Upgrade to Firefox 3.5 on Ubuntu 9.04 – Jaunty Jackalope
Firefox 3.5 was released yesterday. This is an exciting new release complete with features such as support for HTML 5, video and audio that works in the browser without the need for plugins, a much faster Javascript engine, a native JSON parser, private browsing mode, support for SVG transformations, and other great enhancements.
I’m sure that you’re just as excited to get started with Firefox 3.5 as I was yesterday when I heard the news. But wait! We’re on Ubuntu, we can’t just install whatever we want, we need to wait for a package. Right? Wrong.
Here’s a really quick way to get 3.5.5 running on your Ubuntu 9.04 system.
Open up Terminal (Applications > Accessories > Terminal) and run the following commands:
cd /tmpwget "http://download.mozilla.org/?product=firefox-3.5.5&os=linux&lang=en-US"
Note: Your download link may be different depending on your country and language. I got the link by clicking the download link, canceling the automatic download, right-clicking the “Your download should automatically begin in a few seconds, but if not, click here” link, and selecting Copy Link Location.tar xvjf firefox-*.bz2sudo cp -r firefox /usr/lib/firefox-3.5.5sudo mv /usr/bin/firefox /usr/bin/firefox.oldsudo ln -s /usr/lib/firefox-3.5.5/firefox /usr/bin/firefox-3.5.5sudo ln -s /usr/bin/firefox-3.5.5 /usr/bin/firefox
Close Firefox and then reopen. You should now be running Firefox 3.5.5.
If for whatever reason you’d like to switch back to your previous version of Firefox, simply run the following commands from Terminal:
sudo mv /usr/bin/firefox /usr/bin/firefox.baksudo mv /usr/bin/firefox.old /usr/bin/firefox
Notice how I even create a backup of the original firefox before replacing it. It is always a good idea to do this if you replace programs yourself. This way you won’t be likely to remove a binary or script that you won’t be able to get back easily.
Now that you are on Firefox 3.5.5, check out some awesome sites that show off some of the new capabilities.
- 3-D cubes built with standard HTML content, including the new native video component.
- Audio player built entirely with HTML, CSS, and Javascript. It doesn’t even use what we commonly think of as images, simply the new Canvas element.
- Video Washing Machine – Add a video to your site, crop it to fit in a circle, put a border around it, have rollover effects that change the filter on the video, and spin the whole thing as it plays. All of this with just the <video> element, CSS 3, SVG, and a bit of JavaScript.
- Add upload progress bars without the use of Flash or insane amounts of scripting.
- Create the illusion of a 3D voxel engine with an image and some creative SVG, scripting, and CSS.
- Apply textures to an animated model.
- Create a text shadow spotlight effect using Javascript and CSS.
- Web developers can now take advantage of custom typography using the new CSS rules.
- Sync page elements with the position in the video. Note that the graphs are canvas elements that are being drawn on.
- Use HTML elements to jump to different positions in audio.
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Did not work for me, still got the old 3.0.11 up.
I guess I will wait for the repositories… unfortunately.
I have tried a couple of suggestions and now this is the latest one.
Thanks for the effort anyway.
It seems like your Firefox path may be different. If you load up Terminal and run “which firefox”, what does the command respond with?
Tried, didn’t work for me either.
Which Firefox responds with:
/usr/bin/firefox
If you got any errors during any of the steps, then it won’t work. Try running the new 3.5 binary directly.
For version 3.5, run firefox-3.5 from the either the Run Application dialog or the command line. For version 3.5.2, run firefox-3.5.2.
If neither of those commands work, you most likely did not get everything set up properly in steps 1-6.
If one of those commands do work, then you just need to ensure that you do steps 5 and 7 properly.
I’ve been waiting to hear about your experiences loading Ubuntu 9.04 on a Dell Studio 17. Have you done it? If so, what was the result? Any Issues?
Regards,
Don
Sorry for not having anything up yet don. As you can tell, I haven’t been blogging much lately.
To give you a short run-down, most things work well on my Studio 1735 after installing Ubuntu 9.04. I do have some problems though. Notably, dual screens don’t want to work properly. For the time being, I just don’t dual screen.
On command no 7 I get this message:
ln: creating symbolic link `/usr/bin/firefox’: File exists
& when I open restart firefox its still 3.0x
Help will be appreciated I am newbie to linux
Thanks
Talha
You need to follow the instructions exactly. It seems as though you skipped step #6. In step #6, the /usr/bin/firefox file is moved to /usr/bin/firefox.old. If that command isn’t run (or fails), the /usr/bin/firefox file will still be there and the new link cannot be created.
I did follow all the steps but still got that message.
Anyway then I manually deleted the firefox link and followed the steps again to no luck.
But once I restarted my system everything worked fine.
Thanks for all your help guys.
That is definitely strange. I’m glad that you got it working.
Fantastic..you finally solved my problem. I don’t even have Jaunty Jackalope, I applied it on Intrepid and after one week I was able to get rid of my old firefox version!
Thanx a lot
That’s great news Dexter. Thanks for sharing your success.
Thanks, this was a really helpful post!
Glad to help John.
running linux mint elyssa(8.04.2 Hardy)
& i get
Error: in guard: symbol required but got: Error: fatal: looped fatal error
still running firefox.old…
any suggestions? tried disabling all add-ons…
Sorry for the delay Justan. After googling your error message, I found that people got rid of the problem by uninstalling the “uim” package.
Anyone else having audio problems with Flash videos after upgrading to Firefox 3.5? The browser will play other types of audio, just not Flash audio. I’m running Ubuntu 9.04.
I haven’t personally had that problem Matt. Apparently some others have though. Check out the Flash-based videos and sound do not play correctly Knowledge Base article.
If you can’t figure out your problem, I highly recommend that you create a thread in the Firefox Support Forum. I had a problem that was very quickly resolved in the forum.
Hi,
thanks a lot. Everything is OK but I lost java in Firefox 3.5. I use Kubuntu 9.04. What about this? Any help?
Dario
Hi Dario. I just realized that I don’t have Java running either (I rarely use it). I was able to fix this up by closing Firefox and running the following on the command line:
sudo apt-get install sun-java6-pluginPlease let me know if this works for you as well. BTW… You can confirm whether it is installed by going to about:plugins in your location bar. Once it is installed, you should see Java listed.
hmm.. followed you instructions here couple weeks ago and it worked perfect, however now how do i upgrade to 3.5.1? Thanks!
You can do the exact same process but use the 3.5.1 code rather than the 3.5 code. If I have time this week, I’ll update the post to use 3.5.1 rather than 3.5.
Hi, I followed your instructions and Firefox 3.5 came up just fine however it was completely unable to browse the web. All sites returned 404s, however I could use wget just fine and ping the sites. It seemed like it was getting no DNS as straight IP addys worked just fine. I restored to 3.0.11 and it was back to normal. Any thoughts?
I am running 9.04 x64
Unfortunately, that’s something outside my experience. I recommend that you explain your problem on the community support forums for Firefox. If someone knows the solution to your problem, I’m sure that they can be found there.
Thanks. Figured I would ask here if you happened to know any secrets
I know all secrets. Since I don’t know this, it apparently isn’t a secret.
I followed your instructions step by step, but I am still stuck with Firefox 3.0.12. and yes I’m using the jaunty 9.04 as well. I really really need to get rid of this version. I am having trouble streaming videos over the browser. when I turn to fullscreen the frames keep dropping. it was all good with my Hardy, but after the fresh jaunty installation. this seems to be the only problem I am facing. Every other application run in full screen (vlc, etc) works fine.
please Help!!
P.S i checked “which firefox” on terminal and it gives me “/usr/bin/firefox”
Make sure that you completely close out any instances of Firefox before trying to run it again or else it will load the old version instead of the new one.
If that isn’t the problem, you can manually run the new binary just to see if it works. For example, if you have the new binary at /usr/bin/firefox3.5, you can simply run /usr/bin/firefox3.5 from the Run Application dialog (Alt+F2). Try running it this way and see if it works. Let me know your results.
I installed it exactly as directed, I’ve got a browser that looks like 3.5, but the badge says that it’s “Shiretoko”, and not Firefox? What’s up with that?
Additionally, the browser “throber” (little graphic that animates when page is loading) is missing. And, oddly enough, the Help/About~ says “About Shiretoko”, and it reports version 3.5.1, yet I only entered the above (~3.5) in terminal.
Will undo and return to old, then repeat the above entering ~3.5.1, to see what happens. Please advise me about these issues anyway, as I don’t really know what I’m doing, and really would like to have 3.5.1. If this is a developer’s version, I’m fine with that. But please let me know what’s kosher and what’s not, regarding this “Shiretoko” badge.
Thanks in advance.
Shiretoko is just the code name for the firefox beta. I’m using the install from the PPA and when it updates, it either shows minefield-3.5 or shiretoko-3.5 depending on the wind.
It’s still firefox 3.5 though.
Dude, I understand why you deleted my posts. I figured it out; couldn’t have done it without your page…! I’m totally getting into Linux, but man, it makes me feel like a complete moron when it comes to code.
Moz Firefox 3.5.1 is way better than 3.0.12.
Thank you!
Not deleted, just not yet approved. Based on what you shared, it looks like you got the very early alpha test build of Firefox, code-named Shiretoko.
Care to share what you did to fix your problem in case anyone else encounters it?
Hello again,
Apologies; I did not realize that all comments had to be approved before they would appear/post.
I was ultimately unsuccessful installing 3.5.1; ran into “permission” issues that I could not resolve. Additionally, editing your original text from “3.5″ to “3.5.1″ hits a snag at Line 3. That terminal input is rejected (at least on my build), and replacing the asterisk with specific text does not resolve the issue. “wget” will find and download 3.5.1, but will not continue from line three; reasons unknown (total nooB here.)
3.5 SUCCESS:
After undoing the previous, mysterious Shiretoko install, and undoing the following 3.5.1 attempt, I ended up re-installing 3.0.11 from synaptic package manager, to re-stabilize everything and start fresh.
I re-ran the code you posted above in terminal, and this time it downloaded a properly badged Mozilla Firefox 3.5, and everything is working perfectly, with the exception of some ‘sticky’ page scrolling.
I’m completely up and running Firefox 3.5 on Ubuntu 9.04 with all desired modules functioning properly…!
Thank you a dozen times over!
Thankyou so much! This really helped me!
Glad to help Mike.
gaarai,
Ubu JJ 9.04 just did an update, and reverted my Firefox back to 3.0, and then modified it to 3.0.17. Evidently the update manager does not recognize the alternatively installed 3.5. I have been successfully running 3.5 and associated modules since my last post, July 28th. This update occurred moments ago.
I’m going to attempt to re-install 3.5 and will get back to you. My concern is that the update manager will simply undo this install too, upon the next update. Is there any way to prevent the update manager from undoing the 3.5, or to get it to recognize it and only apply updates for the later version? De-selecting the updates for Firefox in the update manager, leaves them in the cue, and the manager will continue to ‘remind’ me that those unwanted updates are available (this is from past experience.)
Your recommendation would be greatly appreciated, please. Thanks.
Unsuccessful:
At line 4 (above) terminal reports:
cp: cannot overwrite non-directory `/usr/lib/firefox-3.5/firefox’ with directory `firefox’
I then completely un-installed Firefox, re-installed, repeated instructions above, and the terminal statement on line 4 repeated. I also attempted to install Firefox 3.5 from synaptic package manager, and it would not appear in my directory, or Add/Remove program manager.
Any advice? If it is not possible because of Ubu’s 9.04 JJ kernel and Firefox branding, I think I’ll ditch Ubu 9 and go back a version. Firefox 3.5 is that much better than 3.0.
I’ll probably wait until I hear from you, but in the interim prepare an 8.04 iso anyway; thanks.
You don’t need to reinstall everything. The only thing the 3.0 update did was remove the symbolic link created in step 7. Simply run steps 5 and 7 again to first remove the new /usr/bin/firefox file that the update created and then recreate that symbolic link.
I’ve removed the firefox-3.0 and all related packages, and my 3.5 install works just fine. This prevents the package updates from replacing the /usr/bin/firefox symbolic link. I’m doing some testing before recommending that others do the same. As soon as I’m done testing, I’ll update with what I’ve found.
gaarai,
I apologize if this sounds argumentative; that’s not intended. But, when the update manager installed ‘updates’ for Firefox, the browser genuinely returned to 3.0.x. The behavior and the interface for Preferences changed, along with associated browser properties, and one of my extensions got knocked out for compatibility issues. If the link was ‘symbolic’, wouldn’t the browser’s behavior and interface have stayed the same?
Drop me an email, and I will convey the mess I made of things before getting back to 3.5.1. It would be a bit much to drop on your site. I’ve learned some lessons along the way, but I’m still a ‘know nothing’ Linux guy (been ‘using’ for a little over a year, but just as an operator.)
However, the update manager will eventually try to replace my 3.5.1 with 3.0.x files, and I’ll be back in the same spot.
I will continue to check back for your advice, but I am wondering if there’s a way to get the update manager to recognize the installed 3.5.1, and ignore 3.0.x?
Thanks for getting me this far; cool trip.
Email sent.
For those that are interested, there was a misunderstanding of what a symbolic link is. If you (the one reading this comment) are having problems understanding any of the steps, please ask me to contact you, and I’ll send you an email to help you out.
I’m writing a shell script for this. Do I have the permission to use this code, write the shell script and upload it to my site? I will most definitely credit you.
What I’ve done is nothing special, it’s just a basic way of installing the software. Feel free to use the information here any way you’d like.
Thanks for being willing to share credit.
[...] I stumble upon a post that teaches me on how to upgrade Ubuntu’s firefox installation to 3.5.2.So I made a script [...]
Hi! I finish making the shell script, it’s available at http://thekks.net/410
Cool. I’ll have to check it out.
[...] : http://gaarai.com/2009/07/01/upgrade-to-firefox-3-5-on-ubuntu-9-04-jaunty-jackalope/ Posted by hafizzahra Filed in Komputer, Linux, Ubuntu Leave a Comment [...]
Your “Upgrade to Firefox 3.5.2 on Ubuntu 9.04″ instructions worked perfectly…thank you for sharing your expertise. I’ll be a frequent visitor to your site regarding Linux.
Why can’t I just download a package and double click on it in freakin Linux! Sheeeh…
Actually, there is a firefox-3.5 package available for Ubuntu. Simply install it from Synaptic, and you’re good to go. However, you will have to launch it using the Shiretoko link as the Cononical guys did their own compile of 3.5 from source and released it as firefox-3.5. You get the unbranded release (which is why it is called by it’s development name of Shiretoko).
Frankly, if you familiarize yourself with the command line a little bit, these types of instructions aren’t difficult to grasp, understand, and implement on your own when needed. It may seem more difficult than a simple wizard installer, but then again, since you know what’s going on, you’ll also know how to fix things if/when they go wrong.
Hey Gaarai,
Couldn’t find the Shiretoko link no matter what searching criteria used.
There are several upgrades to 3.5.2 instead. Not sure which one to pick.
Waiting on your reply for back up to try your commands.
Thanks again
I’m not quite sure why you are looking for Shiretoko. If you want it, simply install the firefox-3.5 package from Synaptic. Shiretoko is the development code name of Firefox 3.5 and is also a debranded version of Firefox that the guys at Canonical (the creators/maintainers of Ubuntu) compiled and put on the Ubuntu repository.
[...] Kebetulan dari hasil pencarian ada satu yang rupanya cukup ampuh tutorialnya untuk proses upgrade ini, saya menemukannya di alamat http://hafizzahra.wordpress.com/2009/08/10/upgradereplcae-to-firefox-3-5-on-ubuntu-9-04-%E2%80%93-jaunty-jackalope/ yang kebetulan juga bersumber dari alamat http://gaarai.com/2009/07/01/upgrade-to-firefox-3-5-on-ubuntu-9-04-jaunty-jackalope. [...]
got it working with your instructions in 5 minutes… dude your uber awesome now i got the open a new tab button which is the plus sign… you rock
Thanks for all the compliments Ry. I’m glad that my instructions work for you.
The instructions I have here will work with any Firefox release. Simply change the version numbers as appropriate on the commands.
Hi,
You mentioned at the end of your instructions about backing up your current Firefox installation prior of doing the upgrade.
I am fairly new in Ubuntu, but doing fairly well trying some tricks…I am loving this OS!!!
Sorry if this is a rookie/primary question, but could you please provide more details about how to back up your current version (and to set it back, just in case).
Thanks a lot! Very nice post an follow ups.
Guga
When you run the steps as I’ve outlined in the post, the original Firefox install was never modified or removed. All that was changed was the /usr/bin/firefox symbolic link which now points to the new Firefox installation rather than the old one.
The backup I mention isn’t a backup of the Firefox installation; rather, I simply backed up the original /usr/bin/firefox symbolic link to /usr/bin/firefox.old so that it can be quickly shifted back (as detailed in the last two commands I listed) in case I have problems with the new Firefox installation. If you followed the instructions, you can run your old Firefox installation by running firefox.old.
Hi,
Thanks for the help in installing Firefox 3.5.2 on my Compaq Presario running Ubuntu 9.04. However, 3.5 is a memory hogger and it crashes my system frequently. Currently, I do not have the time to file a bug report or do some research to fix it. So, got back to the default Firefox in Ubuntu, again thanks to your instructions. If possible, it would be great if you could great if you could let me know how to fix the memory issue.
Appreciate the efforts.
Thanks,
Jagadeesh
I haven’t had the same problem. Out of curiosity, how much memory do you have, how much memory is Firefox using, and how much do you expect Firefox to use?
Currently, with about 30 tabs open my 3.5.2 installation is using about 268MB of memory.
Thanks for the response.
I have a 1 gb RAM with a 2 gb swap area. If I am not too wrong, FF 3.5 used to take roughly more than 200 mb with just 5 tabs open in two windows. (I do not like to keep open more than 5-7 tabs at a time). Moreover, other external applications running at the time were: Pidgin, Rhythmbox and Gimp.
I am still on FF 3.0.8. Should I try re-installing FF 3.5?
Regards,
Jagadeesh
I recently upgraded to Ubuntu 9.10 and Firefox 3.5.3. Flashplayer did not work no matter what I tried.
I have taken a different approach and it now works.
I backed up my bookmarks and then wrote down all the stored passwords. I noted my addons.
I then renamed the ~/.mozilla folder to ~/.mozilla_old. When I started Firefox anew, a new .mozilla file was created. Flashplayer works like a charm, at least until the next glitch.
I have noticed before that sometimes removing a user profile from Firefox helps to correct issues.
Hope this helps others.
Thanks for the tip Franz.
Good job! I’ve tried upgrade with Synaptic but still didn’t get best result. Not working properly..
Thanks..
You’re wlcome Gojeg. Happy, and secure, browsing.
[...] of my all-time most popular posts was how to upgrade to Firefox 3.5 in Ubuntu 9.04. Now it’s Firefox 3.6’s turn to be installed on my system that is now [...]
Thanks a lot about the tips,,,,I’m new comer in ubuntu…so tme tips to upgrade the firefox is help me lot….
Thanks for this! I downgraded to Ubuntu 9.04 64 bit and wanted to get the latest version of Firefox. After thinking through your instructions I thought it would probably be the same process to install 3.6.3, and the answer is: Yes! It totally works! Thanks a billion!