[SOLVED] Installing Firefox

[triplemaya]

Hi. I am attempting to move from 6.03 32 bit to 64 bit. More problems than I expected, by a long way.

I have downloaded firefox, but when I go to run it I get this message:

./firefox-bin: error while loading shared libraries: libstdc++.so.6: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

If I do:

apt-get install libstdc++

I get

... libstdc++6 is already the newest version.

Also, when I try to run thunderbird, I get:

./thunderbird-bin: error while loading shared libraries: libdbus-glib-1.so.2: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

[vbrummond]

Try running apt-get install ia32-libs-gtk. Does that let you run firefox?

If not just get iceweasel (yes its firefox) from here: http://mozilla.debian.net/

[triplemaya]

Yea! Many thanks. That works.

But, I have to say, iceweasel is not firefox. It is so tiresome the way people go on and on about this. It's different. In firefox the address slot works as a search. In Firefox ctlr shift n gets you the last window you closed. It is not the same. It is firefox UNDER THE HOOD, but it is different. Too different. Like, I believe, many many others, I don't want to spend the next hour / hours learning how to configure some program, and very possibly finding out that the one functionality I depend on utterly can't actually be implemented after all. I just want to use what I am used to. That is why I go for FOSS cross platform software in the first place!

[vbrummond]

No, its firefox. My address bar works as a search box. All of the extensions are compatible.

That being said, I see no reason to not use the regular Firefox. (other than it is built with -O3.. why?)

[stevepusser]

And you are downloading the 32-bit versions from Mozilla for your 64-bit system. If they don't provide links to a 64-bit build on their download page, or provide directions on how to get the 32-bit versions to work on a 64-bit system, perhaps it's better to go with Iceweasel. Debian does not assume everyone is running 32-bit systems.

[dasein]

Both of the behaviors you describe work exactly the way you described them... in Iceweasel.

It is so tiresome the way people go on and on about this. It's different. In firefox the address slot works as a search. In Firefox ctlr shift n gets you the last window you closed.

What is genuinely and truly tiresome is ignorant trolls who whine that they want Firefox because "Iceweasel is different," or "XYZSite 'doesn't work' in Iceweasel." (Or the rocket scientist who can't figure out how to install flash in Iceweasel, or the numbnut who installs Firefox and then 'forgets' he did it, etc., ad nuaseam.)

I think I just joined the "Friends don't let friends install Firefox on Debian" club.

[triplemaya]

Hi dasein. My last post was made when tired and emotional. Certainly not intended to be trolling. Not denying ignorance though!

I would much prefer to use iceweasel if only it did do exactly what Firefox does. It's there. It's integrated with the system. Job done. If only. You stated that 'Both of the behaviors you describe work exactly the way you described them... in Iceweasel.', which is not quite true. I was totally wrong, in that the search box feature does work, and today ctrl shift n brings up the last window closed, which yesterday, for me, on my system, it did not!? BUT when I ctrl n a new window in firefox, the url box has the focus. All I have to do is type and hit enter. I get horrible rsi from using the mouse, which not only gives pain and prevents me from doing mouse operations and other things in my life, but I'm slow with it. Keybord uber alles in my world. So it does not work EXACTLY the same. Which is my real problem. (plus, oddly I think, it takes a serious numbers of tab tab tab tab tab tab tab s to get the focus to that box.)

{and doesn't dasein mean being, as opposed to judgement?}

PS love your sig

[triplemaya]

Hi Stevepusser. They don't provide links to the 64 bit version on the download page. Having done a bit of googling it seemed as if there was no such thing. And certainly no instructions I could find about running 32 bit firefox on 64 bit os. Digging around some more I found a 64 bit version, I think it might be alpha. Seems to work ok. Yes, better to go with icesweasel by far, unless one has a problem with it, as I do, as specified in my last post.

[craigevil]

Yea! Many thanks. That works.

But, I have to say, iceweasel is not firefox. It is so tiresome the way people go on and on about this. It's different. In firefox the address slot works as a search. In Firefox ctlr shift n gets you the last window you closed. It is not the same. It is firefox UNDER THE HOOD, but it is different. Too different. Like, I believe, many many others, I don't want to spend the next hour / hours learning how to configure some program, and very possibly finding out that the one functionality I depend on utterly can't actually be implemented after all. I just want to use what I am used to. That is why I go for FOSS cross platform software in the first place!

Funny address bar works as search in Iceweasel as well I changed it from using Google to duckduckgo, ctrl+shift+n works the same as well.

Everything including plugins, extensions, themes all work exactly the same with Iceweasel as they do with Firefox.

Iceweasel - Debian Wiki : http://wiki.debian.org/Iceweasel

Mozilla Corporation software rebranded by the Debian project - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozilla_Co ... an_project

Debian Mozilla team APT archive : http://mozilla.debian.net/

People behind Debian: Mike Hommey, Firefox/Iceweasel maintainer : http://raphaelhertzog.com/2011/02/03/pe ... aintainer/

glandium.org » Blog Archive » Facts about Debian and Mozilla® Firefox® : http://glandium.org/blog/?p=97

Debian and Mozilla - a study in trademarks [LWN.net] : http://lwn.net/Articles/118268/

Debian Social Contract : http://www.debian.org/social_contract

Tech Patterns :: Switching from Debian Iceweasel to Firefox, permanently : http://techpatterns.com/forums/about1435.html

[craigevil]

Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux i686; rv:10.0a2) Gecko/20111209 Firefox/10.0a2 Iceweasel/10.0a2 - Build ID: 20111209042029

[triplemaya]

OK

On my system, Debian 6.03, when I get a new IceWeasel window with ctrl n, the focus is not in the url bar. It takes 5 tabs to get it there.
On my system, Debian 6.03, when I get a new Firefoox window with ctrl n, the focus is in the url bar.
I type.
I hit enter.
I get search results.
It is not the same.

Even if that is the only difference, it is of significance to me. From my point of view, they are not the same. They are, of course, essentially the same software. But they are not the same to use. IceWeasel is wonderful. I like it very much. I use it as my default browser. But when I am doing a great deal of intense research, it is very helpful to have the exact Firefox behaviour. It helps to save me from debilitating rsi.

There is nothing wrong with this position!

And there is nothing wrong with my expressing this position!

[dasein]

...there is nothing wrong with my expressing this position!

There is, however, something wrong with spreading misinformation on this forum. In this single thread, you have posted at least three different pieces of misinformation (or as many as five, depending on how one counts). Three different people have now taken time to try to reproduce your issues without success. Now ask yourself which is more likely: that there is something specific to and unusual about your config that's the source of your issues? Or that three different and independent configurations all "work as designed" by magic or coincidence? (Or, as you seem to suggest, that the software spontaneously modifies its behavior based on FDN postings?)

Whatever. I'm done.

[triplemaya]

There was no misinformation in the practical help I was requesting:

when I go to run it I get this message: ./firefox-bin: error while loading shared libraries: libstdc++.so.6: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory
...
Try running apt-get install ia32-libs-gtk. Does that let you run firefox?
...
Yea! Many thanks. That works.

~~~~~~~~~~

No misinformation so far. From here on my statements are about my experience of Iceweasel being *exactly* the same as Firefox. IN MY EXPERIENCE they are not the same. No misinformation from here on: you are in no position to assess the veracity of my statements about my experience.

I strongly refute your accusation of spreading misinformation on this forum. If I am in fact in error I apologise. Potentially abjectly depending on the true nature of any misinformation I have unwittingly imparted! But at present I do not see it.

[stevepusser]

Mozilla does provide amd64 (64-bit) builds for Firefox, however they somehow seem to make them very hard to find. Let me see if I can dig up the URL.

OK--here's the address of the latest builds: http://releases.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla ... es/latest/

amd 64-64-bit builds: http://releases.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla ... ux-x86_64/

for many languages, pick your locale.

[triplemaya]

Many thanks steve

[MarcusW]

Are you sure the differences you describe aren't just because the version of Iceweasel in Squeeze is 3.5, while the latest version of Firefox (i.e. the one you downloaded manually) is 8.0? You can get the latest iceweasel from here:

http://mozilla.debian.net/