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Portable Firefox manual update...is it possible?

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Zane
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Portable Firefox manual update...is it possible?

I was wondering.... PFF is the zipped official Firefox+the "Portable Launcher" program, isnt'it?

So... can I just delete the "Firefox (portable)\firefox" content and replace it with the 1.5.0.1 binaries? Will I loose any data / break the compatibility?

Thanks!

Deuce
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Yes it is possible..

Just replace the firefox directory with the new one. The protableFirefox code is used to start firefox for portable use, the code for firefox was not changed in any way. the PFF code willstart whatever firefox.exe is there.

Deuce
"Portable Software: Just the beginning..."

Deuce
Portable Software: Just the beginning.

tittoproject
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MozUp!

@Zane:

you are italian, take a look here: http://www.mozillaitalia.org/mozup/

John T. Haller
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Couple caveats

Just be aware that:

1. MozUp Launcher is closed source and you can't use MozUp Firefox without it
2. You cannot use it for commercial use

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

agent orange (not verified)
Which files should be overwritten by which files?

Hi, you wrote: "Just replace the firefox directory with the new one".

When I unzip the FF 1.5.0.1 file, I get this:
11.01.2006 23:01 1.698.444 setuprsc.dll
11.01.2006 23:01 207.494 setup.exe
11.01.2006 23:01 32.304 config.ini
25.01.2006 01:52 17.880 install.ini
11.01.2006 23:01 6.416 license.txt
11.01.2006 23:01 836.491 adt.xpi
11.01.2006 23:01 13.628.418 browser.xpi
25.01.2006 01:52 620.320 de.xpi
11.01.2006 23:01 716.324 talkback.xpi
11.01.2006 23:01 1.340.467 xpcom.xpi
11.01.2006 23:01 76.289 UninstallFirefox.zip

There is nothing which seems to fit in my Portable FF directory. Could you please specify where to copy these?
What am I supposed to do with the "setup.exe" file? I guess this has to be executed, but how should I thereby overwrite any files?
Sorry, if these questions seem to be dumb, but I really don't get it. Wink

Kind regards,
ao

Deuce
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I am sorry, What I meant was....

Install the new version to your pc and and then copy the files to your PFF Firefox folder. IT will work after that. You can then uninstall the local version from you r pc.

Deuce
"Portable Software: Just the beginning..."

Deuce
Portable Software: Just the beginning.

agent orange (not verified)
Replace \Firefox Portable\... or \Firefox Portable\firefox\...?

Thanks for your quick feedback!

However, by accident I replaced all files both under
C:\Program Files\Firefox Portable\ . . . . . . and also
C:\Program Files\Firefox Portable\firefox

It seems to work, but would you expect any problems with this?

I guess you meant to only replace all files under
C:\Program Files\Firefox Portable\firefox . . . right?

Kind regards,
ao

Deuce
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Yes I meant only the

Yes I meant only the \firefox folder, however if it is working for you then no harm is done.

Deuce
"Portable Software: Just the beginning..."

Deuce
Portable Software: Just the beginning.

makina-galaxy (not verified)
I updated portable Firefox

I updated portable Firefox successiful with the integrated updater. It's easier I think !

Zane
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Deuce, I'm going to update,

Deuce, I'm going to update, thankyou!

Titto, yes, I know your software (my staff at MegaLab.it reviewed it a couple of days ago http://www.megalab.it/articoli.php?id=750) but I prefer John's Portable stuff: closed sorce, no auto-update and (most of all) no default browser are huge limitation for productivity. Just my 2 cents of course, I've maximum respect for your hard work too!

Zane
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Yess!! It works like a

Yess!! It works like a charm...

tittoproject
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More choices

I think that's a good thing to have more choices to do the same thing.

The MozUp Project has a different approach than PortableApps has: we have an unique launcher for every program. It's true, MozUp Firefox can't run without MozUp, but, if you like, you can use John's launchers to do that, aswell you can use MozUp to run Portable Firefox.

*Closed source
At the moment the MozUp's developer, Luis Adrian Sassatelli, prefers to keep the source closed, for a lot of personal reasons. Maybe, in the future MozUp will became open source, I don't know...

*Commercial use
Is it a problem? Yes, my wallet is empty Sad

*Automatic update
I prefer a compressed Firefox instead autoupdate for two reasons:

1 - that's not a problem when you surf with a fast connection (you take a couple of seconds to download 6-7MB)
2 - to the other side, that's a big problem if you have a small usb thumdrive...the mine is 128MB Sad

*No default browser
Yes, that's a big problem. The quick solution is:

1 - disable the "allow multiple istances" option
2 - start Firefox and set it as default browser

@Zane: I'm onorated for the interest from MegaLab.it, really, thank you!

@All: excuse me for my terrible English!

Bruce Pascoe
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Come to think of it...

If MozUp Firefox won't work without the MozUp launcher, then doesn't that mean that the Firefox code itself was modified? And under the MPL, I didn't think you could keep those changes to yourself. Last I checked, all derived works of an open-source application must also be open-source--it violates the license if you do otherwise.

Let me make sure... yes, it does. Taken directly from the MPL:

3.2. Availability of Source Code.

Any Modification which You create or to which You contribute must be made available in Source Code form under the terms of this License either on the same media as an Executable version or via an accepted Electronic Distribution Mechanism to anyone to whom you made an Executable version available; and if made available via Electronic Distribution Mechanism, must remain available for at least twelve (12) months after the date it initially became available, or at least six (6) months after a subsequent version of that particular Modification has been made available to such recipients. You are responsible for ensuring that the Source Code version remains available even if the Electronic Distribution Mechanism is maintained by a third party.

tittoproject
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...the launcher!

MozUp Firefox needs to be started from MozUp Launcher to be portable.

PortableFirefox needs to be started from Portable Firefox Launcher to be portable.

The difference is that MozUp Luncher is not included within MozUp Firefox because it's like a start menù (like PsPad).

OK?

Bruce Pascoe
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All right...

No need to get all huffy. It's just that that wasn't the impression I got. I do understand that the launcher is a separate program, but when both John and you said that MozUp Firefox won't work without the MozUp Launcher, it sounded like the copy of Firefox within MozUp was a custom build, which can't legally be closed-source. If the copy of Firefox within is a stock build, then that's fine.

I mean... it didn't make sense that John would give "MozUp Firefox won't work without [the launcher]" as a limitation, without mentioning that the same limitation applied to his own portable apps. It seemed like he meant it just wouldn't run at all without MozUp Launcher, period--portably or otherwise.

tittoproject
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Good!

If want to try, both MozUp Launcher and MozUp Firefox are available also in English, just select the language (and other options) during the setup process.

Unfortunately, the documentation is only in Italian, but the installation process it's really easy: first install MozUp on your key and then MozUp Firefox.

Some screenshots, setup instructions with screenshots, downloads.

nm35
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PStart/PFx are fine on

PStart/PFx are fine on limited accounts, MozUp launcher is not (crashed twice). That settles the matter for me.

~nm35 {blog} {projects} {standalone apps}

Bruce Pascoe
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...

I like MozUp launcher (judging by the screenshots). Might want to think of having someone translate the documentation if you intend to let the user change the language of the install.

By the way, what's up with this new trend of using a question mark as the Help menu title? I have to admit, I don't like it. It should be called "Help" (or whatever its translation is in the correct language)--the question mark doesn't go with the rest of the menus, since they all have proper names. Symbols shouldn't be mixed with names--either use one or the other.

That's my only complaint.

tittoproject
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...Microsoft!

The traslation will be performed as soon as possible, because the new site has been barely opened on Mozilla Italia.

Question mark: I don't like it too :), but you have to know that ALL italian programs have the question mark to identify the "Help" menù. Why? Maybe, it's beacause of Microsoft and their traslation style (but it's only an idea of mine).

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