Anyone know how to compile firefox from source from Devuan?

zapper · 2021-11-12 22:54:33

Before you reply though, a few things:

I want to add arkenfox's preferences as default
I also want to add --disable-dbus as an option
Also I should add, mozilla's bloody source code only allows so called "supported distros" to compile it from source, which is really annoying, aka it blocks devuan for some reason... its extremely irritating.

Can someone who knows something about how to do this give me some clear instructions? The --disable-dbus thing, I have some idea how to do, but the rest is a complete mystery.

EDIT: I should have said from devuan.

Last edited by zapper (2021-11-13 21:24:15)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2021-11-12 23:50:03

Never tried this myself but Arch PKGBUILDs are good for checking this sort of thing, the prepare() function lists the steps and it looks like the option can be added to mozconfig file like this:

ac_add_options --disable-dbus

But it's probably best to build a modified package from the Debian source:

apt source firefox-esr

Then edit debian/browser.mozconfig.in and build the package (debuild -us -uc).

Good luck though. Are you sure you have enough RAM & disk space to build it? If not you could upload the source tarball, debian directory tarball and .dsc file to the openSUSE Build Service and let that build it for you. They only offer Debian repositories but it should be compatible.

EDIT: BLFS says it needs 5.2GiB of disk space and will take 28 SBU (on a four core machine).

https://www.linuxfromscratch.org/blfs/v … egacy.html

Last edited by Head_on_a_Stick (2021-11-12 23:52:35)

zapper · 2021-11-13 01:26:37

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

Never tried this myself but Arch PKGBUILDs are good for checking this sort of thing, the prepare() function lists the steps and it looks like the option can be added to mozconfig file like this:
ac_add_options --disable-dbus
But it's probably best to build a modified package from the Debian source:
apt source firefox-esr
Then edit debian/browser.mozconfig.in and build the package (debuild -us -uc).
Good luck though. Are you sure you have enough RAM & disk space to build it? If not you could upload the source tarball, debian directory tarball and .dsc file to the openSUSE Build Service and let that build it for you. They only offer Debian repositories but it should be compatible.
EDIT: BLFS says it needs 5.2GiB of disk space and will take 28 SBU (on a four core machine).
https://www.linuxfromscratch.org/blfs/v … egacy.html

I think you probably have some idea of this already, but yeah I was in fact doing this to make it usable with Hyperbola, but I am curious which glibc would be required to make it work wherever...

Quick note though what about the other part I mentioned, the arkenfox part? its basically a way of disabling a lot of firefox bs that is enabled by default.

Also, I wondered if glibc required is too new, is there a way to fix that as well?

Last edited by zapper (2021-11-13 01:39:24)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2021-11-13 01:41:30

Add the preferences to a file at /usr/lib/firefox/browser/defaults/user.js

Here's OpenBSD's version for inspiration: https://github.com/openbsd/ports/blob/m … openbsd.js

hevidevi · 2021-11-13 10:44:16

I dont know anything on compiling FF but i use arkenfox user.js with a custom user-overrides.js

arkenfox github page has all the instructions you need.

https://github.com/arkenfox/user.js

and this for the user-overrides.js that i have edited for my own personal use.

https://codeberg.org/12bytes.org/Firefo … supplement

zapper · 2021-11-13 12:51:53

hevidevi wrote:

I dont know anything on compiling FF but i use arkenfox user.js with a custom user-overrides.js
arkenfox github page has all the instructions you need.
https://github.com/arkenfox/user.js
and this for the user-overrides.js that i have edited for my own personal use.
https://codeberg.org/12bytes.org/Firefo … supplement

Does it work before or after its compiled?

Head_on_a_Stick · 2021-11-13 13:08:42

The .js preferences files work with any version of FF. You don't have to compile a custom version to use them.

zapper · 2021-11-13 20:33:50

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

The .js preferences files work with any version of FF. You don't have to compile a custom version to use them.

That is good, but tell me something, how the hell do I get the ./mach build to use the mozconfig changes I made?

It keeps doing the same old crap, no matter what I do.

It effectively acts like I changed nothing! Its kind of infuriating...

Very much so...

I mean, all I want is to do things a specific way, and to compile with less than 4 cores, and the damn thing refuses to accept my config for building.

This is my mozconfig in, browser/config/mozconfig

It feels almost like the devuan/debian build is meant to sabotage modifications... unless I am mistaken...

but yeah, its annoying.

Last edited by zapper (2021-11-13 20:34:40)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2021-11-13 20:40:12

zapper wrote:

[how the hell do I get the ./mach build to use the mozconfig changes I made?

Follow the instructions on the BLFS page to which I linked.

Or just add a line to the PKGBUILD prepare() function and run makepkg -sri to build and install the custom package if you're doing this from Hyperbola.

zapper · 2021-11-13 20:43:06

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

zapper wrote:
[how the hell do I get the ./mach build to use the mozconfig changes I made?
Follow the instructions on the BLFS page to which I linked.
Or just add a line to the PKGBUILD prepare() function and run makepkg -sri to build and install the custom package if you're doing this from Hyperbola.

I was using the apt source version from devuan, I am a bit confused and kind of annoyed... also, I am using devuan currently to build.

Also, I should add for more info, all I really need is to know which mozconfig, etc.. to modify to add my changes.

Last edited by zapper (2021-11-13 20:47:15)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2021-11-13 20:50:26

Is there any chance we could avoid full-quoting unnecessarily? It's making the thread harder to follow (IMO).

zapper wrote:

which mozconfig, etc.. to modify to add my changes

Look in the debian directory inside the firefox-esr source, the browser.mozconfig.in file is the one you want.

zapper · 2021-11-13 21:04:01

"Look in the debian directory inside the firefox-esr source, the browser.mozconfig.in file is the one you want."

I had thought that as well, but it still seems to not pass on my changes, which is very weird imo.

GlennW · 2021-11-13 21:09:44

here's what I did. from git,

installing firefox from git

archived :  /home/glenn/local/archive/src/apt/SOURCES/firefox-93.0.tar.bz2

cd /opt
wget https://download-installer.cdn.mozilla.net/pub/firefox/releases/93.0/linux-x86_64/en-US/firefox-93.0.tar.bz2
tar xfj firefox-93.0.tar.bz2
/opt/firefox/firefox
remove the old firefox links
mv /usr/bin/firefox /usr/bin/firefoxold
or after backup of bookmarks and passwordz
apt remove firefox-esr
create new link
ln -s /opt/firefox/firefox /usr/bin/firefox

Works for me, I hope it works for you.

ps. no compiling ;-)

Last edited by GlennW (2021-11-13 21:13:14)

zapper · 2021-11-13 21:14:17

GlennW wrote:

here's what I did. from git,

installing firefox from git

archived :  /home/glenn/local/archive/src/apt/SOURCES/firefox-93.0.tar.bz2

cd /opt
wget https://download-installer.cdn.mozilla.net/pub/firefox/releases/93.0/linux-x86_64/en-US/firefox-93.0.tar.bz2
tar xfj firefox-93.0.tar.bz2
/opt/firefox/firefox
remove the old firefox links
mv /usr/bin/firefox /usr/bin/firefoxold
or after backup of bookmarks and passwordz
apt remove firefox-esr
create new link
ln -s /opt/firefox/firefox /usr/bin/firefox

Works for me, I hope it works for you.

I have no idea what this is...

I am trying to compile firefox with a modified config to be more secure and not require dbus, so I can use it on Hyperbola.

Also, with alsa support and no libpulse dependency, etc...

This doesn't make sense to me

Can you explain?

Head_on_a_Stick · 2021-11-13 21:17:57

You won't be able to run a Devuan binary in Hyperbola. The ABI will be different and the sonames won't match.

zapper · 2021-11-13 21:20:04

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

You won't be able to run a Devuan binary in Hyperbola. The ABI will be different and the sonames won't match.

hmm...

huh...

I may just need to talk to one of my hyperbola buddies, he seems to know how to do stuff like this, I reckon I will have to wait for him.

Perhaps this is too complicated for me on my own... oh well...

I was going to build with ./mach package after build succeeded, but oh well.

Edit: I guess I should have had the title say from Devuan. That was more what I meant...

Last edited by zapper (2021-11-13 21:23:37)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2021-11-13 21:28:56

I am familiar with Arch packaging. My instructions in post #9 should work.

See https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Arch_B … _using_Git for a quick way to checkout the Firefox PKGBUILD from the Arch repositories.

zapper · 2021-11-13 21:43:42

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

I am familiar with Arch packaging. My instructions in post #9 should work.
See https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Arch_B … _using_Git for a quick way to checkout the Firefox PKGBUILD from the Arch repositories.

Only problem is Hyperbola has no rust, with which to build it from...

Also, glibc version from Hyperbola is too old to work with any builds from Arch.

Last edited by zapper (2021-11-13 21:44:30)

charliebrownau · 2022-04-14 10:01:54

Gday

I recommend looking into LibreWolf instead of {{{Firefox}}}

LibreWolf appimage works on Dev1 5.16.0-6 and the previous stable v4 iso also

LibreWolf works with ALSA out of the box also

andyprough · 2022-04-14 16:58:40

I used to build customized versions of the Firefox nightly version quite often a couple of years ago. I would recommend working with nightly in your initial test builds, it tends to build a bit more easily for some reason. Probably Firefox's regular releases have all kinds of extra useless crap added on.

Also, I'd build it on a minimal Void installation with no dbus, just to have a very clean build environment that's already got some similarities to Hyperbola. You can have a graphical environment with void without any dbus if you stick to DWM (or probably JWM as well). I can walk you through the Void setup steps. I'll try building it soon. I may not have time to dig into it right away this week, but maybe the week after.

If I do get it built, I will need some help from you, zapper, on my Hyperbola 0.4 installation so I can test out the Firefox binary. I've had a bit of trouble with my graphics setup, and have set it aside and didn't bother to figure it out yet.

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#1 2021-11-12 22:54:33

Anyone know how to compile firefox from source from Devuan?

#2 2021-11-12 23:50:03

Re: Anyone know how to compile firefox from source from Devuan?

#3 2021-11-13 01:26:37

Re: Anyone know how to compile firefox from source from Devuan?

#4 2021-11-13 01:41:30

Re: Anyone know how to compile firefox from source from Devuan?

#5 2021-11-13 10:44:16

Re: Anyone know how to compile firefox from source from Devuan?

#6 2021-11-13 12:51:53

Re: Anyone know how to compile firefox from source from Devuan?

#7 2021-11-13 13:08:42

Re: Anyone know how to compile firefox from source from Devuan?

#8 2021-11-13 20:33:50

Re: Anyone know how to compile firefox from source from Devuan?

#9 2021-11-13 20:40:12

Re: Anyone know how to compile firefox from source from Devuan?

#10 2021-11-13 20:43:06

Re: Anyone know how to compile firefox from source from Devuan?

#11 2021-11-13 20:50:26

Re: Anyone know how to compile firefox from source from Devuan?

#12 2021-11-13 21:04:01

Re: Anyone know how to compile firefox from source from Devuan?

#13 2021-11-13 21:09:44

Re: Anyone know how to compile firefox from source from Devuan?

#14 2021-11-13 21:14:17

Re: Anyone know how to compile firefox from source from Devuan?

#15 2021-11-13 21:17:57

Re: Anyone know how to compile firefox from source from Devuan?

#16 2021-11-13 21:20:04

Re: Anyone know how to compile firefox from source from Devuan?

#17 2021-11-13 21:28:56

Re: Anyone know how to compile firefox from source from Devuan?

#18 2021-11-13 21:43:42

Re: Anyone know how to compile firefox from source from Devuan?

#19 2022-04-14 10:01:54

Re: Anyone know how to compile firefox from source from Devuan?

#20 2022-04-14 16:58:40

Re: Anyone know how to compile firefox from source from Devuan?

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