[Solved]IceWeasel/ Firefox Quantum issues

[3hre]

Simplest: IceWeasel is not usable. I have installed it through the software manager without issue, or so it says, but when I go to open it to use it says that IceWeasel is not found

What brought me to try IceWeasel was the repeat unsuccessful installation of the latest Firefox Quantum version. Some pages I have read indicate that the latest version of Firefox Quantum will never be seen on Debian though I am unclear as to why. Is there something wrong with it I am unaware of? And if so is there an alternate source for an IceWeasel install?

[stevepusser]

There are ways to install Firefox Quantum on Stable, which I assume you have in lieu of any information. But since you don't provide any other information on how your tries failed, nobody can help you.

Iceweasel is only a dummy package now that pulls in firefox-esr, anyway...there's no more actual iceweasel.

MX Linux bundles the Mozilla Firefox binaries into a single deb package that makes it very easy to install on Stretch: http://mxrepo.com/mx/repo/pool/main/f/firefox/ MX 17 is the Stretch version, though the MX 15 version is exactly the same inside. Do you know how to install a downloaded .deb package?

[Head_on_a_Stick]

when I go to open it

^ What exactly does this mean?

If you are using

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iceweasel

then try this instead:

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firefox-esr

And if you still want Iceweasel then

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# apt install xul-ext-iceweasel-branding

[Bulkley]

stevepusser is correct, there are other ways. I'm typing this using Firefox Quantum 62.0 (64-bit)which came as an appimage tarball. I un-tarred it and run it in user space. It runs beautifully and has the added security advantage in that it is not exposed to root and cannot be so exploited and can't mess up my Debian system.

[3hre]

when I go to open it

^ What exactly does this mean?

When I click the text within the software manager after installing IceWeasel which now indicates it is installed erroneously as I have since learned.

If you are using

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iceweasel

then try this instead:

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firefox-esr

I have done that, even had it pop up in an update window that supposedly installed it through the stretch updater yet still FireFox shows me on 61.0.1 instead of 62 and for some

[3hre]

Do you know how to install a downloaded .deb package?

No, I do not

[stevepusser]

There is no Firefox 61.0.1 available in the standard Debian Stretch Repositories that would appear in the apt system. There was one in Sid yesterday...so what does

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apt policy firefox
apt policy

Say about your system?

Steve (anticipates a flaming wreck, dons goggles and face mask)

[debiman]

Do you know how to install a downloaded .deb package?

No, I do not

https://www.startpage.com/do/dsearch?qu ... eb+package
now you do.

[None1975]

Some pages I have read indicate that the latest version of Firefox Quantum will never be seen on Debian though I am unclear as to why. Is there something wrong with it I am unaware of? And if so is there an alternate source for an IceWeasel install?

The latest Firefox-esr (version 60.2.0esr Firefox Quantum) is already in Debian Stretch repo.
.

[stevepusser]

Some pages I have read indicate that the latest version of Firefox Quantum will never be seen on Debian though I am unclear as to why. Is there something wrong with it I am unaware of? And if so is there an alternate source for an IceWeasel install?

The latest Firefox-esr (version 60.2.0esr Firefox Quantum) is already in Debian Stretch repo.
.

Yet, I can't see its cargo and rustc build-depends in Stretch yet---hopefully this will soon be remedied. I manually downloaded and installed the deb9u debs from the repo pool which are still invisible, added a line at the top of debian/rules

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export SHELL=/bin/sh

and it now looks like I'm able to rebuild 60.0 from source, and probably backport the 62.0 now in Sid. If they get the build-deps visible, I could try that backport in an OBS repo.

[stevepusser]

For what it's worth, I was also able to backport the 62.0 version from Sid successfully on my amd64 production system, though the system I built it on has a backported libglib2.0 and fontconfigs to support GIMP 2.10, so it might not be really compatible. I could rebuild the packages on a clean Stretch system, though, if anyone wants them.

[None1975]

I could rebuild the packages on a clean Stretch system, though, if anyone wants them.

It is good news. Keep a good work!

[MarkDees]

stevepusser is correct, there are other ways. I'm typing this using Firefox Quantum 62.0 (64-bit)which came as an appimage tarball. I un-tarred it and run it in user space. It runs beautifully and has the added security advantage in that it is not exposed to root and cannot be so exploited and can't mess up my Debian system.

Bulkley, that's interesting. Can you explain more? I don't see how running the un-tarred file is more secure than running Firefox installed from the repos. Sure, we need to be root to install/update from repos. But after the install is done, Firefox is just run as my user isn't it?

Thanks!
Mark

[stevepusser]

stevepusser is correct, there are other ways. I'm typing this using Firefox Quantum 62.0 (64-bit)which came as an appimage tarball. I un-tarred it and run it in user space. It runs beautifully and has the added security advantage in that it is not exposed to root and cannot be so exploited and can't mess up my Debian system.

Bulkley, that's interesting. Can you explain more? I don't see how running the un-tarred file is more secure than running Firefox installed from the repos. Sure, we need to be root to install/update from repos. But after the install is done, Firefox is just run as my user isn't it?

Thanks!
Mark

It's one way to easily install and use Firefox 62.0 or future versions in your system instead of a 60.X-esr version, if you need/want the latest releases.

[3hre]

I'm still dealing with issues here. In addition to the screencap below I am constantly getting these nag notices from Firefox in my browser to update, random errors, tons of lag, and for some reason, despite that I am using Debian, still saying that my Firefox is for Ubuntu. I'm about ready to get a carrier pigeon ... and I can't upload the corresponding terminal image because it says the board attachment quota has been reached but to summarize as best I can after debian stretch updates it says something about Ubuntu cosmic in release for Firefox next being installed (wtheck is that?)