Live Cd Firefox Browser

FirefoxRocks

Oct 15 2007, 04:11 AM

This has been posted at the MozillaZine Forums by me, but I think that people here will have different responses as well and I want to see different opinions:

QUOTE("http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=593161")

I want to burn a CD with Firefox on it, but a special version of Firefox.

1. It will only display the HTML files on the CD, and it shouldn't connect to the Internet.
2. Extensions shouldn't be able to be added, I want to add the extensions that I want then burn the thing onto CD.
3. Title bar needs to be changed to something like "Mozilla Firefox:Redistributed for Web Development Lessons"
4. About:config options configured, but read-only after the CD is burnt
5. Disabled Tools menu.

Some optional things that I would like:
1. Option to install Firefox (and maybe other software if the CD has sufficient space).
2. A splash screen with my own text.
3. Autorun. (I'm sure that I can probably configure that myself, but some help would be appreciated).
4. Ability to play Audio files (mp3) without launching an external program.
5. A Terms and Conditions box explaining about my HTML files, this is an old version of Firefox and educational use only.

The CD is meant to be run at school for kids to learn from some tutorials that I made. Because of this, I have to put safeguards on the browser (especially point #1) to ensure that people use it for Educational Use ONLY.

Also, if this is possible, I want to know how ISP-branding works and can it be done?

Basically that explains it all. So can anyone here direct me to the appropriate resources/information to help me do this?

Jimmy89

Oct 15 2007, 07:47 AM

Sounds like an interesting plan that you have there, good luck!

For the first list, i would say that you have to go to the developers for something that can be changed in the code for some of those ideas.

For the second list,
1 - installing firefox should be easy. Copy the installation file onto the cd and link a html page to the exe file - they can open that from the cd and install firefox.

2 (and 3) - a splash screen can be integrated into the autorun. i.e. run the splash then load modded firefox. (autorun a simple exe file made in a language of your choice)(make sure the language can run on the client pc easily)

4 - you can play mp3 files into html easily enough and play them in the browser, as long as you don't navigate away from that page.

5 - Terms and conditions could be part of the autorun, or also part of the html pages and sort of a welcome page (click to continue once you ahve read the conditions).

Hopefully this has been a help,
-jimmy

toby

Oct 15 2007, 03:41 PM

Most of it is learning the language (should be C++) and making those edits yourself. Half of them can at least be half done by command line and so on, no source messing.

FirefoxRocks

Oct 15 2007, 10:14 PM

QUOTE(toby @ Oct 15 2007, 10:41 AM)

Most of it is learning the language (should be C++) and making those edits yourself. Half of them can at least be half done by command line and so on, no source messing.

Are you joking my life? I don't know anything about C++, C or C# except for the fact that we can learn it in grade 11 and that it is quite complicated (judging from a beginners book that I saw).

I need an easier way to do this and no one on the MozillaZine forums are responding.

Jimmy89

Oct 16 2007, 05:55 AM

why is it that you need to use firefox, would it be possible to use a language (be it C++, C#, C, VB etc) to create virtually your own web browser. Just remove the address bar so that they cannot navigate away from your html pages and in your html pages, don't include any external links that might allow them to get around the block and surf the internet anyway.

This way you can include all your autorun's, splash screens and mp3s in the one file and run it off the cd.
-jimmy

FirefoxRocks

Oct 16 2007, 01:10 PM

If you have read the post above, you will know that I don't know any C, C++, C#, Visual Basic or other programming languages, except if you count PHP as one.

Also, I am trying to promote Firefox.

toby

Oct 16 2007, 01:22 PM

Then it can't really be done. Be nice, or pay someone on the FF forums, or use something good. I say good, I've never heard of this use before, group policy and IE is the closest I know.

edit: Edubuntu livecd?

.:Brian:.

Oct 16 2007, 05:39 PM

It shouldn't be too hard to do...I would think that you could simply modify a lot of the settings in the about:config before burning it to the cd (try a portable version of firefox maybe to see if that works)....

I am not sure if everything you need is going to be in the about:config area, but a lot should be...although disabling things such as internet access might be somewhat of a challenge...

Somebody who knows firefox really well, including the code, should be able to give you some more specific instructions... you may even be able to get somebody to make the modifications for you for free if you ask nicely on some forums.

As for an edubuntu livecd that somebody suggested...i don't know how much that would help as it is a full linux distribution and so I think you would have a lot of extra stuff that isn't needed...

Chesso

Oct 18 2007, 05:39 AM

If this is only needed for Windows.

Use Borland Delphi or similar, and use the internet control, which basically takes control of the Explorer engine thing, so you can just use it in a fashion that you would only load up local files.

And this way you could design the interface, in any way, shape or form you desire, and it isn't difficult to do.

vizskywalker

Oct 18 2007, 08:58 PM

QUOTE(Jimmy89)

4 - you can play mp3 files into html easily enough and play them in the browser, as long as you don't navigate away from that page.

I thought Firefox relied on an external mp3 decoder such as windows media player or iTunes or something to play mp3s and couldn't play them if there wasn't something on the system to decode them. In that case, getting the LiveCD to play the mp3 would be more difficult if you couldn't guarantee the presence of such media software on the machine already. Although, if it is for Windows, the default version of media player should be able to provide that functionality.

~Viz

Live Cd Firefox Browser - Is it possible to do this?

Live Cd Firefox Browser - Is it possible to do this?