Introduction
Firefox is one of the most popular web browsers in the world, known for its speed, security, and customizability. The browser is available on all major platforms, including Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. In addition to the standard version, Firefox also comes in a special edition known as the Developer Edition, which is specifically designed for developers and web designers. In this article, we’ll explore how to install Firefox Developer Edition on Linux and unlock its true power.
Step 1: Download Firefox Developer Edition
The first step in installing Firefox Developer Edition on Linux is to download the installer package. You can do this by visiting the official Mozilla website and clicking on the “Download Firefox Developer Edition” button. This will take you to the download page where you can choose the appropriate package for your Linux distribution. Once you have selected the package, click on the “Download Now” button to begin the download.
Step 2: Install Firefox Developer Edition
Once the download is complete, navigate to the directory where the package was downloaded and open a terminal window. In the terminal window, type the following command to install Firefox Developer Edition:
sudo tar -xjf firefox-*.tar.bz2 -C /opt/
This command will extract the contents of the package to the /opt/ directory, where Firefox Developer Edition will be installed.
Step 3: Create a Symbolic Link
To make Firefox Developer Edition accessible from the command line, you need to create a symbolic link in the /usr/bin/ directory. You can do this using the following command:
sudo ln -s /opt/firefox/firefox /usr/bin/firefox-developer
This command will create a symbolic link named firefox-developer that points to the Firefox Developer Edition executable.
Step 4: Launch Firefox Developer Edition
To launch Firefox Developer Edition, simply open a terminal window and type the following command:
firefox-developer
This will launch the browser and you can start exploring its advanced features and tools.
Conclusion
Firefox Developer Edition is a powerful tool for web developers and designers, offering advanced features and tools that are not available in the standard version of the browser. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can easily install Firefox Developer Edition on Linux and unlock its true power. So go ahead and give it a try, and see for yourself how this browser can take your web development to the next level.
Web developers for the most part have had to use the development tools given to them by browser makers. For the most part this works great because companies like Google and Microsoft include these tools in browsers everyone already uses. However, at the end of the day browsers like these are for consumers, not developers.
It is because of this the company behind Firefox has taken it upon themselves to make a web browser centered around developers and not everyday internet users. Mozilla’s Firefox Developer edition browser gives web developers the ability to debug and inspect web applications with ease.
As many web developers actively use Linux to get their work done, this browser is available for Linux, too, though the installation is not as straightforward as it should be. So, how do you install it?
Getting Firefox Developer Edition
Developer edition can be downloaded for Linux at this link. Once downloaded, extract the downloaded “tar.bz2” file and move it to the home folder with the file manager. The extracted files won’t stay in the home folder, just temporarily as we work with the files and install them.
Installing the Firefox Developer Edition
With the files extracted, the files can be moved from the home directory to the “/opt” directory on the file system. To start, open a terminal window and enter the following commands:
This will give the terminal a root shell and be easier to work in.
Making a folder labeled “firefox-developer” will allow the user to easily tell that this is the Firefox developer edition files and not something else.
Entering the “firefox-*.en-US.linux-x86_64” folder and then showing all of the contents with the ls command reveals there is a Firefox folder.
The move command will place the Firefox folder inside of the newly-created “firefox-developer” directory in “/opt.” This is where the core of Firefox Developer edition will live on the system.
Making the Desktop Icon
The program is installed on the system, though it will not be able to launch. A launcher must be created so that the user can launch the program. Open a text editor and paste the following code:
Save the file as “firefox-developer.desktop” to your user’s home folder. Then, in the terminal do the following:
With the shortcut installed, just open the application menu on your desktop, and Firefox Developer edition will be right there to use.
Conclusion
Though Firefox isn’t as glamorous as Google Chrome, it still has a lot to offer. Especially when it comes to web development. A lot of the tools included are on par with the Chrome tools. In some cases, they even surpass them. If I were a web developer, I would go the Firefox Developer edition route for the features, but also because of the sort of company that Mozilla is. They care about the web and it’s openness.
If you’re a web developer on Linux looking for a new set of tools, be sure to give this app a try. You won’t regret it!
Derrik Diener is a freelance technology blogger.
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