Browser functionality in 14.2

[Mike Spencer]

I visit/use only a very few web sites where javascript functionality
is essential and those -- web mail when needed, one financial site --
work as expected with the Seamonkey (2.40) version distributed with
Slackware 14.2. A couple of on-line shopping experiences same.

Now trying to buy some DVDs from the Criterion Collection. After
enabling js, images and cookies in Seamonkey, the "Add to Cart" button
fails to do anything on (for example) this page:

[Mike Spencer]

Sorry; Fumblefinger sent incomplete mssg instead of pasting URL.
Starting over:


I visit/use only a very few web sites where javascript functionality
is essential and those -- web mail when needed, one financial site --
work as expected with the Seamonkey (2.40) version distributed with
Slackware 14.2. A couple of on-line shopping experiences same.

Now trying to buy some DVDs from the Criterion Collection. After
enabling js, images and cookies in Seamonkey, the "Add to Cart" button
fails to do anything at all on (for example) this page:

https://www.criterion.com/films/655-the-hidden-fortress

I rarely use Firefox because it has no menu items to disable images,
js & cookies but with those enabled (by default), the FF version (45.2)
distributed with Slack 14.2 also fails at Criterion.com.

Is there some tweak or work-around to fix this? Is js or HTML
evolving so that the only solution is to upgrade to a newer browser in
order for this to work?

If I must do that, is an up-to-date Seamonkey available as a
Slackpackage that I can install with usual Slack tools? (As an
alternative to dealing with the Mozilla web site.)

(I'm not one of those people who eagerly D/Ls every new version of
everything -- always irritated by changes that inevitably break [rant
elided]. Upgrading is an infrequent and somewhat onerous chore for me.)

[Rinaldi]

Post by Mike Spencer
Sorry; Fumblefinger sent incomplete mssg instead of pasting URL.
I visit/use only a very few web sites where javascript functionality
is essential and those -- web mail when needed, one financial site --
work as expected with the Seamonkey (2.40) version distributed with
Slackware 14.2. A couple of on-line shopping experiences same.
Now trying to buy some DVDs from the Criterion Collection. After
enabling js, images and cookies in Seamonkey, the "Add to Cart" button
https://www.criterion.com/films/655-the-hidden-fortress

Here with Chromium, Firefox, and Pale Moon the cart button opens a pop
up. Check your settings.

<---------->

rinaldi

[Mike Spencer]

Post by Rinaldi

Post by Mike Spencer
Now trying to buy some DVDs from the Criterion Collection. After
enabling js, images and cookies in Seamonkey, the "Add to Cart" button
https://www.criterion.com/films/655-the-hidden-fortress

Here with Chromium, Firefox, and Pale Moon the cart button opens a pop
up. Check your settings.

Pop-ups! I forgot that, had them disabled forever so I was very
hopeful. Enabled popup windows.

No change in either Seamonkey (2.40) or FF (45.2). Cart button does
nothing.

Thanks but I'm still stuck. Moving on to other helpful replies...

[Javier]

Post by Mike Spencer
Now trying to buy some DVDs from the Criterion Collection. After
enabling js, images and cookies in Seamonkey, the "Add to Cart" button
https://www.criterion.com/films/655-the-hidden-fortress
Is there some tweak or work-around to fix this? Is js or HTML
evolving so that the only solution is to upgrade to a newer browser in
order for this to work?
If I must do that, is an up-to-date Seamonkey available as a
Slackpackage that I can install with usual Slack tools? (As an
alternative to dealing with the Mozilla web site.)

The "Add to Cart" link works for me in a more recent seamonkey.

SeaMonkey version 2.53.3
User agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:60.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/60.0 SeaMonkey/2.53.3

I don't know how to use slackpkg. I would try compiling directly from source:

version=2.53.3
cd $(mktemp -d)
wget https://archive.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/seamonkey/releases/${version}/source/seamonkey-${version}.source.tar.xz
tar xJvf seamonkey-2.53.3.source.tar.xz
cd seamonkey-2.53.3
./configure --prefix=/usr/local && make && sudo make install
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/local/lib:${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}
export PATH=/usr/local/bin:${PATH}
seamonkey

[Henrik Carlqvist]

SeaMonkey version 2.53.3 User agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64;
rv:60.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/60.0 SeaMonkey/2.53.3

The latest seamonkey for Slackware 14.2 is at the time of this writing
2.53.5.1 , that patch came Dec 7:

http://www.slackware.com/changelog/stable.php?cpu=x86_64

The patches directory at
https://mirrors.slackware.com/slackware/slackware-14.2/patches/packages/
contains a lot of useful stuff, not only upgraded web browsers.

regards Henrik

[Mike Spencer]

Post by Henrik Carlqvist
The latest seamonkey for Slackware 14.2 is at the time of this writing
http://www.slackware.com/changelog/stable.php?cpu=x86_64

I'm using a 32 bit system, found this at dal.ca (close geographically):

https://mirror.its.dal.ca/slackware/slackware-14.2/patches/packages/seamonkey-2.53.5.1-i686-1_slack14.2.txz

which unpacks (unxz, tar -x) as a collection of files, among which

bogus% cd unpak/usr/lib/seamonkey; file seamonkey

ELF 32-bit LSB executable, Intel 80386 [snip]

so I should be on the right track.

Is the .txz package (cited above in URL) a Slackware "package" then?
That I can install with "upgradepkg oldpkg%newpkg"?

I tried to run seamonkey from the unpack directory (something I've
done years ago with firefoxen and others such as wireshark. Get:

XPCOMGlueLoad error for file
/home/pkg/seamonkey/usr/lib/seamonkey/libxul.so:

/lib/libz.so.1: version `ZLIB_1.2.9' not found (required by
/home/pkg/seamonkey/usr/lib/seamonkey/libxul.so)

Couldn't load XPCOM.

Slack 14.2 seems to have:

/usr/lib/libz.so -> libz.so.1.2.8

The Seamonkey 2.53 tarball seems not to include a libz.so[.anything]

Is this dependency stuff that will be fixed by doing upgradepkg or am
I looking at a dependency mare's nest?

I've been doing *ix for 30 years, Linux for 20, have compiled various
stuff. But these huge app packages with rapid version changes,
intricate dependencies and perhaps aspects that I haven't even know
about intimidate me. I upgraded Slack to 14.2 over a year ago and
still don't have some details sorted out -- there's life away from the
keyboard, y'know? :-)



Bedtime. Try to get back to buying a Kurosawa movie tomorrow.

[Javier]

Post by Mike Spencer
https://mirror.its.dal.ca/slackware/slackware-14.2/patches/packages/seamonkey-2.53.5.1-i686-1_slack14.2.txz
which unpacks (unxz, tar -x) as a collection of files, among which
bogus% cd unpak/usr/lib/seamonkey; file seamonkey
ELF 32-bit LSB executable, Intel 80386 [snip]
so I should be on the right track.
Is the .txz package (cited above in URL) a Slackware "package" then?
That I can install with "upgradepkg oldpkg%newpkg"?
I tried to run seamonkey from the unpack directory (something I've
XPCOMGlueLoad error for file
/lib/libz.so.1: version `ZLIB_1.2.9' not found (required by
/home/pkg/seamonkey/usr/lib/seamonkey/libxul.so)
Couldn't load XPCOM.
/usr/lib/libz.so -> libz.so.1.2.8
The Seamonkey 2.53 tarball seems not to include a libz.so[.anything]
Is this dependency stuff that will be fixed by doing upgradepkg or am
I looking at a dependency mare's nest?

From my own experience I advice not to upgrade system libraries. At
least not in a computer that you use for serious uses. You may end
up with a non-bootable system and need to use a rescue disc.

Most of the experiments for installing new software can be done in a
user account. Yes, compiling a modern browser can take very long, and
using a 32-bit system that can mean days, but at least you don't risk
ending up with a non bootable system.

Post by Mike Spencer
I've been doing *ix for 30 years, Linux for 20, have compiled various
stuff. But these huge app packages with rapid version changes,
intricate dependencies and perhaps aspects that I haven't even know
about intimidate me. I upgraded Slack to 14.2 over a year ago and
still don't have some details sorted out -- there's life away from the
keyboard, y'know? :-)

I agree. Regretably it is how the modern webs are done.

[Mike Spencer]

Background to avoid tedious quoting:

Trying to purchase DVDs at Criterion.com, failed, help sought

Much clicking around, have now tried:

Firefox 45.2, Seamonkey 2.40, Seamonkey 2.53.5.1, Palemoon 28.16.0.

Managed to register w/ the site but only after onerous dicking around.
Failed to log in, check out a purchase or even enter CC payment
details.

Email to Criterion support received a nice but unhelpful reply.

Have given up. Will seek old movies through another channel

Post by Javier

Post by Mike Spencer
I tried to run seamonkey from the unpack directory (something I've
XPCOMGlueLoad error for file
/lib/libz.so.1: version `ZLIB_1.2.9' not found (required by
/home/pkg/seamonkey/usr/lib/seamonkey/libxul.so)

From my own experience I advice not to upgrade system libraries. At
least not in a computer that you use for serious uses. You may end
up with a non-bootable system and need to use a rescue disc.

Yes, and typically results, even without such disaster, in recursive
depenency-chasing.

In this case, considering this is just a compression lib, I found
libz.so.1.2.11 at the dal.ca mirror, caused /lib/libz.so.1 ->
libz.so.1.2.11 and Seamonkey 2.53.5.1 ran in the unpack directory
without further ado.

But it still produced (substitute for boring account of twiddling and
clicking) a dog's breakfast experience at Criterion.

(Yes, have reverted libz softlink to status quo ante. Not gratuitously
inviting unexpected failures.)

I surmise that their style-sheet code is the problem as reverting
to "no style" alternately with "default style" allowed me to make some
(but not enough) progress.

Post by Javier

Post by Mike Spencer
I've been doing *ix for 30 years, Linux for 20, have compiled various
stuff. But these huge app packages with rapid version changes,
intricate dependencies and perhaps aspects that I haven't even know
about intimidate me. I upgraded Slack to 14.2 over a year ago and
still don't have some details sorted out -- there's life away from the
keyboard, y'know? :-)

I agree. Regrettably it is how the modern webs are done.

Yeah. And they keep making superfluous *changes*. The scrollbars on
Seamonkey 2.53 are pointlessly *different* & AFAICT harder to use.

Thanks all for help, pointers etc.

[Javier]

Post by Mike Spencer
Managed to register w/ the site but only after onerous dicking around.
Failed to log in, check out a purchase or even enter CC payment
details.

My guess is that they require new versions of TLS libraries or
something else related to security.

Post by Mike Spencer
Have given up. Will seek old movies through another channel

That's the best to do. Tinkering with libraries leads to too many problems.

Post by Mike Spencer

Post by Javier
I agree. Regrettably it is how the modern webs are done.

Yeah. And they keep making superfluous *changes*. The scrollbars on
Seamonkey 2.53 are pointlessly *different* & AFAICT harder to use.

I agree, but for the scrollbars don't blame the Seamonkey developers.
Blame the Gnome project. The new style of scrollbars is due to using
Gtk3 instead of Gtk2.

Up to Seamonkey 2.49 it was possible to compile with either gtk2 or gtk3.
Seamonkey 2.53 can only be compiled with gtk3.

You need to configure and compile with the option
--enable-default-toolkit=cairo-gtk2 (works up to 2.49).

In any case, I would try that in a 32 bit machine. Compilation of a
browser can take days.

[Mike Spencer]

Post by Javier

Post by Mike Spencer
Managed to register w/ the site but only after onerous dicking around.
Failed to log in, check out a purchase or even enter CC payment
details.

My guess is that they require new versions of TLS libraries or
something else related to security.

Possible but doubtful. I get explicit messages about crypto suite
mismatch when that happens.

Post by Javier
Up to Seamonkey 2.49 it was possible to compile with either gtk2 or gtk3.
Seamonkey 2.53 can only be compiled with gtk3.
You need to configure and compile with the option
--enable-default-toolkit=cairo-gtk2 (works up to 2.49).

Saved for future reference. But hoping I never need to know that. ;-)

Post by Javier
In any case, I would try that in a 32 bit machine. Compilation of a
browser can take days.

What, longer the GNU Emacs?! :-)

[Henrik Carlqvist]

Post by Mike Spencer
https://mirror.its.dal.ca/slackware/slackware-14.2/patches/packages/

seamonkey-2.53.5.1-i686-1_slack14.2.txz

Post by Mike Spencer
Is the .txz package (cited above in URL) a Slackware "package" then?
That I can install with "upgradepkg oldpkg%newpkg"?

Yes, those .txz files in the patches/packages directory are Slackware
packages. The easiest way to install such patches is:

upgradepkg --install-new --reinstall seamonkey-2.53.5.1-
i686-1_slack14.2.txz

As you have found, Slackware package files have a rather simple to
understand file format, they are simply compressed tar files. However,
that does not mean that any compressed tar file will work as a Slackware
package. If you want to create your own Slackware package you should use
the script makepkg which among other things will make sure that symbolic
links are created by the installation script in the package.

regards Henrik

[Michael Black]

Sorry; Fumblefinger sent incomplete mssg instead of pasting URL.
I visit/use only a very few web sites where javascript functionality
is essential and those -- web mail when needed, one financial site --
work as expected with the Seamonkey (2.40) version distributed with
Slackware 14.2. A couple of on-line shopping experiences same.

I think it was 2 years ago that I suddenly couldn't access my bank account and some other
websites where I had to sign in. I'd used the version of Seamonkey that came with 14.2,
and it was no longer compatible.

Maybe a month ago I noticed I couldn't access gmail (I've been using a tablet a lot, so maybe
the issue popped up earlier). I had been updating seamonkey, but missed an upgrade or two. I upgraded, but still couldn't sign into gmail. I'm not sure what happened there though there is a week old updste to move to.

When thrre's a new release, it freezes and becomes "stable" in the changelog. Some upgrades happen, but not much, I think just security upgrades.

Current is where all the action happens, the changes towards the next release. It's not stable, something may change, then change again the next day Since the kernel and libraries may be upgrading, the programs and utilities may no longer be compatible with the last release.

So when upgrading seamonkey, you have to use the "patches" to your slackware install, ie 14.2. Using that from current may mean you lack other upgrades.

As far as I know, seamonkey is complete. For a while everytime seamonkey was upgraded, an associated library was upgraded, but that was dropped some time back. I have never had to upgrade anything but seamonkey to upgrade it in stable.

The seamonkey that came with 14.2 is really obsolete.

[Per Christensen]

Post by Mike Spencer
I visit/use only a very few web sites where javascript functionality
is essential and those -- web mail when needed, one financial site --
work as expected with the Seamonkey (2.40) version distributed with
Slackware 14.2. A couple of on-line shopping experiences same.
Now trying to buy some DVDs from the Criterion Collection. After
enabling js, images and cookies in Seamonkey, the "Add to Cart" button

I use a present Firefox and for Google things a present Chromium.

firefox-84.0.tar.bz2 can be downloaded from the home site and (as root)
extracted into the /opt directory with the tar -xvf command.
If setting symlinks to /usr/bin (and copying icons to
/usr/share/pixmaps) the browser can be invoked from my home account.
AlienBob provide Chromium (chromium-87.0.4280.66-i586-1alien.txz) where
I used pkgtool for installation.My system is also a 32bit Slackware /
Salix hybrid. But SeaMonkey is nice, too :)

[Aelius Gallus]

Post by Per Christensen
I use a present Firefox and for Google things a present Chromium.
firefox-84.0.tar.bz2 can be downloaded from the home site and (as root)
extracted into the /opt directory with the tar -xvf command.
If setting symlinks to /usr/bin (and copying icons to
/usr/share/pixmaps) the browser can be invoked from my home account.
AlienBob provide Chromium (chromium-87.0.4280.66-i586-1alien.txz) where
I used pkgtool for installation.My system is also a 32bit Slackware /
Salix hybrid. But SeaMonkey is nice, too :)

Thank you for your posting. I downloaded firefox-80.0.1.tar.bz2 and installed
it as as described in your posting, and now I can enjoy watching YouTube
videos, except the live streaming ones, and get the following message:
"Your browser does not currently recognize any
of the video formats available.
Click here to visit our frequently our frequently asked
questions about HTML 5 video".
But when the live streaming ends, I can watch it.
Do you know the means to make it work for live video transmission?

[Rich]

Post by Per Christensen
I use a present Firefox and for Google things a present Chromium.
firefox-84.0.tar.bz2 can be downloaded from the home site and (as root)
extracted into the /opt directory with the tar -xvf command.
If setting symlinks to /usr/bin (and copying icons to
/usr/share/pixmaps) the browser can be invoked from my home account.
AlienBob provide Chromium (chromium-87.0.4280.66-i586-1alien.txz) where
I used pkgtool for installation.My system is also a 32bit Slackware /
Salix hybrid. But SeaMonkey is nice, too :)

Thank you for your posting. I downloaded firefox-80.0.1.tar.bz2 and
installed it as as described in your posting, and now I can enjoy
watching YouTube videos, except the live streaming ones, and get the
"Your browser does not currently recognize any
of the video formats available.
Click here to visit our frequently our frequently asked
questions about HTML 5 video".
But when the live streaming ends, I can watch it.
Do you know the means to make it work for live video transmission?

For a large majority of youtube stuff, it is by far more convienent to
download the video
(https://slackbuilds.org/repository/14.2/network/youtube-dl/) and then
watch with a standard video player (mplayer, vlc, etc.) than to mess
more with the add-laden youtube pages.

[Aelius Gallus]

Post by Rich

Post by Per Christensen
I use a present Firefox and for Google things a present Chromium.
firefox-84.0.tar.bz2 can be downloaded from the home site and (as root)
extracted into the /opt directory with the tar -xvf command.
If setting symlinks to /usr/bin (and copying icons to
/usr/share/pixmaps) the browser can be invoked from my home account.
AlienBob provide Chromium (chromium-87.0.4280.66-i586-1alien.txz) where
I used pkgtool for installation.My system is also a 32bit Slackware /
Salix hybrid. But SeaMonkey is nice, too :)

Thank you for your posting. I downloaded firefox-80.0.1.tar.bz2 and
installed it as as described in your posting, and now I can enjoy
watching YouTube videos, except the live streaming ones, and get the
"Your browser does not currently recognize any
of the video formats available.
Click here to visit our frequently our frequently asked
questions about HTML 5 video".
But when the live streaming ends, I can watch it.
Do you know the means to make it work for live video transmission?

For a large majority of youtube stuff, it is by far more convienent to
download the video
(https://slackbuilds.org/repository/14.2/network/youtube-dl/) and then
watch with a standard video player (mplayer, vlc, etc.) than to mess
more with the add-laden youtube pages.

Thank you for your suggestion, but I already have youtube-dl and use it as
you described. What I would like is to be able to use firefox-84.0.1 to
watch live video transmissions.
By the way, I use an add blocker available for f-84.0.1 as an add-on, and
watch non-live videos without adds.

[Per Christensen]

Post by Aelius Gallus

Post by Rich

Post by Per Christensen
I use a present Firefox and for Google things a present Chromium.
firefox-84.0.tar.bz2 can be downloaded from the home site and (as root)
extracted into the /opt directory with the tar -xvf command.
If setting symlinks to /usr/bin (and copying icons to
/usr/share/pixmaps) the browser can be invoked from my home account.
AlienBob provide Chromium (chromium-87.0.4280.66-i586-1alien.txz) where
I used pkgtool for installation.My system is also a 32bit Slackware /
Salix hybrid. But SeaMonkey is nice, too :)

Thank you for your posting. I downloaded firefox-80.0.1.tar.bz2 and
installed it as as described in your posting, and now I can enjoy
watching YouTube videos, except the live streaming ones, and get the
"Your browser does not currently recognize any
of the video formats available.
Click here to visit our frequently our frequently asked
questions about HTML 5 video".
But when the live streaming ends, I can watch it.
Do you know the means to make it work for live video transmission?

For a large majority of youtube stuff, it is by far more convienent to
download the video
(https://slackbuilds.org/repository/14.2/network/youtube-dl/) and then
watch with a standard video player (mplayer, vlc, etc.) than to mess
more with the add-laden youtube pages.

Thank you for your suggestion, but I already have youtube-dl and use it as
you described. What I would like is to be able to use firefox-84.0.1 to
watch live video transmissions.
By the way, I use an add blocker available for f-84.0.1 as an add-on, and
watch non-live videos without adds.

Perhaps you are missing some codecs? At the moment I have no Firefox
installed but AlienBob's 32bit Chromium appear to stream live YouTube
videos fine.I'm quite sure Salix came with this installer of various codecs:
https://slackware.pkgs.org/14.2/salix-i586/salix-codecs-installer-2.1.2-noarch-1gv.txz.html
but I afterwards deleted the installer after codecs was in place

[Aelius Gallus]

Post by Aelius Gallus

Post by Rich

Post by Per Christensen
I use a present Firefox and for Google things a present Chromium.
firefox-84.0.tar.bz2 can be downloaded from the home site and (as root)
extracted into the /opt directory with the tar -xvf command.
If setting symlinks to /usr/bin (and copying icons to
/usr/share/pixmaps) the browser can be invoked from my home account.
AlienBob provide Chromium (chromium-87.0.4280.66-i586-1alien.txz) where
I used pkgtool for installation.My system is also a 32bit Slackware /
Salix hybrid. But SeaMonkey is nice, too :)

Thank you for your posting. I downloaded firefox-80.0.1.tar.bz2 and
installed it as as described in your posting, and now I can enjoy
watching YouTube videos, except the live streaming ones, and get the
"Your browser does not currently recognize any
of the video formats available.
Click here to visit our frequently our frequently asked
questions about HTML 5 video".
But when the live streaming ends, I can watch it.
Do you know the means to make it work for live video transmission?

For a large majority of youtube stuff, it is by far more convienent to
download the video
(https://slackbuilds.org/repository/14.2/network/youtube-dl/) and then
watch with a standard video player (mplayer, vlc, etc.) than to mess
more with the add-laden youtube pages.

Thank you for your suggestion, but I already have youtube-dl and use it as
you described. What I would like is to be able to use firefox-84.0.1 to
watch live video transmissions.
By the way, I use an add blocker available for f-84.0.1 as an add-on, and
watch non-live videos without adds.

Thank you to everybody trying to help. Reading again some of the earlier
posting in this thread I came with the idea that Slackware 14.2, the
kernel and its libraries, are just too obsolete to support any of the
latest browsers. Therefore, I think it would be better to wait until
Slackware 15.0 is released.
obsolete to support any of the latest browsers, the kernel and its libraries
are

[Javier]

Post by Rich
For a large majority of youtube stuff, it is by far more convienent to
download the video
(https://slackbuilds.org/repository/14.2/network/youtube-dl/) and then
watch with a standard video player (mplayer, vlc, etc.) than to mess
more with the add-laden youtube pages.

For other sites that are not youtube this can help also.

https://www.downloadhelper.net/welcome?browser=firefox

[Mike]

Post by Rich
(https://slackbuilds.org/repository/14.2/network/youtube-dl/) and then

For other sites that are not youtube this can help also ...

Note: For other sites that are not youtube, youtube-dl can make a good go
of it *too* (i.e. don't be fooled by the name, it does MORE than it
says on the tin :)

try: youtube-dl --list-extractors