070816 - Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.6

[easuter]

The latest release of Firefox is available for testing in the patches repository. See the security bug-fix list for this version here.
This package includes some tweaks, such as restoring the backspace button's default action to move back one page, and to add a vendor comment that will allow sites to identify VL as the operating system being used (Distrowatch uses this for its tracking).

Source: http://vectorlinux.osuosl.org/veclinux-5.8/source/patches/net/firefox/
Package: http://vectorlinux.osuosl.org/veclinux-5.8/patches/net/firefox-2.0.0.6-i586-6vl58.tlz

Code:

firefox: Mozilla® Firefox® Web Browser
firefox:
firefox: Firefox 2 is the next generation release of the award-winning
firefox: Firefox web browser from Mozilla.
firefox:
firefox: Website: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/
firefox: License: Mozilla Public License, version 1.1
firefox:
firefox: Mozilla® and Firefox® are registered trademarks of the Mozilla
firefox: foundation.

Post comments here.

[roseway]

I think you should increment the release number. A package with that name is already in the patches repo.

[easuter]

Thanks roseway for pointing this out.
Revision number is now 2vl58.

BTW, to make Firefox use the VL vendor comment, you will probably have to get rid of old configs in ~/.mozilla/firefox

[exeterdad]

Easy way to do this.  Make sure all browser windows are closed:
(do this as normal user, in a console)

Code:

cat >> ~/.mozilla/firefox/*.default/prefs.js << EOF
//Customizations for VectorLinux
user_pref("browser.backspace_action", 0);
user_pref("general.useragent.extra.vendorComment", "(VectorLinux package 2.0.0.6-1vl58)");
EOF

Then open Firefox. Click Help > About Mozilla Firefox

You should see (VectorLinux package 2.0.0.6-1vl58) at the bottom of the window if it worked.  This preserves any configurations you may already have.  And most importantly...  Your bookmarks!

Hint: You can do the same thing with earlier versions of Firefox if you want to take advantage of the new backspace button feature.

[easuter]

Thanks exeterdad for adding that extra tip 

However, I think I probably placed those options in the wrong file....creating a specific file in /usr/lib/firefox-2.0.0.6/default/pref only for VL customization is what should have been done, that way there would be no need to add the code into the user's ~/.mozilla 
So I'm working on another revision...

[exeterdad]

Yep, your right.  That would work better, and would affect all users and their personal settings.

creating a prefs file:

/usr/lib/firefox-2.0.0.6/defaults/pref/all.js

containing this:

Code:

//Customizations for VectorLinux
pref("browser.backspace_action", 0);
pref("general.useragent.extra.vendorComment", "(VectorLinux package 2.0.0.6-1vl58)");

seems to work perfectly.

[easuter]

Exactly! 
I'll have a revision up this evening.

[easuter]

Ok, revision 3vl58 is up, and the vendor comment is applied to all users.

[exeterdad]

I just installed after blowing out my .mozilla dir.  Runs great!  Your prefs work good although the backspace doesn't work everytime.  Might be my machine?  Also, not a biggie, firefox icon doesn't show up on the panel/taskbar (5.8 Standard, Xfce).  A black gear thingie shows up instead.  I restarted X just in case, but same deal.

Another hint with the new pref.  Backspace goes back one page in your history.  Shift+backspace goes forward again.

Thanks for all your efforts easuter, Mozilla stuff is a tough build at times.

[exeterdad]

firefox icon doesn't show up on the panel/taskbar

/usr/lib/firefox-2.0.0.6/chrome/icons/default/default.xpm is missing.

Specifically  icons dir, default dir, and the default.xpm.
I created those dirs, and added a default.xpm (standard Firefox icon) and now the icon shows up on the taskbar.

 

Edit: Just wanted to add that default.xpm is included in the package, but it's in /usr/lib/firefox-2.0.0.6/icons instead of /usr/lib/firefox-2.0.0.6/chrome/icons/default/

[easuter]

Well, I think that I'll have all those issues covered with revision 4vl58
This seems to make the backspace button action permanent:

Code:

sed -i '/backspace_action/s/1/0/g' /usr/lib/firefox-2.0.0.6/defaults/pref/firefox.js

It will be included in the upcoming build.

[easuter]

Ok, 4vl58 is up.

[exeterdad]

Works perfectly!  I meant to add earlier but got sidetracked, your Firefox loads much faster than the repacked "Official" build.  At least on my machine.

[easuter]

Well, its moved to the patches repo, now that it seems to be working as it should.

[uelsk8s]

easuter,
can you check and see why this package is so much bigger than the repackaged one i made?
mine is 7.1mb and this one is 10.4.
I was going to put this in the next iso that i make but it wont fit

Thanks,
Uelsk8s