Browser Wars - FF - Chrome - Midori

[rickseiden]

Can we just close this thread?  Maybe delete the last three entries?

[MarkHaysHarris777]

Can we just close this thread?  Maybe delete the last three entries?

Done, per OPs request.   This thread has been closed for moderation;  and the last three entries have been soft-deleted.

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Note:  thanks to those of you who have posted suggestions for using Chromium;  I am going to re-write those suggestions and will then pin the new thread so folks can easily find it.  Thanks again.

[pfeerick]

How can I install Chromium, and/or get Firefox working?

Just to clarify some of the points made earlier - the issue as it stands is with the arm64 firefox-esr that is currently distributed with debian. There was a note on the forum from May that suggested on ubuntu that the armhf firefox was stable (although I tried the arm64 version of firefox 50 on the pine and ubuntu mate earlier today, and it worked just fine), so I thought I'd try the same on debian. On debian though, though it is firefox-esr until Stretch arrives - and no more IceWeasel, IceDove!!

I got dependency errors, and by using aptitude, I identified to two packages, but downgrading them would re-install several hundred packages, so I opted to go the path of least resistance... (but I would love to hear if anyone has had success with the armhf version of firefox-esr on debian or can pass on some reproducible steps to getting it working on the pine64 debian images).

I added the package repos for both the testing (Stretch) and unstable branches, added preference values so that they would be used only when specifically accessed, and then installed firefox from the unstable branch. It took a while, but I am now composing this message from firefox v50 on the pine64 debian image, and from my usage so far, it is perfect. Youtube works, google drive works, search pages work, I haven't had any issues with it yet.

Since this is the testing and unstable branches, I wouldn't suggest that you do this. However, if you absolutely insist on running firefox on debian, then this is probably the easiest way. However, if you don't have to run debian, I'd recommend you instead install the ubuntu image (either minimal and install mate or a pre-made mate image) and then firefox will work out of the box. Since most of the packages that will updated come from the testing branch, they are relatively stable. Its only the packages that come from the unstable branch that are really an issue, but I suppose the worst that can happen is you'll need to re-write your debian microSD if it goes belly up! You have been warned!

1) Add the following (note - scrollbox below - you need to scroll it to see the remaining lines) to your /etc/apt/sources.list (sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list)

Code:

# Testing repository - main, contrib and non-free branches
deb http://http.us.debian.org/debian testing main non-free contrib
deb-src http://http.us.debian.org/debian testing main non-free contrib

# Testing security updates repository
deb http://security.debian.org/ testing/updates main contrib non-free
deb-src http://security.debian.org/ testing/updates main contrib non-free

# Testing repository - main, contrib and non-free branches
deb http://http.us.debian.org/debian testing main non-free contrib
deb-src http://http.us.debian.org/debian testing main non-free contrib

# Testing security updates repository
deb http://security.debian.org/ testing/updates main contrib non-free
deb-src http://security.debian.org/ testing/updates main contrib non-free

# Unstable repo main, contrib and non-free branches, no security updates here
deb http://http.us.debian.org/debian unstable main non-free contrib
deb-src http://http.us.debian.org/debian unstable main non-free contrib

deb http://httpredir.debian.org/debian testing main contrib non-free

2) Add the following to /etc/apt/preferences (sudo nano /etc/apt/preferences):

Code:

Package: *
Pin: release a=stable
Pin-Priority: 700

Package: *
Pin: release a=testing
Pin-Priority: 650

Package: *
Pin: release a=unstable
Pin-Priority: 600

3) Run sudo apt-get update to update your package repo.

4) Run sudo apt-get install -t unstable firefox to install firefox from the unstable repo. After that has finished running (it will take a while... oh, an hour or two!!) you will have a nice shiny new copy of firefox which works! (YMMV!)