uninstall firefox

Forum: HD Install
Topic: uninstall firefox
started by: dzonny157

Posted by dzonny157 on July 27 2005,14:30

sorry for question.
i would like to uninstall old ver.firefox but i don't know how.
plese help me!

Posted by mikshaw on July 27 2005,14:57

Firefox is a self-contained program in the /usr/local/bin/firefox directory.
Delete this directory and it's pretty much gone. There may be some files left over in /opt, but i think these can be applied to a newer version of Firefox. Also, I think the firefox symlink in /usr/local/bin (or /usr/bin?) points to the old one, so you'll need to change that unless you specify a full path when launching the program.

Posted by Your Fuzzy God on July 27 2005,14:58

Unlike Window$, there really isn't an "uninstall" option. It isn't necassary because there isn't a registry that the program needs to run from. All programs run from files. Basically, you need to track down the files and delete them. The easiest way to go about doing this is to do a "whereis" search.

Open Xterminal and type "whereis firefox"

This should return the following:
/usr/local/firefox
/usr/local/bin/firefox

Deleting these folders should get rid of firefox. You would also want to remove the icon from the desktop. To do so, you would delete:

/home/dsl/.xtdesktop/firefox.lnk

*Assuming you login as the default user, dsl.

Hope this helps,

-Cody
< Mainframe Computers >

Posted by Your Fuzzy God on July 27 2005,15:00

Looks like mikshaw beat me by one minute!!! If we were pirates, I would be dead. :laugh:

Posted by dzonny157 on July 27 2005,17:56

to mikshaw: i try delete this directory, but(permission denied) and to: Your Fuzzy God i don't see in (emelfm.bin)dir xtdesktop.
i'm big newbie and my english is very bad ,so if you like , help me !!

Posted by mikshaw on July 27 2005,19:09

You need to be root in order to make changes to the base system. Anything other than /home/dsl and /tmp (and usually /opt) can be considered the base system.
"sudo su" will switch you over to root in a terminal, or you can use the "emelfm/mc as root" menu item to get a gui filemanager if needed.

.xtdesktop, and any other file or directory beginning with a dot, is "hidden".
Click the "H" button at the top of the emelfm window (or press Ctrl+h) to toggle hidden files.

Posted by dzonny157 on July 28 2005,17:20

mikshaw - would you follow me step by step with delete firefox because i still don't understand how to delete this folder.i log in as root in xterminal but i don't know what type of command use.
great thanks for help

Posted by Your Fuzzy God on July 28 2005,17:57

After you are logged in as root

type mc

This opens midnight commander

The program is pretty self expanitory. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.

-Cody

P.S. It is .xtdesktop (the dot means it is hidden). Press the "H" button next to the path in Emelfm to see hidden files.

Posted by mikshaw on July 28 2005,18:09

ok...you have a root Xterm open.
make sure you are deleting the proper directory before issuing the command: ls /usr/local/firefox/
This should list a bunch of firefox files and directories, such as "chrome" "components" "firefox-bin", etc., so you know you've found the directory. it could be /usr/local/bin/firefox/...i can't remember offhand.
If you are sure this is the directory you want to remove, use this command to delete (type it very carefully):
rm -rf /usr/local/firefox/
I was told when giving this advice to someone else that there is a better command to use for deleting directories, but damned if i remember what it was ;o)

Perhaps a more comfortable way to do it is using a root mc instead of a plain terminal, so you can see exactly where you are and what you're doing. Open up "midnight commander as super user", browse to /usr/local and see if the firefox directory is there. If so, select it and press F8. Midnight Commander is my preferred method of doing most file tasks...it has the power and flexibility of the command line and the comfort of a visual environment.

edit: d'oh....

Posted by dzonny157 on July 28 2005,18:25

thanks for you all!!
a method with mc was very easy.
don't be angry if i had several hard(of course for me)questions, like:where are going files who i delete.i don't see a thrash in dsl.

Posted by mikshaw on July 28 2005,18:31

because there is no trash. the files are gone...completely gone! GONE!! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!

I think you can set a "safe delete" option in mc, but I've never done it so i don't know how it works....probably sends everything to a directory in $HOME/.mc or something.

Posted by dzonny157 on July 28 2005,18:47

if you please -tell me -how to create a shortcut for new ver.firefox on the desktop.
i know that my few questions are for you funny,but i'm very new user of dsl and linux.for your help great respect.

Posted by mikshaw on July 28 2005,19:14

There are at least two options here:

1) Open up /home/dsl/.xtdesktop/Firefox.lnk in a text editor, such as beaver, or browse to .xtdesktop in emelfm (you'll need to click the "H" button or press Ctrl+h to show hidden files), select Firefox.lnk, and press the "edit button". Where it says "Command: /usr/local/bin/firefox", change that to the path where your new firefox binary is.

2) Do the same as above, but change "/usr/local/bin/firefox" to just "firefox". Then open up a terminal and type
"sudo ln -s -f /path/to/new/firefox /usr/local/bin/firefox"
This should create a new symlink, in your path, to replace the old one.

Posted by dzonny157 on July 28 2005,19:41

unfortunately ,before installing new firefox i delete all old firefox files(firefox.lnk from xtdesktop too).
what now?

Posted by adssse on July 28 2005,21:05

Open an xterminal window and type:
beaver /home/.xtdesktop/firefox.lnk

Then type these lines into beaver:

Code Sample

table Icon
Type: Program
Caption: Firefox
Command: 'command for new firefox'
Icon: .xtdesktop/'a gif file of your choice'
X: 'desired x location on screen'
Y: 'desired y location on screen'
end

(Also, make sure the lines in the .lnk file do not end with whitespace (space or tab) or your icon will not show.)

Save the file and exit beaver.
Then go to the fluxbox start menu and go to
Desktop -> No icons
and then
Desktop -> Icons only

I am not sure what the command would be. Also, I am not sure if you deleted the .gif file of the old firefox. If not you can use that for the icon. Hope this helps.

Posted by mikshaw on July 29 2005,02:30

There is also a backup of all the default configs for /home/dsl in /etc/skel
You need to be root to read/copy them, so you'll probably need to change ownership on any of these files after copying:
sudo chown dsl.staff filename