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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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October 27th, 2006 at 7:39 am
[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
October 27th, 2006 at 12:06 pm
When I do:
sudo dpkg-divert –divert /usr/bin/firefox.ubuntu –rename /usr/bin/firefox
I get:
dpkg-divert: –add needs a single argument
October 27th, 2006 at 5:25 pm
Use this:
sudo dpkg-divert –divert /usr/bin/firefox.ubuntu –rename /usr/bin/firefox
October 27th, 2006 at 5:28 pm
Sorry the page change the double “-”, so before divert and rename use double “-”
October 28th, 2006 at 3:11 am
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?
October 28th, 2006 at 6:03 am
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.
October 28th, 2006 at 8:18 am
Hi Paco,
that is typo mistake and i have corrected now.
Thanks for you
November 6th, 2006 at 8:29 pm
so how will the comment look with the typo corrected? please email to me on journoshiv (at) gmail.com
November 6th, 2006 at 9:43 pm
corrected commands same as present article
November 18th, 2006 at 6:05 pm
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
November 28th, 2006 at 9:44 am
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.
December 1st, 2006 at 6:57 am
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???
December 13th, 2006 at 5:54 pm
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
December 19th, 2006 at 1:31 pm
Cheers m8
It works like a charm. Just copy and past the needed commands
top job
thnx from the netherlands
December 19th, 2006 at 7:02 pm
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.
January 3rd, 2007 at 1:31 am
how do i uninstall this, i got the GB and wanted US
thanks
January 28th, 2007 at 11:43 am
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.
February 18th, 2007 at 6:18 pm
Thanks, that was alot of help! Keep up the great solutions.
- pariah
February 20th, 2007 at 3:22 pm
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 !!
August 11th, 2007 at 10:54 pm
you expect people fleeing XP to do this????? enjoy your niche!
August 15th, 2007 at 8:01 pm
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.
August 17th, 2007 at 9:29 am
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.
May 24th, 2008 at 11:27 am
Thanks, it works