Problem with executing Firefox version 9.0.1

Question

I cannot run firefox version 9.0.1. When i try to execute the binary firefox I get an error -bash: ./firefox: cannot execute binary file. The info returned by file is as follows:

firefox: ELF 32-bit LSB executable, Intel 80386, version 1 (SYSV),
dynamically linked (uses shared libs), for GNU/Linux 2.6.9, stripped

The system info returned by uname -r is:

2.6.37

It might be worth mentioning that I do not have administrator rights on this machine (I have a shell account).

I am downloading the file from the following web page: http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/all.html (file name firefox-9.0.1.tar.bz2)

Then I am extracting the file into my home folder using tar xvf firefox-9.0.1.tar.bz2. Then I go into the firefox directory and try to execute by typing ./firefox. After that I get the aforementioned error.

The file firefox of course have the rights to be executed (x).

Does anyone have any idea why I cannot execute the browser?

Can you show the output of ldd ./firefox, and readelf -a ./firefox|grep Requesting? — Mat, Jan 04 '12 at 15:37
The output of ldd ./firefox shows this /usr/bin/ldd: line 161: /lib/ld-linux.so.2: cannot execute binary file not a dynamic executable. The second one shows [Requesting program interpreter: /lib/ld-linux.so.2]. — Jagger, Jan 04 '12 at 15:57
I have found one more thing. It looks like the server I operate on is a 64 bit system. The uname -mr returns 2.6.37 x86_64. Right now I am looking for a 64 bit Firefox binaries. I will let you know whether it solves the problem. — Jagger, Jan 04 '12 at 16:04
You appear to be running a 64bit distro that doesn't have 32bit support installed. I don't know how Debian does its 32bit support, so sorry, can't help you. — Mat, Jan 04 '12 at 16:07
possible duplicate of Can't execute some binaries in chroot environment (zsh: Not found) — Gilles 'SO- stop being evil', Jan 04 '12 at 23:29

score 2 · Answer 1 · answered Jan 04 '12 at 18:55

2

The problem was indeed the fact that the system is 64 bit and does not have the support for executing 32 bit binaries installed.

I downloaded the newest version of Firefox for x64 architecture from Firefox 9.0.1 x86_64

answered Jan 04 '12 at 18:55

Jagger

153

Problem with executing Firefox version 9.0.1

1 Answers1