Linux and browsers

[nickdalzell]

For those who use Chrome, Linux seems to be full-on against using Chrome as a browser and wants you to use SeaMonkey or Firefox. There is a chromium browser but it never saw a connection to the Internet on OpenSUSE. Never did figure that one out.

The good news is Firefox works great and stable in OpenSUSE, and didn't like to crash with multiple tabs open like it loved doing in Ubuntu or Kubuntu. Firefox also crashes a lot in android, even when it's just sitting there. You'd be scrolling a site, and out of the blue, a pop-up saying 'sorry, but Firefox has crashed' leaving me going 'wha? It was not even doing anything!'

 

[argedion]

For those who use Chrome, Linux seems to be full-on against using Chrome as a browser and wants you to use SeaMonkey or Firefox. There is a chromium browser but it never saw a connection to the Internet on OpenSUSE. Never did figure that one out.

I use chromium with opensuse and never had a connection issue

 

[MoodyBlues]

For those who use Chrome, Linux seems to be full-on against using Chrome as a browser and wants you to use SeaMonkey or Firefox.

You might want to consider adding "YMMV" to this blanket statement! Chrome works just fine for me on *ALL* of my computers, which all run Linux.

There is a chromium browser but it never saw a connection to the Internet on OpenSUSE. Never did figure that one out.

As above. Chromium has always worked perfectly fine on all of my computers.

The good news is Firefox works great and stable in OpenSUSE, and didn't like to crash with multiple tabs open like it loved doing in Ubuntu or Kubuntu.

As above. I've never seen that happen and, as we all know, I use Kubuntu.

Firefox also crashes a lot in android, even when it's just sitting there. You'd be scrolling a site, and out of the blue, a pop-up saying 'sorry, but Firefox has crashed' leaving me going 'wha? It was not even doing anything!'

ME TOO!!

 

[nickdalzell]

All I know, is chromium would launch fine, but every site would end with no connection or DNS error. Instantly. Switch to Firefox, everything worked. Except Firefox crashes for zero reason just sitting there not even loading anything.

 

[MoodyBlues]

Discuss away!

 

[nickdalzell]

Wasn't aware that having a premium member status allowed mod privileges? As in moving threads/posts?

 

[MoodyBlues]

Wasn't aware that having a premium member status allowed mod privileges? As in moving threads/posts?

It doesn't. I was/am a premium member, but became staff last year [that's why I'm green with the 'guide' badge]. It's the latter that allows mod privileges like splitting out posts and such.

 

[saptech]

I have Chromium and Firefox on both of my linux distros and haven't had any issues with either browser. Though I use FF the most.
my distros are Mageia 4 & Archlinux.

 

[girolez]

Hi

Used to use chromium on ubuntu (for years) but changed to chrome when chromium dropped flash support. Never had a problem with it (on 12.04 14.04 and Bodhilinux 2.4) I did have one netbook that would not ever behave with FF although it was OK with everything else....

Roger

 

[MoodyBlues]

Since this is about browsers, thought I'd toss out a few I like to have installed just for the hell of it. I always, ALWAYS have SeaMonkey running as it's my real browser and e-mail/newsgroup client, but I like trying other browsers, too.

. Chrome
. Konqueror
. reKonq
. Firefox
. Flock
. Opera
. Arora
. Dooble
. Dillo

and, when I'm feeling nostalgic and want to take a trip down memory lane:

. Links 2
. eLinks

 

[lunatic59]

Chrome support was dropped from CentOS, but I generally don't go browsing on my servers. I use primarily Chrome and Opera on Mint 16 Cinnamon, although as long as there is any browser (that works) I'm not particularly fussy.

 

[argedion]

What kind of extensions are you running nick. I use OpenSUSE 13.1 and I have no issues with chromium but I have had extensions crash on me and cause me issues accessing web pages so I disabled all of them and turned them on one by one to find the culprit. It appears to have been of all things google play music.

 

[iowabowtech]

For those who use Chrome, Linux seems to be full-on against using Chrome as a browser and wants you to use SeaMonkey or Firefox. There is a chromium browser but it never saw a connection to the Internet on OpenSUSE. Never did figure that one out.

The good news is Firefox works great and stable in OpenSUSE, and didn't like to crash with multiple tabs open like it loved doing in Ubuntu or Kubuntu. Firefox also crashes a lot in android, even when it's just sitting there. You'd be scrolling a site, and out of the blue, a pop-up saying 'sorry, but Firefox has crashed' leaving me going 'wha? It was not even doing anything!'

I've had very different experiences. Chromium is the fastest browser for *buntu although I typically use Firefox because I like some of the additional options it provides. Both browsers have been rock solid for me on both standard Ubuntu and Kubuntu (my distro of choice which I run everyday).

I wonder if there's some anomalies with your setup that's causing stability issues, especially with internet connectivity? :dontknow:

 

[jefboyardee]

Simply by Firefox syncing, I automatically use these addons in Win7, Linux Mint, and have in many other distros too:

Adblock (and)
Basic Bookmarks
Clear Console
Flagfox
Gmail Notifier
Go Parent Folder
Google Shortcuts
Navigational Sounds (windows only)
New Tab Homepage
Open Profile Folder
Places cleaner
Stylish
Hola Better Internet

 

[nickdalzell]

All I know is that whatever distro I run it wants Firefox to be the only browser. I had to untar Chrome because there was no actual package so perhaps I did it wrong? As I said it launched fine, but refused to see the Internet. That was Kubuntu, never needed anything on OpenSUSE since Firefox never crashes on it. On Kubuntu Firefox would up and exit on its own, then pop-up saying 'sorry, but Firefox has crashed'. Um, no it didn't. You closed the damn thing Kubuntu! It couldn't crash as it wasn't doing anything!

Windows XP used to do the same thing with Firefox, and it ended up being some program called 'drwatson.exe' which got called up whenever Windows figured something was chewing through resources. Deleting that fixed it. Haven't found the Linux equivalent to that tool.

I haven't used SeaMonkey since OS/2 Warp 4. Even then it felt like Netscape 4.51, albeit with modern website support.

 

[iowabowtech]

I had to untar Chrome because there was no actual package so perhaps I did it wrong? As I said it launched fine, but refused to see the Internet. That was Kubuntu, never needed anything on OpenSUSE since Firefox never crashes on it.

Chromium is available in the software center if you're having issues. I always install the Ubuntu software center on my Kubuntu builds as one of the first items of business. Makes it quick and easy to get some of the more major software offerings in particular.

 

[MoodyBlues]

On Kubuntu Firefox would up and exit on its own, then pop-up saying 'sorry, but Firefox has crashed'. Um, no it didn't. You closed the damn thing Kubuntu! It couldn't crash as it wasn't doing anything!

Um, okay.

Windows XP used to do the same thing with Firefox, and it ended up being some program called 'drwatson.exe' which got called up whenever Windows figured something was chewing through resources. Deleting that fixed it. Haven't found the Linux equivalent to that tool.

First, there probably isn't anything running without your knowledge and/or permission like that on Linux. Second, even if there was, it probably would have nothing to do with Firefox crashing.

I haven't used SeaMonkey since OS/2 Warp 4. Even then it felt like Netscape 4.51

How do you mean? I think my SeaMonkey is, like everything else on my computers, beautiful to look at. Of course, that may just be my opinion.

 

[MoodyBlues]

I had to untar Chrome because there was no actual package

Where? I've never had a problem finding a deb package on Google's Chrome site.

And, as always, installing it couldn't be easier:

 

[nickdalzell]

Chrome wasn't found in software center. Ubuntu often refuses to let me install packages downloaded from a Web browser. If you can help me disable it's built in protection from so-called 'unsupported' installs I might try again.

Like most things Ubuntu, the install button was greyed out for me, like many other packages downloaded from the Internet (skype) and the way it protects itself made it impossible to install packages downloaded online (chrome included)

Often saying something about it being unsupported or not agreeing with my architecture or unable to resolve missing packages. I refuse to even use Ubuntu for that reason.

As for SeaMonkey, I said it was OS/2 Warp 4, so the only version then was 1.1, and it looked exactly like Netscape Communicator 4.51. It is also a Mozilla based browser so would have suffered the same crash bug as Firefox.

 

[MoodyBlues]

Chrome wasn't found in software center. Ubuntu often refuses to let me install packages downloaded from a Web browser. If you can help me disable its built in protection from so-called 'unsupported' installs I might try again.

I would love to help...but since I NEVER see this--and I've used *buntu since its 5.04 version--I have no frame of reference.

Like most things Ubuntu, the install button was greyed out for me, like many other packages downloaded from the Internet (skype) and the way it protects itself made it impossible to install packages downloaded online (chrome included)

And as I documented with pics, Skype installed just...like...that for me. Again, I just never see this issue that seems to plague you.

Has anyone else run into this *buntu "built-in protection" from installing things? Please post if you have.

Often saying something about it being unsupported or not agreeing with my architecture or unable to resolve missing packages. I refuse to even use Ubuntu for that reason.

See above. I really would like to help, but I have no experience with this.

As for SeaMonkey, I said it was OS/2 Warp 4, so the only version then was 1.1, and it looked exactly like Netscape Communicator 4.51. It is also a Mozilla based browser so would have suffered the same crash bug as Firefox.

See above. :hmmmm2:

 

[iowabowtech]

Has anyone else run into this *buntu "built-in protection" from installing things? Please post if you have.

Never. :dontknow:

Something is definitely going on with Nick's setup. What the heck? Nick are you running 32 or 64x linux?

 

[MoodyBlues]

Never. :dontknow:

Sometimes I feel like I'm missing something, like some special perks or features or...SOMETHING...that *buntu is supposed to provide, but doesn't! At least not for me. Like I've said, I've used it since its 5.04 release [that's its second release, and that was back in 2005], and never, ever see these 'features' Nick is always describing.

 

[Dngrsone]

Face it, Moody. You either have the luck of the Irish, Scottish and Pekingese; or you are so versed with Linux (which we know you are) that you subconsciously fix problems which throw up serious roadblocks to others of us.

I'm wondering if Nick should try something different, like maybe Mint.

 

[MoodyBlues]

Face it, Moody. You either have the luck of the Irish, Scottish and Pekingese

If this is true, then it only applies to the computer part of my life! The health part of my life has been a nightmare, leaving me with many opportunities to ask, "why me?! boo-hoo" (but I didn't ). So I don't know, is it possible to be really lucky in one area and really unlucky in others? :hmmmm2:

or you are so versed with Linux (which we know you are) that you subconsciously fix problems which throw up serious roadblocks to others of us.

Thanks for that vote of confidence...but I can't really take any credit. I mean, when something just INSTALLS, 1-2-3, like that [as documented with screenshots], *I* didn't do anything. I just pointed and clicked, like anyone else can.

I'm wondering if Nick should try something different, like maybe Mint.

Or something other than Linux. *shrug*

 

[nickdalzell]

I do have something different that 'just works' it's called OpenSUSE. works perfectly fine. and for the record, Chrome installed perfectly on it.

On Ubuntu the installer would always fail for some reason, often saying unable to resolve dependencies, or architecture not supported, or wrong OS Type, and so on. i call it 'built-in protection' as it is essentially claiming the file i'm trying to install is unsupported, even though i know otherwise. to disable that , that, sanity check, would be the objective, but as you can see, i've found a better distro to use.

I just can't stand Ubuntu at all. it's too dumbed down and hard to mess with. i never said i hated Linux. i only have one computer running Windows and that's because of gaming, and many games still lack Linux support and the Wine alternative results in poor performance, inferior graphics, zero anti-aliasing and so on. but for my daily use, i do have many laptops running some flavor of Linux. OpenSUSE 13.1 is my new love, but Vector Linux Light 6 was my first. I thought of installing the newest version of Vector but unfortunately, like many others lately, it's also become dumbed down for newbies and tries too hard to copy Mac OS X with the SOHO edition, which replaced Light Edition. no more default Console access. it always boots X and console access, like with *Buntu is with an X window much like running a DOS window inside of WinXP. Vector 6 started the console first, with X being an option.

What i fail to grasp is why there's this big deal about *Buntu as if it's the best thing ever. i never understood the blind loyalty towards it.