Introduction
This covers how to install Netscape 4.75 for the i386(Intel-based) version of Linux. Version 4.75 according to Netscape required kernel version 2.2.x or higher. If you are not running this kernel, see Netscape Installation/Upgrade instead.
Check for Older Version of Netscape
If you have an older or different version of netscape, you can install the new version in a different directory and be able to run both versions. First, back up the old netscape executable file. Execute the command which netscape. This usually returns /usr/bin/netscape. Rename this file so when the new version is installed it is not erased. For example, execute mv /usr/bin/netscape /usr/bin/netscape461 for Netscape version 4.61. Then to run the older version, simply execute netscape461 instead of netscape.
Netscape Installation from RPM
Red Hat creates RPM packages for the lastest version of Netscape as part of their Errata list. The following are the instructions for using the RPM to install/update Netscape for Linux.
- Download netscape-common-4.75-0.6.2.i386.rpm and netscape-communicator-4.75-0.6.2.i386.rpm from Red Hat or the VA Linux Red Hat mirror site. Red Hat’s ftp site is often busy, so it is best to try a mirror. An entire list of mirrors is available at http://www.redhat.com/mirrors.html
- Execute the command rpm -Uvh –nodeps netscape-comm*.rpm. If Netscape is not installed, it will install it. If you already have Netscape installed, it will upgrade it to the newest version. You need the –nodeps switch because the netscape-common package is a dependency of the netscape-communicator package, but you can not upgrade the netscape-common package because the older version of netscape-common is a dependency of the current version of netscape-communicator installed.
- Restart Netscape if you already have it open. The about should now say Netscape 4.75.
Netscape Installation from TAR File
- Download from Netscape Download Site
- Login as root or use the su command.
- tar xvzf communicator-v475-us.x86-unknown-linux2.2.tar.gz
- cd communicator-v475.x86-unknown-linux2.2
- ./ns-install
- Enter the directory where you want Netscape installed (the default is /opt/netscape)
- If it existed, it will warn you that the contents might be overwritten. Choose yes if you wish to continue. If it does not exist, you will be asked if you want to create it. Choose yes if you wish to continue.
- If all goes well, you will see The Netscape Communicator software installation is complete.
- Next, create a symbolic link from /usr/bin/netscape to /opt/netscape/netscape with the command ln -s /opt/netscape/netscape /usr/bin/netscape.
- Because the /usr/bin directory is in all users’ default paths, this will allow everyone to use the new Netscape.
- Test the new version by executing netscape. The About should now say Netscape 4.75.
