If you have been using Firefox 3 for a while and want to try the very latest Firefox, you can easily install Firefox 4 Beta in Ubuntu 10.04.
The first thing you must do is add the Mozilla Daily repository. Installing programs in Ubuntu using repositories is recommended since they will automatically get updated when updates become available.
To add the Mozilla Daily repository, press Alt + F2 to open the Run Application dialog box. Enter the following command in the edit box. Click Run and enter your password when prompted.
gksu software-properties-gtk
The Software Sources dialog box displays. Click the Other Software tab and click the Add button.
A dialog box displays for you to enter the APT line for the Mozilla Daily repository source. Enter the following line in the edit box and click Add Source.
ppa:ubuntu-mozilla-daily/ppa
Click Close on the Software Sources dialog box.
A dialog box displays prompting you to reload the information about the repository you added. Click Reload.
The Downloading Package Information dialog box displays the progress of the download. When the download is finished the Downloading Package Information dialog box and the Software Sources dialog box both close.
Now, we need to install the Firefox 4 Beta from the source files we downloaded. Select Ubuntu Software Center from the Applications menu.
The Ubuntu Software Center dialog box displays. Enter “firefox-4.0” (without the quotes) in the search box in the upper, right corner of the dialog box. The results of the search display as you type the search term. Select safe and easy web browser from Mozilla from the list of results and click the Install button.
This action requires administrator privileges. Enter your password on the Authenticate dialog and click Authenticate.
The Ubuntu Software Center dialog box shows that one installation is in progress on the left and displays the progress of the installation to the right of the item being installed.
Once the installation is finished, close the Ubuntu Software Center by selecting Close from the File menu.
To start the Firefox 4 Beta, select Internet | Minefield 4.0 Web Browser from the Applications menu.
The Minefield main window (Firefox 4 Beta) displays. For some reason, the page that is supposed to display is not found.
For Linux users, there is precious little in terms of visual changes but lots of bug fixes, JavaScript improvements, and all around ‘stability.’
The Firefox 4 Beta window in Ubuntu is different from the version installed in Windows, as pictured below. In Windows, the tabs display above the address bar and there is one main menu in the upper, left corner of the window.
To find out which version of the Firefox 4 Beta you are running, select About Minefield from the help menu.
When we installed the Firefox 4 Beta in Ubuntu, we got the 4.0b4pre version.
NOTE: One feature lacking in the Ubuntu version as opposed to the Windows version of the Firefox 4 Beta is the Feedback button. If you are installing the Firefox 4 Beta with the purpose of assisting with the testing and reporting of errors, we suggest you also install it in Windows so you have access to the Feedback button for easier communication with Mozilla about bugs and suggestions.
by Lori Kaufman
It worked. Thanks.
Perfectly executed – great how-to guide. This is precisely what I love about the *nix/open source community – no gray areas or snobbery, just great help.
Great assistance with the guide. Thanks a lot.
I'm having problems with the starting time of Firefox. I hope that the Beta version is faster.
If you choose not to display the menu bar, a Minefield menu will appear beside the tabs.
I get up to "add repository" section successfully, then nothing else works. FF4 doesn't show up in software center or synaptic. I installed 4 successfully on another machine running Xubuntu 10.04. This computer runs Ubuntu 10.10. I followed all steps perfectly. I just checked: Will FF4 run on 10.10? Oopsie?