Upgraded 2011.08.31
As a programmer, all I know how to write are shell scripts, and all the shell scripts I know how to write, are what I call "dumdum scripts", a simple list of commands in sequence 1 2 3 4, made executable.
Still, with these rudimentary skills, I've written a script that allows me to install Firefox. Thunderbird, Seamonkey, and Adobe Flashplayer all at once, a real-time saver for a frequent reinstaller like me. And you can try it if you like. It's all there in the tarball, just download, extract, cd to the directory, and run the script with root privelages.
It ought to work on any Linux, and has been tested on Ubuntu, Debian, Slackware, and Opensuse.
The program will delete any symbolic links to the path from preexisting versions, and create new symbolic links to the new version. What this means is that any icon or launcher to any other version of these Mozilla apps will open the new version after installing. It also means that a single word command ("firefox" "seamonkey" "thunderbird") will open these apps, whether from the command line, the run-command dialogue, or from a desktop launcher.
Here's the text of the READ PLEASE file, for more detail. Some of this has already been covered.
The Mozilla Mass installer for Linux is a simple script consisting of
a list of simple commands made executable,
bundled with the most recent version of Mozilla's Seamonkey, Firefox, and Thunderbird
web applications, and the most recent version of adobe's flashplayer
The script:
*Opens the archived software
*Creates directories at /mozilla and /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins
*Moves the contents of the mozilla tarballs to /mozilla
*Moves the adoble flashplayer libraries to /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins
*removes any symbolic links to preexisting versions from the path
*creates new symbolic links to the new versions to the path
*copies icons for all three mozilla web applications to /usr/share/icons,
if such a directory exists.
After installing, a simple one word command ("firefox", "seamonkey",
"thunderbird",) should open these applications from the command line,
the run command, dialogue, or any launcher. Menu links to preexisting
versions should launch the newer version. All firefox web applications
should have flashplayer support where applicable.
open the tarball and cd to the "install-mozilla" directory.
As root (or using sudo), type:
sh install-mozilla
This ought to work on any linux system, tested on Debian, Slackware, Opensuse, and
Ubuntu. Use at your own risk.
