From ubuntuzilla

Welcome to Ubuntuzilla

This page has the instructions for using the older Ubuntuzilla versions, before it was packaged into .deb. Unless you have a good reason to use the older versions, you should consider using the latest Ubuntuzilla.

This is the home of the Ubuntuzilla project, which is a python script that allows the user to install the latest versions of Mozilla Firefox, Mozilla SeaMonkey, and Mozilla Thunderbird on Ubuntu Linux. Ubuntuzilla has a support forum on the Ubuntu Forums in the 3rd party projects area, which you are encouraged to use if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions.

You are encouraged to look through the source code to ascertain the safety of this script prior to running it. Seriously, go ahead - it is fairly short and self-explanatory [though it has grown somewhat over time...]. As a matter of general principle, it is a good practice to perform some verification prior to running anything from any unfamiliar website.

Background

Due to the way Ubuntu packaging system is structured, once a release of Ubuntu is made, the Firefox and Thunderbird versions are frozen, and no updates are released except for security patches (this is true for the other packages as well, not just for the Mozilla ones). The security patches are usually several days or even a week or more behind the official Mozilla releases. Moreover, it is frequently desirable to run the latest versions of Mozilla software, due to the new features and improvements. Thus, this update script was born.

This project was created by Ubuntu Forums member nanotube, in collaboration with aysiu, who helped with testing, ideas, and motivation.

Read below for specific instructions for using this script to install Firefox, SeaMonkey, and Thunderbird.

Older Versions

In its original incarnation, the project consisted of three separate shell scripts for Firefox, Thunderbird, and Seamonkey. Starting with version 4.0.0, these scripts were ported to python, and merged into one script. Instructions for using the older shell scripts are still available, if for whatever reason you decide to use the older separate shell scripts.

Starting with version 4.2.0, Ubuntuzilla will be packaged in a .deb for ease of installation. This results in yet another change of usage instructions. The pre-4.2.0 instructions have also been archived (you are reading this page) in case you need to use the older versions for some reason.

The most up-to-date instructions for the latest release of Ubuntuzilla can always be found on the Main Page.

Script Features

Automatically detects and downloads the newest Firefox, Thunderbird, SeaMonkey release from the Mozilla servers
Allows you to make a choice of language for Firefox or Thunderbird
Verifies the GPG signature (assures package integrity against malicious tampering or corrupt download) for Firefox or Thunderbird
Verifies the MD5 sum for SeaMonkey
Makes a date-stamped back-up of your Firefox, Thunderbird, SeaMonkey profile data
Automatically integrates Firefox plugins that you have installed from the Ubuntu repositories
Installs the new Firefox in /opt/firefox, Thunderbird in /opt/thunderbird, SeaMonkey in /opt/seamonkey
Creates a SeaMonkey menu item in Applications -> Internet menu
Checks all steps for successful execution
Has a 'remove' action to remove the official Mozilla build and restore system to pre-installation state.
Installs an update checker job that periodically performs automatic checks for new versions of Firefox, Thunderbird, or Seamonkey.

Usage Instructions

Installation

Here are the steps to use this script to install the Mozilla build of Firefox, Thunderbird, or SeaMonkey:

Download the script (follow this link to the file release servers), and save the latest ubuntuzilla_X.X.X.py as ubuntuzilla.py to your home directory.
If you happen to have already downloaded the appropriate Thunderbird, Firefox, or SeaMonkey tar.gz archive to your drive, and want to avoid another download, place your downloaded tar.gz into /tmp (without changing the original filename). The script will still ask you questions about the version, localizations, etc., but will not actually make another download.
Open a terminal
Enter this command to run the script (choose one depending on which software you want to install; copy and paste to avoid typos):

python ~/ubuntuzilla.py -a install -p firefox

python ~/ubuntuzilla.py -a install -p thunderbird

python ~/ubuntuzilla.py -a install -p seamonkey

Read the instructions and follow the prompts.

As an alternative to using the script, instructions for manually installing the official builds of Mozilla software are available on the Ubuntu wiki:

Removal

Here are the steps to use this script to uninstall the Mozilla build of Firefox, Thunderbird, or SeaMonkey:

Download the script (follow this link to the file release servers), and save the latest ubuntuzilla_X.X.X.py as ubuntuzilla.py to your home directory (unless you already have it from before).
Open a terminal
Enter this command to run the script (choose one depending on which software you want to remove; copy and paste to avoid typos):

python ~/ubuntuzilla.py -a remove -p firefox

python ~/ubuntuzilla.py -a remove -p thunderbird

python ~/ubuntuzilla.py -a remove -p seamonkey

Read the instructions and follow the prompts.

Updates

As of version 4.1.0, Ubuntuzilla will let you install an automatic update checker job, which will periodically check for updates to your Mozilla software, and alert you with an unobtrusive notification.

To install the automatic update checker, just run the installation, and follow the prompts at the end of installation to enable automatic update checking. If you have already installed the Mozilla software at an earlier time, and just want to enable the automatic update checking, you can run Ubuntuzilla with action "installupdater" to install the updater job separately. Use the following command (choose one depending on which software you want to check for updates; copy and paste to avoid typos):

python ~/ubuntuzilla.py -a installupdater -p firefox

python ~/ubuntuzilla.py -a installupdater -p thunderbird

python ~/ubuntuzilla.py -a installupdater -p seamonkey

You can also use Ubuntuzilla to do a one-time check for availability of new releases of Firefox, Thunderbird, and SeaMonkey. For text-mode update notification (message in the terminal or console), use the following command (choose one depending on which software you want to check for updates; copy and paste to avoid typos):

python ~/ubuntuzilla.py -a checkforupdatetext -p firefox

python ~/ubuntuzilla.py -a checkforupdatetext -p thunderbird

python ~/ubuntuzilla.py -a checkforupdatetext -p seamonkey

For GUI update notification (message pop-up in the corner of your desktop), use the following command (choose one depending on which software you want to check for updates; copy and paste to avoid typos):

python ~/ubuntuzilla.py -a checkforupdategui -p firefox

python ~/ubuntuzilla.py -a checkforupdategui -p thunderbird

python ~/ubuntuzilla.py -a checkforupdategui -p seamonkey

Read on in the next subsections for how to carry out the upgrade if a newer version is available.

Update Official Mozilla Build of Firefox

If you already have the official build installed (e.g., by using the Ubuntuzilla script to install at some point before), you don't have to go through a reinstall in order to update (though you could if you wanted to). You can use the built-in "Updates" functionality of Firefox.

In order for Firefox to update itself, it will have to be run as root. So quit all Firefox windows, and in a terminal, type:

gksudo firefox &

This will start Firefox as root. Select Help > Check for Updates from the menu, and it will find an update and download it. You will then get a message that says Firefox needs to be restarted to apply the update, and you can choose Later or Restart Firefox Now. Choose Restart Firefox Now. Firefox will restart again as root and tell you it's been updated. Now, you can close Firefox again, and then start it as normal from the menu, not as root. And you should be all good to go!

Update Official Mozilla Build of Thunderbird

If you already have the official build installed (e.g., by using the Ubuntuzilla script to install at some point before), you don't have to go through a reinstall in order to update (though you could if you wanted to). You can use the built-in "Updates" functionality of Thunderbird.

In order for Thunderbird to update itself, it will have to be run as root. So quit Thunderbird, and in a terminal, type:

gksudo thunderbird &

This will start Thunderbird as root. Select Help > Check for Updates from the menu, and it will find an update and download it. You will then get a message that says Thunderbird needs to be restarted to apply the update, and you can choose Later or Restart Thunderbird Now. Choose Restart Thunderbird Now. Thunderbird will restart again as root and tell you it's been updated. Now, you can close Thunderbird again, and then start it as normal from the menu, not as root. And you should be all good to go!

Update Official Mozilla Build of Seamonkey

Unlike Firefox and Thunderbird, SeaMonkey does not currently have a built-in updater. So to update to the latest version, just use the instructions from the Installation section and install the newest version over the old one.

Other options

You can get help on the aforementioned options, and more, by running the script with option '-h', as follows:

python ~/ubuntuzilla.py -h

The other options are generally not needed by the average user, but they are there in case you need them, so you can check them out. The built-in help output is hereby reproduced for your convenience.

Usage: ubuntuzilla.py [options]

Options:
 --version             show program's version number and exit
 -h, --help            show this help message and exit
 -d, --debug           debug mode (print some extra debug output). [default:
                       False]
 -t, --test            make a dry run, without actually installing anything.
                       [default: False]
 -p PACKAGE, --package=PACKAGE
                       which package to work on: firefox, thunderbird, or
                       seamonkey. [default: firefox]
 -a ACTION, --action=ACTION
                       what to do with the selected package: install, remove,
                       installupdater, checkforupdatetext, or
                       checkforupdategui. [default: install]
 -g, --skipgpg         skip gpg signature verification. [default: False]
 -u, --unattended      run in unattended mode. will not ask for user input.
                       note that even in unattended mode, it will still ask
                       for your input if you have a thunderbird profile both
                       in ~/.thunderbird and ~/.mozilla-thunderbird (it's ok
                       if the former is a symlink to the latter, though).
                       [default: False]
 -l LOCALIZATION, --localization=LOCALIZATION
                       for use with unattended mode only. choose localization
                       (language) for your package of choice. note that the
                       burden is on you to make sure that this localization
                       of your package actually exists. [default: en-US]
 -b, --skipbackup      for use with unattended mode only. skip the backup of
                       the user profile for the package you are installing.
                       if you already made a backup, or do not have
                       sufficient disk space, use this option. [default:
                       False]
 -r TARGETDIR, --targetdir=TARGETDIR
                       installation/uninstallation target directory.
                       [default: /opt]
 -m MIRROR, --mirror=MIRROR
                       which mozilla mirror to use. [default:
                       releases.mozilla.org]
 -k KEYSERVERS, --keyservers=KEYSERVERS
                       add a pgp keyserver to the default list of keyservers.
                       [default: ['subkeys.pgp.net', 'pgpkeys.mit.edu',
                       'pgp.mit.edu']]

Unattended Mode

The unattended mode is there for you if you want to install Mozilla software without any user interaction at all (save for the necessary password entry for 'sudo'). It is not really useful for your average user, but if you are going to roll your own custom installation CD, or if you are installing this on a few dozen or hundred computers, that's when you will really appreciate this mode. To run in unattended mode, just add option '-u' to all the other options.

There are also some control options for use with unattended mode (since it is unattended, the script can't ask you about them in the middle, so you have to supply them in the beginning. One is '-l', for specifying the localization (language) you want for the installed software, and the other is '-b', to specify that you want to skip the backup of the user profile.

Generally, familiarize yourself with the operation of the script, and figure out what it is doing, before running it in unattended mode on a hundred machines. You don't want to wake up to any surprises. :)

Feel free to talk to us on the Ubuntuzilla support forum if you have any questions.

Some Tips

Customizing your Firefox install

If middle-click on tab to close it does not work, you can enable it by pointing Firefox to "about:config" and set middlemouse.contentLoadURL to false. Voila, middle-click to close works again.
To enable the autoscroll (where you middle-click and a little arrow-graphic appears and you can scroll just by moving the mouse), go to "about:config" and set general.autoScroll to true.
To automatically select the entire contents of the URL bar when you click there, open "about:config" and set browser.urlbar.clickSelectsAll to true. I find this a helpful usability improvement.

Useful Firefox Extensions

Here are some very highly recommended extensions. I personally can't imagine living without them. :)

Adblock Plus with EasyList filters. Simply a must for improving your browsing experience.
NoScript blocks javascript and various plugins on a per-site basis. Very useful for security, AdBlock-resistant ads, and various javascript annoyances. Highly recommended.
FlashBlock blocks flash objects, until you explicitly click on them. A very good partner for NoScript (since when scripts are allowed, so are plugins, which you may not want).
ImageZoom lets you zoom in and out on page images with your scrollwheel (right click on image and scroll). Also zooms images when you zoom whole page. Very useful.
[Anything Enhanced] allows you to manually remove elements from a page. For those rare things that are missed by AdBlock + NoScript. :)

Help section/FAQ

[Thunderbird, Firefox] Older version showing up in Synaptic and Update Manager. What do I do?

This is expected behavior: Ubuntuzilla installs the latest release in parallel to the repositories version, so they coexist side by side without interference. Go ahead and carry out the upgrade when one is offered, your default software is still going to be the latest official Mozilla build, as installed by Ubuntuzilla.

[Thunderbird, Firefox] What to do if the localizations list is empty

This may be due to an intermittent network problem, or to automatic mirror selection at ftp.mozilla.org. Please try the following steps, in order:

Run the script again, and see if the localizations list shows up this time
If the previous step doesn't do it:
- run the script again, this time with an extra '-d' option, to get some extra debug output, e.g.:

python ~/ubuntuzilla.py -a install -p firefox -d

- copy all output (starting from your initial command, to the point where it fails to show a localization list)
- post a help request message on our forums with the complete output pasted in.

[Thunderbird] Help on multiple profiles

If when installing Thunderbird you are running into the "select which of the two profiles you want to use" situation, the following information may help you decide.

The Ubuntu repositories version of Thunderbird stores its profile in ~/.mozilla-thunderbird, while the Mozilla version expects the profile in ~/.thunderbird. If, prior to running the Ubuntuzilla Thunderbird script, you have already been using the official Mozilla build, then your most recent profile would be in ~/.thunderbird, so you should select that one. If, on the other hand, you have been running the Ubuntu version, then your most recent profile would be in ~/.mozilla-thunderbird, so you should select this one.

If you are still not sure, you can open your current Thunderbird version, select Edit > Account Settings... > Local Folders, and you will see a "Local directory" text box there, that would show where you store your local folders. Unless you have made some significant changes to where you store your email (in which case you probably know what you are doing and where your profile is), the directory path in that box should show you where your profile is.

[Thunderbird, Firefox] Thunderbird doesn't start at all. Segmentation Fault (Core Dumped) when running from terminal

It could be due to a known incompatibility between Thunderbird/Firefox and SCIM. If you have SCIM installed and enabled, and you don't need it, you can try uninstalling the scim package with

sudo apt-get remove scim

and then try running Thunderbird again.

If you do need SCIM, a possible fix is to use one of the following commands to start Thunderbird:

export GTK_IM_MODULE=scim-bridge; thunderbird

or

export GTK_IM_MODULE=xim; thunderbird

If the above does work for you, you may want to change your Thunderbird shortcut to do it for you, so you don't have to start Thunderbird from a terminal all the time. To do that, follow these steps.

Create a text file with the following content, and save it in your home directory as "thunderbirdstarter.sh"

#!/bin/bash
export GTK_IM_MODULE=scim-bridge; /usr/bin/thunderbird

Change the script to executable with command

chmod u+x thunderbirdstarter.sh

Open the menu editor (if on Dapper, through Applications -> Accessories -> Alacarte Menu Editor, if on Feisty, through System -> Preferences -> Main Menu)
Find your Thunderbird shortcut, right click, select Properties
Change the shortcut to point to /home/your_username/thunderbirdstarter.sh

Thunderbird should now start properly.

[Thunderbird] Links in emails don't open in browser

Add the following lines to your user.js file inside your .thunderbird profile (if user.js file doesn't exist yet, just create a new file with this content).

user_pref("network.protocol-handler.app.ftp","/usr/bin/firefox");
user_pref("network.protocol-handler.app.http","/usr/bin/firefox");
user_pref("network.protocol-handler.app.https","/usr/bin/firefox");

Restart Thunderbird for this change to take effect.

If you want to use some browser other than firefox, then put in the full path for that browser, instead of /usr/bin/firefox, in the above lines.

[Thunderbird] 'menu id="offlineMenuItem" ...' error after upgrading to 2.0

When upgrading from Mozilla build of Thunderbird 1.5 to the Mozilla build of Thunderbird 2.0, some people get the following error message at the bottom of the Thunderbird interface in red text (also see screenshot). It seems to be a rather rare phenomenon, and does not affect any other functionality of Thunderbird besides eating up some screen real estate, but nevertheless, it is an annoying little problem:

    <menu id="offlineMenuItem" insertafter="trashMenuSeparator" label="&offlineMenu.label;" accesskey="&offlineMenu.accesskey;">
----^

This problem can be fixed by deleting an outdated file, /opt/thunderbird/chrome/offline.manifest. Simply issue the following command in the terminal:

sudo rm /opt/thunderbird/chrome/offline.manifest

[Thunderbird, Firefox] What you need to run Firefox and Thunderbird on 64-bit system

You need 32-bit compatibility libraries (ia32-libs) installed in order to run 32-bit software (which the Mozilla builds are). To install these packages, run the following command:

sudo apt-get install ia32-libs*

You may also find the following related packages useful:

sudo apt-get install lib32asound2 lib32ncurses5 lib32stdc++6

Any other problems

If you are experiencing any other problems with these scripts, or have general questions/comments, please go to our support forum and post your question. We try to answer all questions very quickly, so go ahead, ask. :)

If you want to help us

Come on over to our support forum, talk to us :). You can also pull the latest revision from CVS and add some features you'd like to see.

Ubuntuzilla Non Deb