Firefox 2.0.0.20 with Java 1.6/Flash 9.0.158-pet/sfs/pup420
Posted: Sun 29 Mar 2009, 11:54
For several years I managed the computers at a local community centre cybercafe, and I now supply refurbished p.c.'s and linux upgrades to around 150 computers in the local area. For this Ive used our "ecopup" customized Puppy 2.15ce. Obviously the browser has been a big focal point of the research Ive done into "what people want" Recently Ive been playing with .pet/sfs/pup_412 creation and found out that the Firefox package that I spent so long customizing works perfectly in puppy 4.2!
After updating the java package from Ecopup (1.5.09 on ecopup) to 1.6.12 Ive created three separate packages which Ive done some testing of on 4.2 betas and release candidates and Im yet to suffer a crash. Pick whichever format suits your needs.
firefox-2.0.0.20-ecofox-420.sfs
This is a puppy "Squash File System" pack that can be downloaded and placed in the same folder as your pup_420.sfs on your hard disk/usb drive etc. Rebooting will activate it. It wont get loaded into your computers memory at bootup like the pup_420, but read from the .sfs file when it is loaded. Its a good compromise for mid-range computers between speed and available computer memory, or when disk space is at a premium.
firefox-2.0.0.20-ecofox-420.pet
This is a standard .pet package that you can download and install by clicking on it. It needs about 200MB of disk space to do this, and about 150MB to install. The advantage of using this is that computer with low RAM can still use it, and its compatible with "FULL" (rather than frugal) installs.
pup_420.sfs
This is a new pup_420 package for the newly released "deepthought", that has this browser built in (merged). If you have a lot of RAM (192mb or more) and do a lot of web-browsing then this is this is the best option for you. It will allow the browser to be loaded into memory so it will start and run more quickly than the other methods. Simply download it, rename your existing pup_420.sfs (say to pup_420.sfs.bak) and put this in its place.
Features/Plugins
All of the security options are set to remember NOTHING by default...cybercafe style
Theme
MyFirefox Theme for that "Nearly Internet-Explorer" that thankfully shrinking 4/5th of web users that still use Internet Explorer out of habit. Found to have an amazing effect to calm newb-nerves For those with Microsoftitis, there are plenty of other themes too a few clicks away.
Features
Tab preview (hold mouse over tab), individual yet innocuous crosses to individually close tabs (with undo feature)...both of these are just to the right of the tab bar.
Tab showcase, which will bring up a window with thumbnails of all open tabs...great for when you have a lot of tabs open and you cant remember which one is which.
Remembers open tabs between sessions (shutting it down and restart)
New Java supports extra search functions on ebay. It also works fine for all facebook functions (chat, notifications, multiple photo uploader). The ever popular runescape also works...but I believe you will need to add graphics acceleration (DRI) if you want high resolution mode.
Bookmarks toolbar - This is a list of commonly used bookmarks, categorised under Local, Linux, News (mainstream and alternative/new), video, email, search, (social) networking, shopping, games, jobs, Dating and Misc. These are the most common websites we found people were using at the cybercafe, as well as some more "socially responsible" sites such as NHS direct Health forums, care2.com, a "fix it" section and freecycle. Weve also put some linux specific sites in such as the puppy linux sites/forums, Distrowatch and under misc there is a link to media-convert.com, which is great for converting file formats that arnt yet puppy-compatible.
The toolbar bookmarks can also be downloaded separately as an xhtml file, which can be imported into any browser (seamonkey/opera/other firefox etc) from here.
Ad Blocking with adblock plus which blocks loads of different advertisments including all google ads (i.e. like the ones for puppy housetraining at the bottom of this forum!) Right clicking and selecting "Block" will block any new ads adblock doesnt yet know about...which isnt many.
Download statusbar puts a download bar for each individual download in the statusbar (really?), which allows pausing, resume broken downloads etc.
McAfee Siteadvisor - This plugin is basically a blacklist of know phishing sites or ones that try and inject malicious code into vulnerable windows machines (not your puppy linux however). It has helped a lot of people round here not fall for those deadly phishing scams.
Text Zoom in and out buttons- for easier reading and/or for the sight-impaired.
Three Day ahead Weather forecast - This is currently set to Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire England. Unless you also have the misfortune to live in [urlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scunthorpe_Problem]Britains favourite internet joke town (NSFW)[/url], you will need to do a search for your area, this can be done with a text search from "tools>addons".
VideoDownloader - Downloads flash movies from a great many sites. It also contains options to convert videos into avi/mpg/mp3/etc formats from flash .flv using lame and ffmpeg linux plugins...I havnt been able to figure these out yet so help appreciated.
User Agent Switcher - Will get past the restrictions on Microsoft's "free" (with every Windows Licience) Hotmail email service sending using linux OS. Just go under "tools>user agent switcher" and select a windows OS/Browser combination. Another handy trick with this plugin is to gain access to sites that require "free registration" (spam permission) to view content. Setting the agent as a google search "bot" will allow you access without registration, as often these sites use a check to allow the google indexing service in to list their site in google results.
The .sfs and .pet packages will also put a special desktop icon/shortcut in you /root/my-applications/bin folder. This can be got to using the left hand side pWidgets pop out tray in Puppy 4.2 upwards, or dragged and dropped out of the folder at /root/my-applications/bin onto your desktop. It features a special tooltip function and also a double click handler. If you double click it (common newb mistake) it will still only bring one instance of firefox up, not two. If using the pup_420.sfs method, then it overwirtes your defaultbrowser settings, meaning the "browse" icon on the desktop will launch firefox. This should be a lot quicker as its held in memory using this method. Other programs that open/call web browsers should now use firefox instead of seamonkey. Seamonkey is still available from the start menu>internet from the taskbar.
Heres a run down of the plugins Ive used as a screenshot with plugin versions:-
Workarounds/Bugfixes
You may encounter 2 problems when running Ecofox....here are the workarounds
Fullscreen Flash - JWM/Flash have a problem working together, to fix this, either use ICEWM as your windows manager (included in 420), or install the updated JWM from Patriot.
Get that here
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=39162
Webpage resizing
Ive encountered a bug with some installations running at 1024x768 screen resolution, the size of the webpage goes across the screen, meaning the user has to resize horizontally to see the right hand side of the page.
This is "fixed" by changing to 1024x1280 resolution...well at least you have the "zoom" button
After updating the java package from Ecopup (1.5.09 on ecopup) to 1.6.12 Ive created three separate packages which Ive done some testing of on 4.2 betas and release candidates and Im yet to suffer a crash. Pick whichever format suits your needs.
firefox-2.0.0.20-ecofox-420.sfs
This is a puppy "Squash File System" pack that can be downloaded and placed in the same folder as your pup_420.sfs on your hard disk/usb drive etc. Rebooting will activate it. It wont get loaded into your computers memory at bootup like the pup_420, but read from the .sfs file when it is loaded. Its a good compromise for mid-range computers between speed and available computer memory, or when disk space is at a premium.
firefox-2.0.0.20-ecofox-420.pet
This is a standard .pet package that you can download and install by clicking on it. It needs about 200MB of disk space to do this, and about 150MB to install. The advantage of using this is that computer with low RAM can still use it, and its compatible with "FULL" (rather than frugal) installs.
pup_420.sfs
This is a new pup_420 package for the newly released "deepthought", that has this browser built in (merged). If you have a lot of RAM (192mb or more) and do a lot of web-browsing then this is this is the best option for you. It will allow the browser to be loaded into memory so it will start and run more quickly than the other methods. Simply download it, rename your existing pup_420.sfs (say to pup_420.sfs.bak) and put this in its place.
Features/Plugins
All of the security options are set to remember NOTHING by default...cybercafe style
Theme
MyFirefox Theme for that "Nearly Internet-Explorer" that thankfully shrinking 4/5th of web users that still use Internet Explorer out of habit. Found to have an amazing effect to calm newb-nerves For those with Microsoftitis, there are plenty of other themes too a few clicks away.
Features
Tab preview (hold mouse over tab), individual yet innocuous crosses to individually close tabs (with undo feature)...both of these are just to the right of the tab bar.
Tab showcase, which will bring up a window with thumbnails of all open tabs...great for when you have a lot of tabs open and you cant remember which one is which.
Remembers open tabs between sessions (shutting it down and restart)
New Java supports extra search functions on ebay. It also works fine for all facebook functions (chat, notifications, multiple photo uploader). The ever popular runescape also works...but I believe you will need to add graphics acceleration (DRI) if you want high resolution mode.
Bookmarks toolbar - This is a list of commonly used bookmarks, categorised under Local, Linux, News (mainstream and alternative/new), video, email, search, (social) networking, shopping, games, jobs, Dating and Misc. These are the most common websites we found people were using at the cybercafe, as well as some more "socially responsible" sites such as NHS direct Health forums, care2.com, a "fix it" section and freecycle. Weve also put some linux specific sites in such as the puppy linux sites/forums, Distrowatch and under misc there is a link to media-convert.com, which is great for converting file formats that arnt yet puppy-compatible.
The toolbar bookmarks can also be downloaded separately as an xhtml file, which can be imported into any browser (seamonkey/opera/other firefox etc) from here.
Ad Blocking with adblock plus which blocks loads of different advertisments including all google ads (i.e. like the ones for puppy housetraining at the bottom of this forum!) Right clicking and selecting "Block" will block any new ads adblock doesnt yet know about...which isnt many.
Download statusbar puts a download bar for each individual download in the statusbar (really?), which allows pausing, resume broken downloads etc.
McAfee Siteadvisor - This plugin is basically a blacklist of know phishing sites or ones that try and inject malicious code into vulnerable windows machines (not your puppy linux however). It has helped a lot of people round here not fall for those deadly phishing scams.
Text Zoom in and out buttons- for easier reading and/or for the sight-impaired.
Three Day ahead Weather forecast - This is currently set to Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire England. Unless you also have the misfortune to live in [urlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scunthorpe_Problem]Britains favourite internet joke town (NSFW)[/url], you will need to do a search for your area, this can be done with a text search from "tools>addons".
VideoDownloader - Downloads flash movies from a great many sites. It also contains options to convert videos into avi/mpg/mp3/etc formats from flash .flv using lame and ffmpeg linux plugins...I havnt been able to figure these out yet so help appreciated.
User Agent Switcher - Will get past the restrictions on Microsoft's "free" (with every Windows Licience) Hotmail email service sending using linux OS. Just go under "tools>user agent switcher" and select a windows OS/Browser combination. Another handy trick with this plugin is to gain access to sites that require "free registration" (spam permission) to view content. Setting the agent as a google search "bot" will allow you access without registration, as often these sites use a check to allow the google indexing service in to list their site in google results.
The .sfs and .pet packages will also put a special desktop icon/shortcut in you /root/my-applications/bin folder. This can be got to using the left hand side pWidgets pop out tray in Puppy 4.2 upwards, or dragged and dropped out of the folder at /root/my-applications/bin onto your desktop. It features a special tooltip function and also a double click handler. If you double click it (common newb mistake) it will still only bring one instance of firefox up, not two. If using the pup_420.sfs method, then it overwirtes your defaultbrowser settings, meaning the "browse" icon on the desktop will launch firefox. This should be a lot quicker as its held in memory using this method. Other programs that open/call web browsers should now use firefox instead of seamonkey. Seamonkey is still available from the start menu>internet from the taskbar.
Heres a run down of the plugins Ive used as a screenshot with plugin versions:-
Workarounds/Bugfixes
You may encounter 2 problems when running Ecofox....here are the workarounds
Fullscreen Flash - JWM/Flash have a problem working together, to fix this, either use ICEWM as your windows manager (included in 420), or install the updated JWM from Patriot.
Get that here
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=39162
Webpage resizing
Ive encountered a bug with some installations running at 1024x768 screen resolution, the size of the webpage goes across the screen, meaning the user has to resize horizontally to see the right hand side of the page.
This is "fixed" by changing to 1024x1280 resolution...well at least you have the "zoom" button