Firefox Quantum portable with apulse All-in

[retry3]

Hey Mike -

GREAT!

What you are doing is deeply appreciated, and especially for the care of your Mum. I know what it takes, as I spent the final four years of my octogenarian decade as a 24/7 complete caregiver to my wife at home.
As a humble piece of friendly advice, please save a little for yourself if you want to carry on; I didn't.

To your questions; I think the ESR version is the most appropriate.

I have a couple of empty USB sticks that might work.

I use the "save" file on a frugal install, but if it would
make things easier for you, I could try to switch to what
ever you suggest, but it probably is beyond my
capabilities.

With gratitude,
retrty3

[retry3]

Hey Mike -

Is what you are making for the FF Quantum Portable installed on a USB stick work in Xenial64 7,5?

I am thinking of going to Xenial in parallel with the Tahr64 605 I have now.

Regards,
retry3

[Mike Walsh]

@ retry3:-

Ri-i-ight. Okay.

To answer your questions in reverse, once the flash drive is 'set-up' with the 'portable' FF68 ESR version, you'll be able to use it under either Tahr64 OR Xenial64.

This won't be a 'click-to-install' .pet package, because that's not so easy where a flash drive's concerned.....unless you're installing to a Puppy-on-a-stick, with a 'save-file' already in place. This will have to be unzipped, and copied.

You will need to format the stick with a Linux file-system (preferably EXT3), but we can help with that; it's NOT hard to do. If you leave it formatted as it comes from the factory - typically FAT32 - some of the critical sym-links won't copy over.....and sound won't work.

Once you've done that, the package I'm going to make for you will have to be unzipped - again, we can help with that - followed by copying it to the re-formatted flash drive. After that, whenever you want to run Firefox, all you'll need to do is

1.) Plug the flash drive in, & wait for the desktop drive icon to show.
2.) Click on the drive icon to mount it. Once the drive is mounted, and the ROX-filer 'window' has opened, two clicks, and the browser will start.....every time

---------------------------------------------------------.

Normally, this would be done somewhat differently for those of us who are more 'savvy' with computers.....but I appreciate your level of ability, so I'm trying to make this as 'foolproof' & easy-to-use as I can. Can't say any fairer than that.

Does that sound workable to you?


Mike.

[retry3]

Hey Mike -

I think you are finally someone who understands my level of non-expertise

and is willing to take the time and trouble to key the advice down to it;

Thank Gawd!


I agree that it couldn't be any fairer than that, and I will make a maximum

effort until I get it right.


Yes, it sounds workable to me.


Thanks,
retry3

[Mike Walsh]

@ retry3:-

Oh, I can appreciate the problems. I have a mate in his early 70's, who describes himself as a total tech 'dinosaur'. I migrated him from a very sick Windows Vista install to Puppy about 3 years ago - he loves it! - but I'm his 'go-to' man where backup and maintenance is concerned. I was doing this for years for him with Vista, but the biggest problem there was that he'd done a few things, and made a few mistakes, and.....well, long story short, Vista would no longer update. Lots of other stuff wasn't behaving itself, either.....and it was getting long in the tooth anyway.

He was getting fed-up with it, I was getting fed-up with it, so.....we had a wee chat, I made a suggestion, and he said 'Go for it'. He's a keen angler, and wasn't able to access his favourite sites, and was getting rather 'teed-off' by the whole situation. So; bye-bye Vista, hello Puppy.....which is a hell of a lot simpler to look after!

------------------------------------------

Right, then. To start with, download this package:-

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GZYLpv ... sp=sharing

This is the current, 64-bit version of Firefox 68 ESR, set-up to be easy for you to use. Put this somewhere safe; I've got to go out for a few hours, but I'll check in with further instructions when I get back.

Download this one, too:-

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... h&id=75600

UExtract, by SFR, is a hell of a lot easier to use than Pup's pArchive tool; it's not a bad tool, by any means, but this one's just easier.

We'll move on to the next stage when I get back - I know the time-zone difference doesn't help!


Mike.

[retry3]

@ Mike

I downloaded the FF68 from your link and put it in root.

I was going to do the same for the UExtract file, but I noticed the Puppy Menu

has an entry in Utilities with that name; I am afraid to download now, because

for all I know, I could wind up with 2 files that are the same and having had

troubles with that situation before ,I will await your advice.

retry3

[Mike Walsh]

Hallo, retry3.

Now then; let's see what's what, shall we?

The FF package itself sitting in /root; that's OK for now. With regard to UExtract, no, you can't mess anything up with this one. It's what called a 'no-arch' package, meaning it works with both 32- and 64-bit Puppies - it's just a bunch of scripts, when all's said and done.

If you download and install UExtract 3.36, it simply overwrites the existing version.....you'll still have just the one Menu entry, but it'll be the newest version instead.

If you get that installed, I'd like an answer to one question, please. If you right-click on the Firefox package in /root, does UExtract show up in the context menu? Don't click on it, yet, though; I just want to know if it shows up at all. It should.

---------------------------------

Do you have your flash drive available and ready to use, or do we need to wait for you to find it?


Mike.

[retry3]

Hey Mike

I downloaded the UExtract file and installed it.

When I open it from the Utility menu, it says it is UExtract 3.36. Okay

I selected all the files which highlighted them, and then "extract with".

The only option offered was "open with xarchive". I did not click on anything else except "close". I did this twice to be sure of what I saw.

Did not go any further.

Looking for the the USB sticks, will advise when found, after I do some things necessary to keep living.

Standing by
retry3

[retry3]

@ Mike

I got to wondering if I clicked on the FF file that you meant, so I went into root and right licked on ffportable-instgz instead of the Firefox 68 ESR,tar.gz file that I did the first time. I think I only Left clicked the Firefox 68 ESR file before. Suddenly there appeared more Firefox files that I think I deleted before.

I felt I had made a mistake, so I quit clicking anything.
I will try to attach a pic of what my root file looks like now, so you can see what happened.


I guess I should have asked you exactly which file you intended for me to click on.

Standing by
retry3

[fredx181]

@retry3, the file "Firefox 68 ESR.tar.gz" is the one from Mike you need to extract, you can just open a terminal and type:

Code: Select all

tar -zxf "Firefox 68 ESR.tar.gz"

And press Enter
Then a "FIREFOX" folder will appear in /root
Go inside that folder and click START-FIREFOX and Firefox should run.

EDIT: Btw, it looks to me that the script ffportable-instgz that you clicked has done its job by creating the "firefox_68.0.1_64" folder, all you need to do to run Firefox is go inside that folder and click the "ff" file (but it's not the ESR version though)

Fred

[retry3]

@ Fred

Thanks for your insight and advice, much appreciated!

Since I want to run the ESR version if I can, I will wait and see what Mike has to say, if I haven't overburdened him with my blundering.

Thanks
retry3

[retry3]

@ Mike

Upon further reflection, I think I probably left the the UExtract box open when I

clicked on ffportable-instgz, if that has anything to do with the mess I created.

As I just told Fred, I hope my blundering has not overburdened you.

retry3

[retry3]

@ Mike

I found 4 USB sticks unopened in original packaging:

2 GB pq1 Traveling Disk usb 2.0

8 GB Kingston Data Traveler usb3.1/2.0

16 GB PNY Attache 3 usb2.0

16 GB SanDisk Ultra Fit (very small size) usb 3.0

I also found a 1 into 4 USB expansion hub, or whatever you call them, and wondered if it would work well with all 4 ports loaded with sticks.

retr3

[fredx181]

clicked on ffportable-instgz, if that has anything to do with the mess I created.

Just for info: you didn't create a mess, the created files in /root should be there after running the ffportable-instgz script, nothing you did wrong (except maybe accidentally clicking that script) and these FF files can be deleted, since you want the ESR version, so then only the file "Firefox 68 ESR.tar.gz" is important to keep (contains the ESR version from Mike) and extracting it is all that is required.

Fred

[retry3]

Hey Fred -

Thanks a lot! That helps me regain a bit of confidence again, but more

importantly, sheds an understandable light on what happened and how to

proceed.

I'm guessing that Mike would agree and continue with the project he took

upon himself in a true Puppy spirit of helping each other, to show me how to

get it on a USB stick so that it is truly "portable".

You guys are great.

retry3

[Mike Walsh]

@ retry3:-

Oh, gawd. Looks like we've got another mess to clean up, haven't we?

I've been busy the last couple of days; since I didn't hear back from you, I got on with stuff that I needed to sort out.

Please don't take this the wrong way, but I did say that I was making a custom package for you.....and just you. It needs to be 'installed' to the flash drive in a specific way.....and if you've been trying to do it by yourself (which, all credit to you, at least you were trying!), then you've destroyed the sym-links I set up to make it as easy as possible for you.

I can't blame you for perhaps getting impatient....

I'll say this; I'm going to be busy now till at least Sunday. Family shit has reared its head again, and it's stuff I can't get out of, so.....please be patient.

---------------------------

We'll use that little SanDisk Ultra Fit drive; they're brilliant little sticks, and despite being USB 3.0, they still work faster through a USB 2.0 port than a normal USB 2.0 stick would.

If you'll put that to one side, and make sure you've got the Firefox package I asked you to download, come Sunday we'll get it all set-up for you. (Or as soon as you can spare the time...) Just bear with me, please..!


Mike.

[retry3]

Hey Mike, ABSOLUTELY ! with you all the way!

However long it takes, and whatever I can do to make it easier, is the way it

will be.

Believe me, I fully understand and appreciate that what you are doing is just

for me, for which I feel very fortunate, and would in no way treat it lightly in

the least degree. You are the one who has to bear with me, not the other

way around.

Just to clarify, I was not being impatient in what I did, I was trying to follow

your instructions about finding out if UExtract showed up in the context menu

of FF and I must have LEFT clicked instead of RIGHT clicked and was shocked

when all those FF files exploded on the display box of Root. I was being

cautious because I sort of sensed that you had special things in the files

and was afraid I might accidentally mess them up; which of course is exactly

what happened.

I have had and seen enough people in my life who will not, or cannot. follow

clear wishes, advice, requests, directions, instructions, orders or commands,

rules, or defy them, or jump the gun, because they think they know better or

that they can be disregarded. I regret that you got the understandable

impression that you were dealing with one of them. I try to follow the

Golden Rule.

I will gladly stand by for as long as you desire, take your time,and I hope you

make the best of the family doings; no pressure from me. Enjoy!

Regards,
retry 3

[fredx181]

Edited my post here (to avoid possible confusion): http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic. ... 19#1025219 (should have provided that info earlier, sorry)
To make clear that the purpose of the script is to run it from terminal, it shows some info then about the files created and which files can be deleted after successful running the script.
For example for 64 bit, something like this will show:

Code: Select all

....
Downloading Firefox..
....
Extracting Firefox...
...
Done, the portable firefox folder is firefox_68.0.1_64
You can now delete the archives:
FF_68.0.1_64.tar.bz2 and ff64-additions.tar.gz

Fred

[retry3]

Hey Fred -

Thanks, that is very helpful.

Regards
retry3

[fredx181]

*** Firefox-ESR portable *** (Extended Support Release)

Hi all, attached script will download and extract the latest Firefox-ESR and create portable directory (e.g. "firefox_68.0.1esr_32") including the apulse libs, after successful run, click the "ff" script inside the directory. The "profile" dir will be created inside too.
Remove fake .gz extension, make executable and run from terminal to see output, e.g.:

Code: Select all

./ff-esr-portable-inst

Fred