Firefox 3.5 available in Gloria

Mozilla released Firefox 3.5 and you can now install it in Gloria. The package name is “firefox-3.5”.

To install this package, you can use Synaptic, mintMenu, mintInstall, or simply the terminal:

  • apt update
  • apt install firefox-3.5

Once installed, your system will have both Firefox 3.0 and Firefox 3.5 and the item called “Firefox” in your menu will continue to point to Firefox 3.0.

To launch Firefox 3.5, you can use the command line and type “firefox-3.5” or you can click on the “Shiretoko Web browser – Firefox 3.5 Beta” item in your menu.

Don’t mind the fact that it’s called “Shiretoko” and that it mentions “Beta”, this version of Firefox is the stable 3.5 version. Upstream, Ubuntu decided to keep version 3.0 as the main Firefox version for Jaunty Jackalope users and since Firefox 3.1/3.5 was made available as a Beta (3.5b4) at the time, they apparently decided it should keep its beta name (Shiretoko).

You cannot run both Firefox 3.0 and Firefox 3.5 at the same time. To run one version, make sure all instances of the other one are closed.

If you like the new version of this browser, you can change your Firefox menu item and make it point to Firefox 3.5 by editing the file /usr/share/applications/firefox.desktop as root, and by replacing the line “Exec=firefox %u” with “Exec=firefox-3.5 %u”.

Finally, if you want to have a look at the new features in Firefox 3.5, you can read the following articles:

50 comments

  1. Hello
    I think he should also set it by typing in terminal:

    sudo update-alternatives –config x-www-browser

    and choose default browser.

    If they want to left Firefox 3.1 as default, than is there any chance to change language in 3.5 version?
    I want to set it to polish.

    Regards.

  2. Thanks for this Clem. I’ve become quite dependent on Mozilla Weave on my Windows box…this brings it to my laptop…much appreciated.

  3. I downloaded FF 3.5 for linux from mozilla.com a few days ago.
    It works but is quite unstable. It crushes down even when most of the plugins are disabled.
    This might be the reason why they decided to keep “beta” title.

  4. Thanks Clem. I’ve updated from the Ubuntu Shiretoko version I had installed to the Mint version. I am assuming this is still basically the same version, but with the Mint branding/google plugin.

    For those wondering Hulu still crashes with this version when you go full screen…well at least on my box anyway. I know others are having this problem as well with 3.5.

    For now I will be sticking with 3.1 for everyday use, but it’s nice to have the option to use either.

  5. Looks good to me so far, I can already see a big difference in appearance…As for stability, not sure about that yet!

  6. @Clem
    When changing Preferred Application then launching FF via a Keyboard shortcut I get the following:
    Firefox can’t establish a connection to the server at 3925253164.

    When launched via the Mint Menu (after modifying /usr/share/applications/firefox.desktop) that page does not appear.

    @szamot83
    Seems you need two “–” before config not one.

    Cheers

  7. Hi,

    add-ons not compatible with firefox 3.5

    This firefox version 3.5 (final) is unstable on Windons and Linux.

    A crash now and them…

  8. I’m having trouble with the colour of text in the awesome bar. When I type Firefox brings up suggestions, but the black background (presumably due to the default Mint 7 theme?) makes the blue url text almost impossible to read. This is a significant usability issue!

    Does that make sense?

    Can the text colour be changed, or firefox persuaded not to use the black/grey background?

  9. You can also remove the symlink /usr/bin/firefox (which currently points to /usr/bin/firefox-3.0) and replace it with a symlink to /usr/bin/firefox-3.5. That way firefox 3.5 will be launched by default on all occasions.

  10. Is it safe to remove Firefox 3.0 from Synaptic after doing everything in this post to get Firefox 3.5 setup and the default browser?

  11. I’ve noticed a couple of bugs, one of which is very easily fixable.

    One, there’s an issue where Firefox 3.5 crashes when you click to make a Youtube video or other Flash video go fullscreen.

    Fix is here:

    http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=7487421

    Basically, you go into /usr/lib/firefox-3.5/firefox.sh, and put this line close to the top, after the shebang, and before anything else in the file:

    export LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libGL.so.1

    Second bug, is that Firefox 3.5 doesn’t use your font settings from GNOME’s configuration – it just uses what’s in fontconfig configuration files. IIRC, it needs to be compiled with the Cairo that comes with Mint’s GNOME libraries, rather than the generic libraries that are probably hard-compiled into the binary.

  12. I used Firefox 3.5 for a day then had crashes and unexpected ‘happenings’! The solution was to remove FF3.5 and go back to the original Firefox. Now all OK.

    I recommend nobody removes the old version, you just might want it again. Nice features in FF3.5 so am looking forward to them when there is a ‘more mature’ version available.

  13. I wonder why you have to do all that stuff to upgrade Firefox from one version to the other… Why it can’t be upgrated like in Windows? I notice that -in the LiveCD version anyway- the “Check for Updates” doesn’t work. I’m trying to understand the filofophy because I would like to make Linux Mint my 2nd OS on my pc. I’m new in Linux all together…

  14. I have proven Firefox 3.5 in Windows and I can vouch that really is faster in the navigation for the web.

    However, I still have my doubts about the anonymous navigation that offers, because if you does not erase manually all clues, will take them from site to site.

    As for the addons, I can not speak for everyone, but for CoolPreviews: It conflicts with pages of personal mail in Yahoo!

    Now that I read opinions and experiences of users in this Forum, conclude that better to expect before installing in my LinuxMint 7, that is working very well and it would be lamentable to leave it unstable. 😛 I will follow using the version 3.0.11.

  15. Yes we can install Mozilla Firefox 3.5, but only with English interface. What about a tutorial on haw to change the locale for Firefox 3.5. It is a better version an you really must include it on Mint Update list toghether with language packs to avoid all the trouble for users.

  16. How do I get Gnome-Do to open FF 3.5 when I type Firefox? It still brings up 3.0.11. I have edited preferred applications and usr/share/applocations/firefox.desktop as you had instructed. FF 3.5 opens when I click firefox from the mint menu but not through Gnome-Do.

  17. Look to me there is still a lot to be don with ff3.5 on ubuntu mint what abourt the 64bit version of FF 3.5?

    Dos this install of 3.5 inport all setting from FF 3.0.11

    I’ll wait to all the addons are updated, I’ll being test FF3.5 portable on my winXP until evrry thing is working in linux FF3.5 and there will come a update to 3.0.11 and not have 2 FF install

  18. Look out!

    Firefox for Windows already passed to the version 3.5.1..

    Eliminated some serious bugs of security…

  19. Nice, I’ve been waiting for Firefox 3.5 to hit the repos.

    🙂 I just thought it was funny that I am seeing an ad for Microsoft Internet Explorer on the top of this Linux site, on a post about firefox!

  20. Removing firefox (or firefox-3.5) package leaves the directories in /usr/lib untouched (in place).

    Typing ‘firefox’ (without firefox or firefox-3.5 package installed) still starts what should have been removed.

    This helped:

    1) Removing the remains

    rm -Rf /usr/lib/firefox*

    2) Downloading from getfirefox.com and installing (extract) into /opt/firefox

    3) Replacing the links in /usr/bin

  21. Thanks Clem!

    I’ve followed your instructions and got it installed. I like the Shiretoko name, I guess it’s a code name but it would actually be a nice name for it – Firefox name palls on me to be honest.

    Anyway, new version rocks! JavaScript is indeed at top performance! Even debugger flash player consumes less resources and runs quicker and is more stable. Website load really fast! I used to wait a second to get the website and with this version just when I prepared to wait that second the website renders, really cool!

    Don’t want to correct you but I actually am able to run both browsers (3.0 and 3.5) at the same time. Another nice thing the install did is copied my profiles into separate firefox folder under ~/.mozilla – really handy and now I can separate the two browsers.

    Firefox 3.5 launch time is dramatically reduced also. I don’t really understand the guys at Ubuntu who decided to keep ff3.0 as default. Probably because the add-ons are incompatible with the new version or maybe they’re just lazy 😀 Anyway, it’s good it is in repos.

    By the way, so far it’s been very stable for me. A lot more than 3.0. No crashes, no freezing or slowing down.

    Once again, Firefox is a joy to use! And I was trying out alternatives after being fed up with how resource hungry and slow ff3.0 became. Just about time!

  22. Nice messing around with it, but it’s not ready for daily use for me that is. They still have a number of plugins that have to be upgraded yet, many I cannot live without.

    But it’s not bad and I do see it as a nice improvement over 3.0.x

  23. Clem wrote:
    >>If you like the new version of this browser, you can change your Firefox menu item and make it point to Firefox 3.5 by editing the file /usr/share/applications/firefox.desktop as root, and by replacing the line “Exec=firefox %u” with “Exec=firefox-3.5 %u”.<<

    How do you do this,Clem? When I highlight Firefox Desktop Configuration file, and then select “Open as Root” from the File menu, a new window opens with lots of icons from many programs, including firefox, and I don’t see a way to edit the file and change the line “Exec=firefox %u” to “Exec=firefox-3.5 %u”

    I also tried to open it in Gedit, but could not save the changes. I don’t see an option there to open the file as root.

    I then did a net search and found the advice from http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=18315

    “Another way would be to install the nautilus-gksu package. It makes an ‘Open as Administrator’ entry in the right click menu that opens any file or folder as root. I don’t know if this is new in gnome 2.24 or not.”

    So I installed that package and guess what? There still is no option to open as root in the right click menu.

    I am a newbie, so would appreciate any help. I want to get Firefox 3.5 to open when I click the Firefox icon in Applications.

  24. Gumby: Open the containing folder as root and then double click on the file. Otherwise, type “sudo gedit /usr/share/applications/firefox.desktop”.

  25. Now the latest one is 3.5.1 – I might sound wrong, but i still can’t understand why installing a major application update (like firefox) should be that complicated. It sort of defeats the purpose of linux mint, innit?

    Imagine Microsoft did the same – what would linuxoids say?

  26. Hi, Firefox has a problem as Tim V-B (response 12) already said.
    I moved popular bookmarks next to the menu (more space for the site). Now the texts are black on a dark grey background, nearly illegible.
    This happened after installing Gloria (x64 Edition). Any help in curing that problem is appreciated.
    Thanks and Greetings from Nederland

  27. Hi, stumbled across the solution for the problem Tim V-B and I had. Go to “Menu\System\Control centre”, then click on “Look and Feel\Appearance¨. Under the ‘Theme’-tab, the appearance of the windows can be changed.
    Thanks & Greetings from Nederland

  28. I agree with zhopa, who says “It sort of defeats the purpose of linux mint”. I didn’t join the Linux community to get a headache…I left Windoze to stop the headache. Such ridiculous conniptions for what should be a simple Firefox upgrade? No thanks. Smacks too much of the ol’ Windoze forums.

  29. I presonaly don’t find anything at all difficult about installing it from synaptic, all you have to do is find it and double click to install. Is that so hard?

  30. so,now im run FF 3.5.1 for a couple week,can i upgrade to FF 3.5.2 version? i can’t found upgrade menu in FF’s menu.
    Help please….

  31. hi is there any way i can change from sheretoko to not beta name? (firefox-3.5), need this to sign in to min Internet bank. (beta version is band) Did not find any settings in about:config.

    Mvh// Hanes

  32. Anyone know how to get 3.5 to load a link properly from Thunderbird? When I click a link in Thunderbird, I get the following:

    Server not found

    Firefox can’t find the server at http://www.%u.com.

    * Check the address for typing errors such as
    ww.example.com instead of
    http://www.example.com

    * If you are unable to load any pages, check your computer’s network
    connection.

    * If your computer or network is protected by a firewall or proxy, make sure
    that Shiretoko is permitted to access the Web.

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