Firefox 2 hopelessly unstable :(

When I tried to install FF2, I lost it all and can not get past this error

dpkg: error processing '/var/cache/apt/archives/firefox_2.0+1_mepis1.i386.deb' (--unpack):
trying to overwrite '/etc/firefox/pref/firefox.js' which is also in package mepis-auto-6.0
Errors were encountered while processing:
/var/cache/apt/archives/firefox_2.0+1_mepis1.i386.deb

And that's about it. No firefox, so mine's not unstable, it's just non-existent.

Can anybody help with this one? It's not super-urgent as I have a backup of my system, but I'd rather have a go at fixing it.

Mike P

--------------------
Life may not be the party we thought, but while we're here, we may as well dance.
Break M$'s shackles from your feet and free yourself with Mepis

I think Warren's statement that there is no 2.0 ubuntu backport is wrong.(it's in the edgy repo) I installed Firefox 2.0+0dfsg-0ubuntu3. It runs fine here in Mepis 6.0 - since about 2 weeks. So does SwiftFox 2.0.

Regards, Ko

Ko Bros

I've had no stability problems with Firefox 2 at all, and I've been running it since the last release candidate under Mepis 6.0. However, I always install it manually from the tar.gz file available from: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/all.html

I like to specify exactly where Firefox and Thunderbird go; and I specify a particular profile location too on the Firefox command line. Makes it much easier to work with several different versions, and keep track of each's profile.

Hi Ko,

My package is for people who are sticking with the dapper pool. Backporting the normal set of firefox packages from edgy to dapper is a big task due to many apps in dapper depending on the older versions of libnspr4 and libnss3. The ubuntu team have said they do not have time to this unless forced to for security reasons.

Best,

Warren

Hi Mike,

I'm not sure why it went wrong for you.

You can't uninstall mepis-auto without causing a chain of undesired events. However, you can uninstall firefox without any repercussions. So try the following and let me know if you run into a problem at any step:

1. apt-get remove firefox

2. apt-get install --reinstall mepis-auto

You may have to do this twice to get the process to complete correctly.

3. apt-get install firefox

I'm not sure why it went wrong for you.

You can't uninstall mepis-auto without causing a chain of undesired events. However, you can uninstall firefox without any repercussions. So try the following and let me know if you run into a problem at any step:

1. apt-get remove firefox

2. apt-get install --reinstall mepis-auto

You may have to do this twice to get the process to complete correctly.

3. apt-get install firefox

2. apt-get install --reinstall mepis-auto

Trying this I get this error:
root@1[~]# apt-get install --reinstall mepis-auto
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
E: Couldn't find package mepis-auto

I did this :

apt-get install --reinstall mepis-auto-6.0
Got the following error(s):

Preparing to replace mepis-auto-6.0 6.0-3l (using .../mepis-auto-6.0_6.0-3l_i386.deb) ...
Leaving `diversion of /etc/xdg/menus/kde-applications.menu to /etc/xdg/menus/kde-applications.menu.distrib by mepis-auto-6.0'
Leaving `diversion of /etc/cups/cupsd.conf to /etc/cups/cupsd.conf.distrib by mepis-auto-6.0'
Leaving `diversion of /usr/share/apps/kdeprint/specials.desktop to /usr/share/apps/kdeprint/specials.desktop.distrib by mepis-auto-6.0'
Leaving `diversion of /usr/share/apps/kdeprint/testprint.ps to /usr/share/apps/kdeprint/testprint.ps.distrib by mepis-auto-6.0'
Leaving `diversion of /usr/share/foomatic/db/source/driver/gimp-print.xml to /usr/share/foomatic/db/source/driver/gimp-print.xml.distrib by mepis-auto-6.0'
Leaving `diversion of /usr/share/doc/mozilla-browser/localstart.html to /usr/share/doc/mozilla-browser/localstart.html.distrib by mepis-auto-6.0'
Unpacking replacement mepis-auto-6.0 ...
Setting up mepis-auto-6.0 (6.0-3l) ...
No diversion `diversion of /etc/firefox/pref/firefox.js by mepis-auto-6.0', none removed
No diversion `diversion of /etc/firefox/profile/bookmarks.html by mepis-auto-6.0', none removed
No diversion `diversion of /etc/firefox/profile/mimeTypes.rdf by mepis-auto-6.0', none removed

After this tried to install firefox:

apt-get install firefox
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Suggested packages:
firefox-gnome-support libthai0
The following NEW packages will be installed:
firefox
0 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 5 not upgraded.
Need to get 9747kB of archives.
After unpacking 26.1MB of additional disk space will be used.
WARNING: The following packages cannot be authenticated!
firefox
Authentication warning overridden.
Get:1 http://apt.mepis.org mepis/main firefox 2.0+1mepis1 [9747kB]
Fetched 9747kB in 8m7s (20.0kB/s)
Selecting previously deselected package firefox.
(Reading database ... 135460 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking firefox (from .../firefox_2.0+1mepis1_i386.deb) ...
Replaced by files in installed package libnss3 ...
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/firefox_2.0+1mepis1_i386.deb (--unpack):
trying to overwrite `/etc/firefox/pref/firefox.js', which is also in package mepis-auto-6.0
Errors were encountered while processing:
/var/cache/apt/archives/firefox_2.0+1mepis1_i386.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

No luck.

Help!
Sudeep

http://deeplinux.blogspot.com

dpkg -i --force-overwrite /var/cache/apt/archives/firefox_2.0+1mepis1_i386.deb suggested in another thread seems to have worked. I have got Firefox installed, but the question is why should it not work from Synaptic. BTW, this small glitch in no way changes my opinion that Mepis is the best. I tried out Kubuntu 6.10 last night and most of this morning. Am back to using Mepis as I do not like the fonts, the lack of installede applications in Kubuntu. Although I must say it seemed to be perceptibly faster in loading apps, etc.

Mepis is the best!

Sudeep

http://deeplinux.blogspot.com

My package is for people who are sticking with the dapper pool. Backporting the normal set of firefox packages from edgy to dapper is a big task due to many apps in dapper depending on the older versions of libnspr4 and libnss3. The ubuntu team have said they do not have time to this unless forced to for security reasons.

Best,

Warren

Hi Warren,

I realized that trying something from the Ubuntu edgy repos would defeat the sound rule of sticking with the dapper repos. However, I just tried FF2 from edgy and it worked with no problems at all in Mepis 6.0.

To get 'back in line' I yesterday installed the newer mepis-auto and after that your new FF2 version.... Worked out fine. No problems.

Regards, Ko

Ko Bros

Just like smdeep, I had to use the
dpkg -i --force-overwrite /var/cache/apt/archives/firefox_2.0+1mepis1_i386.deb

as per AdrianTM instructions on
http://www.mepis.org/node/11746#comment-43600

I noticed one thing in common, and wonder if there is a connection, gnome packages. While I don't use gnome, I have a few packages like gparted that have gnome dependencies, and I saw some trace of gnome in Apostates post
http://www.mepis.org/node/11746#comment-43589

So, for those that have had this issue, did you install any gnome packages at any time prior to the FF and mepis-auto upgrade?

Mike P

--------------------
Life may not be the party we thought, but while we're here, we may as well dance.
Break M$'s shackles from your feet and free yourself with Mepis

>>So, for those that have had this issue, did you install any gnome packages at any time prior to the FF and mepis auto upgrade?

I am not too sure about Gnome packages. I do keep installing stuff. This happened to me on a laptop too. I am sure I had not installed any gnome packages there. Something is broken somewhere.

http://deeplinux.blogspot.com

You can see what packages you downloaded and installed, upgraded etc by date order.

I have taken the history and copied it piece by piece to a openoffice spreadsheet in case I ever need to re-install, so I don't miss a single package for the next time. I have 6 gnome library files as dependencies for 2 packages, airsnort and gparted.

I'm just looking for any similarities between systems that have this fault and the list of additional installed packages. I use the 686 kernel, but I doubt that will have any bearing on the ff issue.

Mike P

--------------------
Life may not be the party we thought, but while we're here, we may as well dance.
Break M$'s shackles from your feet and free yourself with Mepis

I upgraded Firefox to the Mepis 2.0 version, and for some unknown reason, it found Africaans as a language, and Synaptic got so confused it appeared unfixable.

I removed Firefox completely, and am now using the peculiarly named, but operates with real English, Sea Monkey.

Good enopugh for me, bye to Firefox.

--
I shot an arrow into the air. It stuck! Anon

here is what worked for me (in this particular order)

1) using synaptic remove mepis auto 6.0
2) install firefox 2.0
3) reinstall mepis auto 6.0

I tried:

1) using synaptic remove mepis auto 6.0
2) install firefox 2.0
3) reinstall mepis auto 6.0

1) & 2) were ok but it balked on 3) and after that no start when booting - in fact no keyboard!

Might be safest to wait a while on installing Firefox 2 (I was using the 2nd Mepis version).

Don't mess with mepis auto, it seems it can trash your system.

--Tony

I couldn't get Firefox that warren packed to install at all like another user said above. I tried updating it on 4 different computers/installations and all of them got the same error. I downloaded Firefox directly from www.getfirefox.com and it runs perfectly.

You copy/install it into /usr/lib/firefox
But be sure to backup all of your old Firefox installation files. I put them in a folder called /usr/lib/firefox/firefox.old

It ran perfectly after that (I locked the MEPIS repository update so MEPIS doesn't try to update Firefox)

Don't bother to copy the Firefox binary into /usr/bin because the Firefox 1.5 binary works fine to run it. If you do run into problems though copy your Firefox 2.0 binary (after you manually installed it) from /usr/lib/firefox/firefox to /usr/bin/firefox and everything should work again.

I only got the MEPIS install of Firefox to work on one computer and it was severely unstable. I recommend manually installing like a said above by directly downloading it from the Mozilla developers.
SAM

For those having problems, you may find a partial solution here: http://www.mepis.org/node/11776

"You done filled my wagon chock-full to burstin' with nonessentials. Look at this: Cinnamon, oregano, ci-lantro...What in the cock-a-doodle is ci-lantro?"
"I got your four basic food groups! Beans, bacon, whiskey and lard!"

I concur with the poster above that the Firefox2 problems may be to do with some Gnome files - in particular what may be introduced with automatix(2).

I have just done a clean install and there are no problems doing an upgrade straight after.

--Tony

I did 3 clean installs over the weekend on 3 different computers and each one had the problem with updating Firefox. So I resorted to the manual install above.
SAM

I have a suggestion for you and everybody: add Swiftfox sources to /etc/apt/sources.list

#Swiftfox
deb http://getswiftfox.com/builds/debian unstable non-free

do a refresh in Synaptic and the search for Swiftfox, install the one that's appropriate for your CPU, Swiftfox is Firefox optimized for different CPUs. It's easier to set up and it's working faster than Firefox. Give it a try.

--
Check out Mepis wiki: www.mepis.org/docs

Chat with me.

Great suggestion. I installed Swiftfox from their website tar file, and it works fine also, and picked up all my extensions and settings. Any disadvantages in doing it this way?

No, that should work fine, I'm not sure how the upgrade works if you do it that way, if you install it with Synaptic it will be upgraded anytime they release an upgraded version.
--
Check out Mepis wiki: www.mepis.org/docs

Chat with me.