This should be an easy task (push install Mozilla Firefox 3.6.x)

Not while ago one of our partners gave me, what was supposed to be an easy task. He said: “Please help us install Mozilla Firefox on all our computers”. No problemo, I said. You have Script Logic Desktop Authority which is great for these kinds of tasks and Firefox also shouldn’t be a problem. How wrong could I be? 

My objectives were:
- Preconfigure Firefox homepage to predefined web site
- Preconfigure Firefox so it won’t use proxy
- Do not configure Firefox as default browser. Do not ask to become default browser.
- Disable automatic updates Firefox.

After Googling for a while I found numerous blogs, notes and hints how to accomplish this task but no complete solution. The most useful links I found are Mike’s Musings, Glen Bettridge, Chris Ilias and Shivanand Sharm’s blogs.  Mozilla Firefox turned out to be quite difficult to roll out and preconfigure.

For these task to accomplish I had one virtual Windows 7 to test on, Windows 2008 R2 AD servers, Windows 2008 R2 member server with Script Logic Desktop Authority. I also installed 7zip on test computer and added 7zip install folder to Windows PATH.

1. Prepare batch file to install Firefox
To script Firefox installation we need three files:
- FirefoxDeploy.ini
- Install_Firefox.cmd and
- Later also FirefoxSalus.exe

All these files should be copied to network share from where you’ll push installation.

- In FirefoxDeploy.ini is:
[Install]
InstallDirectoryName=Mozilla
FirefoxCloseAppNoPrompt=true
QuickLaunchShortcut=false
DesktopShortcut=true
StartMenuShortcuts=true
StartMenuDirectoryName=Firefox

- In Install_Firefox.cmd is:
REM x32 install Mozilla FireFox
IF NOT EXIST "C:\Program Files\Mozilla\firefox.exe" (
pushd \\SALFS\InstallPoint\FireFox
FirefoxSalus.exe /INI=\\SALFS\InstallPoint\FireFox\FirefoxDeploy.ini
popd
)

2. Preconfigure Firefox home page and proxy
- Unpack Firefox installer to some temp folder

- Change folder previously unpacked installer folder .\Firefox Setup 3.6.13\nonlocalized\ and cerate file named mozilla.txt.

- Open mozilla.txt and put these lines in it:
//
lockPref("network.proxy.type", 0);
lockPref("browser.startup.homepage", http://www.Hoponbike.com/);

- Download program ByteShifter and encode Mozilla.txt to Mozilla.cfg by simple “byte-shifting” with an offset of 13.

- Copy Mozilla.cfg to unpacked installer folder where Firefox.exe is.

- At the end of file named all.js located in unzipped installer folder ".\Firefox Setup 3.6.13\nonlocalized\greprefs\" add this line:
pref("general.config.filename", "mozilla.cfg");

Preconfigure Firefox to skip default browser checking and automatic updating

- Find file named firefox.js in unzipped installer folder ".\Firefox Setup 3.6.13\nonlocalized\defaults\pref\” and change these:
pref("browser.shell.checkDefaultBrowser", false);
pref("app.update.enabled", false);

3. Repackage Firefox and create installer
- Repackage installer by first zipping changes you made. To do this open command line and change directory to the root of unzipped installer folder. Enter these command to create a file called app.7z:
7z a -r -t7z app.7z -mx -m0=BCJ2 -m1=LZMA:d24 -m2=LZMA:d19 -m3=LZMA:d19 -mb0:1 -mb0s1:2 -mb0s2:3

- Download file 7zSD.sfx needed to repackage installer and save it to the root of unzipped installer folder.

- Create file named app.tag, also in the root of unzipped installer folder and put in it these lines:
;!@Install@!UTF-8!
Title="Mozilla Firefox"
RunProgram="setup.exe"
;!@InstallEnd@!

- Repackage installer by executing this command:
copy /B 7zSD.sfx+app.tag+app.7z FirefoxSalus.exe

- Copy newly created installer FirefoxSalus.exe to your install point folder.

So this is it, now you’re ready to test your Mozilla Firefox deployment on small group of computers with a help of Group policy or some other method. I personally did it with Script Logic Desktop Authority.

This is it for today. Have fun!