file: libjavaplugin_oji.so -> /etc/alternatives/libjavaplugin_oji_mozilla_firefox.so
wim wolters

Cheers m8
It works like a charm. Just copy and past the needed commands
top job

thnx from the netherlands
large barge

i had the same problem as jim h and cesar, ie java plugin not working. the solution was to get the link in the firefox plugins directory right, you can check by browsing to the firefox plugins directory and seeing if the link you have installed is broken. once i changed to the firefox 2 plugin directory (for me it’s /opt/firefox/plugins ) and typed “sudo ln -s /usr/lib/jvm/java-1.5.0-sun-1.5.0.06/jre/plugin/i386/ns7/libjavaplugin_oji.so ./libjavaplugin_oji.so” everything started working. just find the correct path to your jre installation.
matchstich

how do i uninstall this, i got the GB and wanted US
thanks
chrysalyzed

matchstich, simply remove the directory /opt/firefox/ completely. then go back, and download the US version instead.

http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/

Make sure to unzip the tar.gz file to the /opt directory and re-initialize the plugins shortcut entry.

cd /opt/firefox/plugins
sudo ln -s /usr/lib/mozilla-firefox/plugins/* .

Otherwise your plugins won’t match up with the install anymore.
http://sultanslave.zapto.org/ pariah

Thanks, that was alot of help! Keep up the great solutions.

- pariah
Steve

argh, what a hassle… I am new to ubuntu and could not workout how to get this working – the java.. had I read this first, I may have gotten away with NOT deleting every reference to mozilla and firefox in an attempt to gain some sort of order on my machine.

Crikey, but now its working. God knows what I’ve done to everything else but haha, its all a learning curve, so when I next rebuild I’ll know what to do.

Havn about, Im writing this url down… I would go completely spare if I were to rebuild soon and not find this help again !!!!!

Cheers !!
newbie

you expect people fleeing XP to do this????? enjoy your niche!
wow

Let me see in Windows I go the Sun website, download the MSI and run it. That’s is. I’m really impressed by this Linux stuff. Even installing a very old technology such as Java is a big deal. WOW.
exxceed

wow and newbie, you need to put things in perspective before you take jabs, it just makes you look like a complete tool. This article explains how to update OLD versions of Debian so you would have to go back to the Windows 95 or Windows 3.1 days and ways of doing things to make a comparison. Current version of Debian or Ubuntu make it very easy to install or update software.
piotr

Thanks, it works
Avinash.Rao

Hi,

How do i get FF3 working after this? I am running LTSP on ubuntu 8.04 on AMD intel, after following the instructions in this page, all LTSP users are getting FF2, how do i revert back to FF3?