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Thread: HOWTO: Install IceWeasel Web browser in Dapper or Edgy

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    HOWTO: Install IceWeasel Web browser in Dapper or Edgy

    STOP! Before following the instructions in this howto, check to see if any important links or instructions have been updated on the InstallIceweasel wiki page.

    https://wiki.ubuntu.com/InstallIceweasel

    Additionally, if you have tweaks or suggestions for installing Iceweasel, the wiki page is a preferable place to put them. Thanks, all! -- 06/11/01

    Background

    This is a terribly simple howto for installing IceWeasel. With the recent unpleasantness between the Mozilla organizers and Debian (and ultimately, Ubuntu), some people have threatened to drop Firefox altogether from their machines.

    I won't get into the underlying issues or debate; if you've found your way to this page, you probably already know why you want it. However, there is a nice encapsulation of the issue at Firefox not really free? If you want to read more about the legal issues attached to using Firefox, the original Debian "bug report" is here.

    If you want more information than that, the subject has been discussed ad nauseum in the forums; search for "firefox" and chances are the top ten threads will all be about it.

    IceWeasel is a direct outgrowth of that spat, and you can find out all you want to know about the browser at the IceWeasel home page. (A quick note: Gnuzilla is the Mozilla suite, while IceWeasel is just the browser. I won't get into the suite for this howto; I'll leave that to someone else.

    This howto has been tried on Dapper and Edgy machines running straight Ubuntu, Xubuntu and Openbox, and the results are the same. Furthermore, I think you'll find that IceWeasel looks and behaves just like Firefox or Swiftfox, and that most -- if not all -- of your extensions work as well. Having said that, there is always the chance that it won't play nice with your hardware ... but really, having come this far, isn't worth trying? )

    Installation

    UPDATED 06/10/05: Kilz was kind enough to put up a .deb of IceWeasel, if you'd prefer to go that route. It's located here. Kilz also has a Iceweasel howto for 64-bit users here. Be sure to read those pages for any special installation instructions.

    Installing is as simple as downloading the compressed package, decompressing it and pointing your operating system at it. For a list of GNU FTP mirrors, look here: http://www.gnu.org/prep/ftp.html. Browse one of the mirrors and look for a gnuzilla folder, then a file called "iceweasel-1.5.0.4-g1-i386.tar.bz2". Remember that the version number could change; what you want is the i386 designation. I don't think there are versions for other architectures; that could change in the future.

    NOTE: As predicted, the version has jumped to 1.5.0.7. Kilz has updated his 1.5.0.7 package, and there's a new Iceweasel download page as well. ...

    However you get it, download it to your computer. Now, for terminal junkies, open a terminal and move to the folder where you put the file. Then ...

    Code:
    tar -xvf iceweasel* -C the_directory_where_you_want_iceweasel_installed
    If you decide to put it outside your own home directory, remember to use sudo before that command. Tar will decompress the package into a folder. Now might be a good time to rename that folder too, if you want it to be easier to type in the future.

    For GUI junkies, open the file with XArchiver, and tell it to extract the package.

    Making it the default

    Inside that folder is the iceweasel shell script -- it's called (of all things) "iceweasel." (Not iceweasel-bin. You don't want that one.) The trick now is setting your desktop to open that shell script by default.

    Personally, I'm an Openbox man, so for me it's as easy as opening ObMenu and changing the trigger line to point at the iceweasel shell script.

    For Xubuntu or XFCE fans, open Applications > System > Preferred Applications, and select Other. Browse to the iceweasel shell script.

    For Gnome, click System > Preferences > Preferred Applications. Change the Web browser option to point at the iceweasel shell script. (Sorry if I'm slightly off the mark on Gnome; I haven't used it in a while. )

    For KDE ... well, I'm not very familiar with KDE, and chances are if you're using KDE, you're a Konqueror fan. If someone can chime in on that, I'd appreciate the help.

    One last note: Remember that the "globe icon" on your desktop might or might not trigger your desktop's default browser. In that case, you'll have to change the properties of the icon and redirect it to the iceweasel shell script.

    Added 06/10/10: If you want an icon that you think better reflects the name "Iceweasel," there's a wiki page chock full of ideas that you can try. Grab your favorite and click to your heart's delight!

    I think that's about it. You can now surf with a clear conscience. If you like it and decide to stick with it, a quick note of thanks to the folks who made it would be a nice thing to do.

    ADDED: 06/10/05

    If you're having trouble with browser identification -- in other words, sites block your access because you're "not using Firefox" -- try this:

    1. Open "about:config" in IceWeasel's address bar.
    2. In the "Filter" box, type general.useragent.extra.firefox.
    3. Where you see the word "Iceweasel", right-click and pick "Modify"
    4. Then replace the word "Iceweasel" with "Firefox".
    5. Close the page (or the tab).

    "Masquerading" your browser like that simply prevents the host site from telling you you're not using Firefox. Aside from that, it should have no effect whatsoever on your collective Internet experience. Of course, if it doesn't work, let us know.

    ADDED: 06/10/10 A corrected link to the Gnuzilla download page and the link to the wiki.
    Last edited by K.Mandla; November 1st, 2006 at 05:52 PM. Reason: Added mention of the InstallIceweasel page in the wiki.
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