(these are more for me, but i thought i’ll share anyways)
A. Install Firefox 7 in 5 easy steps
1. Download
Download the release from the official channels page:
www.mozilla.com/firefox/channels/
(if the link does not work, use Mozilla’s FTP server)
A 64 bit build is also available in the x86_64 directory of Mozilla’s FTP.
This how-to supposes that the downloaded file is saved in the “Downloads” directory situated in your home directory.
2. Extract
The downloaded file is a compressed .tar.bz2 archive. In case you want to Learn more on these extensions: tar, bzip2.
To extract this juicy archive, open the Downloads directory. Look for a file named firefox-6.0.tar.bz2, right-click on it and select “extract here”.
Alternatively, you can extract the archive from the command line:
cd ~/Downloads/
tar xjf firefox-7.0.tar.bz2
For those interested, here are the tar arguments used in the command:
x : eXtract
j : deal with bzipped file
f : read from a file (rather than a tape device)
The .tar.bz2 archive can now be deleted.
3. Move to /opt
External programs like LibreOffice, Google Chrome, Adobe reader, … are all installed in the /opt directory. If you want more info about why, check out these two links:
Where to install my products on linux?
Filesystem Hierarchy Standard
If you already had a previous Firefox version installed in the /opt directory, remove it with the following command:
sudo rm -r /opt/firefox
Now move the firefox directory – which was created in your Downloads folder during extraction – to /opt:
sudo mv firefox /opt/firefox7
4. Set up symbolic links
Depending on you usage pattern, follow the instructions for case 1 OR for case 2.
Case 1: you want to use Firefox 7 as you default browser:
“Backup” the old Firefox launcher:
sudo mv /usr/bin/firefox /usr/bin/firefox-old
Create a symbolic link pointing to the new Firefox version:
sudo ln -s /opt/firefox7/firefox /usr/bin/firefox
No need to update your icons/shortcuts, they should now launch the new version of Firefox.
Your old Firefox version is still installed. If you want to use it, run firefox-old in a terminal or create shortcuts/icons referring to firefox-old.
Case 2: you want to keep using your “old” Firefox by default:
Create a symbolic link pointing to the new Firefox version:
sudo ln -s /opt/firefox7/firefox /usr/bin/firefox7
Launch the newly installed Firefox by running firefox7 in a terminal, or create shortcuts/icons referring to firefox7.
5. Updates & Final
Firefox 7 will manage its own updates independently of your system’s package manager, an download subsequent releases.
There will be no need to repeat the whole “procedure”… Enjoy Firefox 7!
RP Discovered 