I want to install the latest version of firefox on linux ubuntu 12.04.

Asked by Dianne Meyers

I want to install the newest version of firefox on my linux ubuntu 13.10. What do I do?

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actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said :
#1

If you can find the binary archive or deb file for it you can install it. You will need to remove the current version and install what you found. If you use a deb file you will need to use apt pinning to stop the application being updated.

If you extract the archive it will make a folder. I recommend you put it in /opt and un install the Firefox from software centre. You can then symlink the firefox binary to the /usr/bin directory. You can save yourself some time by copying the current .desktop file for Firefox from /usr/share/applications and reinstate it after you uninstall the program using software centre (or apt-get of course)

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Dianne Meyers (demanett1954) said :
#2

I am needing explicit instructions about uninstalling my current firefox, where to get the firefox older version and exactly what to do! Please provide me with explicit step by step instructions on how to uninstall firefox, where to download an older version of firefox, how to install it and specific instructions on the terminal, binary files, etc. Otherwise, I have no idea what you are talking about. Please provide step by step specific instructions. Thank you

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Dianne Meyers (demanett1954) said :
#3

You say to use a deb file and use apt pinning to stop the application being updated. What does this mean?

If you extract the archive it will make a folder.I extracted the bz 2 file when I downloaded firefox 19.0. What do you mean when you say this: I recommend you put it in /opt and un install the Firefox from software centre. (I have uninstalled firefox from the software center before so I know how to do this.) What do you mean when you say: You can then symlink the firefox binary to the /usr/bin directory. You can save yourself some time by copying the current .desktop file for Firefox from /usr/share/applications and reinstate it after you uninstall the program using software centre (or apt-get of course) I don't understand at all what you mean. Can you please give me specific step by step instructions? Thank you

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actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said :
#4

If you find a deb of the 20.0 version and install it then run updates, what do you think will happen.......

The package system will see a newer version of the same package and update it, overwriting your efforts.

Let's do this the easy way, where have you extracted the firefox folder to and what is it's name (case sensitive).

Why are you doing all this anyway? Why is the older version desirable?

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daniel CURTIS (anoda) said :
#5

Hi. There is a very easy method to install Firefox from .gz archive. Download e.g. Firefox 20 [1] (should start automatically). Next save the file e.g. in Downloads folder and extract it to the '/opt' directory. It could looks like this;

,-----[ Firefox 19 install - as root/sudo! ]
| cd /opt
| tar xjf firefox-*.tar.bz2
| cd /opt/firefox/chrome/icons/default
| mv default32.png firefox.png
| cp firefox.png /usr/share/pixmaps
| touch /usr/share/applications/firefox.desktop [IMPORTANT!]
`-----

[IMPORTANT!] Now you should put these entries to the /usr/share/applications/firefox.desktop file;

[Desktop Entry]
Encoding=UTF-8
Name= Mozilla Firefox
Exec=/opt/firefox/firefox %u
Terminal=false
X-MultipleArgs=false
Type=Application
Icon=firefox.png
Categories=Network;WebBrowser;
MimeType=text/html;text/xml;application/xhtml+xml;application/xml;application/vnd.mozilla.xul+xml;application/rss+xml;application/rdf+xml;image/gif;image/jpeg;image/png;
StartupWMClass=Firefox-bin
StartupNotify=true

I have made it several times. To update we can just download the new Firefox version etc. By the way, please check:

,-----[ important links ]
| https://help.ubuntu.com/community/FirefoxNewVersion/MozillaBuilds
| https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/install-firefox-linux
`-----

Best regards.
_____________
[1] https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/products/download.html?product=firefox-19.0&os=linux&lang=en-US

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daniel CURTIS (anoda) said :
#6

Argh, sorry. Link marked with [1] is for Firefox 19 and not 20 (as I wrote in my above answer).

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Dianne Meyers (demanett1954) said :
#7

This message is to: actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) I want to go back to the older version of firefox because the new version doesn't have the restore session as the older version did and I cannot minimize open websites to the bottom of the screen as I could do before this stupid new version of firefox. I hate this new firefox version!

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Dianne Meyers (demanett1954) said :
#8

This message is to: actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) I want to go back to the older version of firefox because the new version doesn't have the restore session as the older version did and I cannot minimize open websites to the bottom of the screen as I could do before this stupid new version of firefox. I hate this new firefox version!

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Dianne Meyers (demanett1954) said :
#9

Daniel: What do you mean? install Firefox from .gz archive. Download e.g. Firefox 20 [1] (should start automatically). Next save the file e.g. in Downloads folder and extract it to the '/opt' directory. I need very specific instructions. Download firefox 19.1 or 20.0 from where? Then, save in downloads, which I did. Extract it to the 'opt'directory which is where? Do I type this into the terminal or what exactly? Then, do I need to type all this into the terminal or where does it go?

,-----[ Firefox 19 install - as root/sudo! ]
| cd /opt
| tar xjf firefox-*.tar.bz2
| cd /opt/firefox/chrome/icons/default
| mv default32.png firefox.png
| cp firefox.png /usr/share/pixmaps
| touch /usr/share/applications/firefox.desktop [IMPORTANT!]
`-----

[IMPORTANT!] Now you should put these entries to the /usr/share/applications/firefox.desktop file;

[Desktop Entry]
Encoding=UTF-8
Name= Mozilla Firefox
Exec=/opt/firefox/firefox %u
Terminal=false
X-MultipleArgs=false
Type=Application
Icon=firefox.png
Categories=Network;WebBrowser;
MimeType=text/html;text/xml;application/xhtml+xml;application/xml;application/vnd.mozilla.xul+xml;application/rss+xml;application/rdf+xml;image/gif;image/jpeg;image/png;
StartupWMClass=Firefox-bin
StartupNotify=true

I know nothing about this so I need very specific instructions and then how do I keep firefox from updating to the current version?

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Dianne Meyers (demanett1954) said :
#10

Daniel: What do you mean? install Firefox from .gz archive. Download e.g. Firefox 20 [1] (should start automatically). Next save the file e.g. in Downloads folder and extract it to the '/opt' directory. I need very specific instructions. Download firefox 19.1 or 20.0 from where? Then, save in downloads, which I did. Extract it to the 'opt'directory which is where? Do I type this into the terminal or what exactly? Then, do I need to type all this into the terminal or where does it go?

,-----[ Firefox 19 install - as root/sudo! ]
| cd /opt
| tar xjf firefox-*.tar.bz2
| cd /opt/firefox/chrome/icons/default
| mv default32.png firefox.png
| cp firefox.png /usr/share/pixmaps
| touch /usr/share/applications/firefox.desktop [IMPORTANT!]
`-----

[IMPORTANT!] Now you should put these entries to the /usr/share/applications/firefox.desktop file;

[Desktop Entry]
Encoding=UTF-8
Name= Mozilla Firefox
Exec=/opt/firefox/firefox %u
Terminal=false
X-MultipleArgs=false
Type=Application
Icon=firefox.png
Categories=Network;WebBrowser;
MimeType=text/html;text/xml;application/xhtml+xml;application/xml;application/vnd.mozilla.xul+xml;application/rss+xml;application/rdf+xml;image/gif;image/jpeg;image/png;
StartupWMClass=Firefox-bin
StartupNotify=true

I know nothing about this so I need very specific instructions and then how do I keep firefox from updating to the current version?

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daniel CURTIS (anoda) said :
#11

Hi Dianne. In my post #5 you will find a download link for the Firefox 19. :-)

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Dianne Meyers (demanett1954) said :
#12

If anyone could tell me how I can minimize open websites to the bottom of the screen like I did before with the older version of firefox and have the restore session, I would not need to go back to the older version of firefox. This is what I want, but don't have. I would be great with that. Can you help me with this? Thank you

Revision history for this message
Dianne Meyers (demanett1954) said :
#13

If anyone could tell me how I can minimize open websites to the bottom of the screen like I did before with the older version of firefox and have the restore session, I would not need to go back to the older version of firefox. This is what I want, but don't have. I would be great with that. Can you help me with this? Thank you

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daniel CURTIS (anoda) said :
#14

Hi. Extract Firefox exactly to the '/opt' directory with tar utility. '/opt' directory is under main '/' catalog.

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daniel CURTIS (anoda) said :
#15

Hi Dianne. One more time. Yes, You have to run all of these commands in terminal/console. So;

## change directory to '/opt'
#####################
$ cd /opt

## extract Firefox package
###################
$ sudo tar xjf firefox-*.tar.bz2

## change directory
###############
$ sudo cd /opt/firefox/chrome/icons/default

## change name of default32.png
## to the firefox.png
########################
$ sudo mv default32.png firefox.png

## copy firefox.png file
#################
cp firefox.png /usr/share/pixmaps/firefox.png

## create a firefox.desktop file
######################
$ sudo touch /usr/share/applications/firefox.desktop

To the firefox.desktop file add

[Desktop Entry]
Encoding=UTF-8
Name= Mozilla Firefox
Exec=/opt/firefox/firefox %u
Terminal=false
X-MultipleArgs=false
Type=Application
Icon=firefox.png
Categories=Network;WebBrowser;
MimeType=text/html;text/xml;application/xhtml+xml;application/xml;application/vnd.mozilla.xul+xml;application/rss+xml;application/rdf+xml;image/gif;image/jpeg;image/png;
StartupWMClass=Firefox-bin
StartupNotify=true

And... that's all. I hope, I haven't forgot anything that I did not confuse anything. Upgrade to the new release? Download new Firefox, delete old directory with old version and a new version of Firefox unpack into '/opt' directory. Nothing else to do.

Best regards.

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daniel CURTIS (anoda) said :
#16

Sorry. I've done a mistake in one place: "copy firefox.png file" - I forgot to put '$ sudo cp..." in fornt of that command. How do you keep Firefox from updating to the current version? Simple, do not download a new release etc. But remember about security. Only Firefox ESR will have a longer support with security updates. At this time it is: 17.0.6 so e.g. 19 or 20 (which you want to use) are not supported with updates. Of course 21 is. Please remember about it.

Best regards.

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Dianne Meyers (demanett1954) said :
#17

It appears now, that this version of firefox has the restore session so I will just keep it. Thank you for all your help. I will refer to this if I decide in the future to install the older version. Thank you