Arch Linux User Repository

Basilisk as of v2020.03.04 now lives in its own repository, which depends on the UXP repository as a git submodule. For this package as it relies on the packaged source rather than git it should be enough to grab the release tarball of Basilisk, plus the UXP commit tagged 88da01c (as mentioned in the release notes, and would be set as a pointer in git) which should be placed in the "platform" folder from the release tarball.

Please fix sha256sum:

04571b15fb720535cf390e3004821f22d2f120e720b121fd3046b907714b3e37 v2020.02.06.tar.gz

And don't forget that pkgrel should be 1 when a new version is out.

Cheers

1. Your are right, just added a comment in basilisk-bin AUR.

2. I've compiled again several times, and finally using this mozconfig advanced preferences works:

ac_add_options --enable-application=browser
ac_add_options --enable-release
ac_add_options --enable-official-branding
ac_add_options --enable-private-build
export MOZILLA_OFFICIAL=1
export MOZ_DATA_REPORTING=0
export MOZ_TELEMETRY_REPORTING=0
export MOZ_SERVICES_HEALTHREPORT=0

ac_add_options --disable-updater
ac_add_options --disable-maintenance-service
#ac_add_options --disable-stylo
#ac_add_options --disable-servo
#ac_add_options --disable-webextensions

ac_add_options --prefix=/usr
ac_add_options --enable-strip
ac_add_options --enable-install-strip
ac_add_options --enable-gold
ac_add_options --enable-pie
#ac_add_options --enable-jemalloc
#ac_add_options --enable-replace-malloc
ac_add_options --with-pthreads
ac_add_options --enable-optimize="-O2 -msse -msse2 -msse3 -mmmx -mfpmath=sse"

ac_add_options --enable-default-toolkit=cairo-gtk2

ac_add_options --enable-alsa
#ac_add_options --disable-pulseaudio
#ac_add_options --disable-jack

#ac_add_options --disable-dbus
#ac_add_options --disable-gconf
#ac_add_options --disable-gio
#ac_add_options --disable-necko-wifi
#ac_add_options --disable-startup-notification

ac_add_options --enable-devtools

ac_add_options --disable-debug
ac_add_options --disable-debug-symbols
ac_add_options --disable-tests

#ac_add_options --disable-eme
ac_add_options --disable-crashreporter
#ac_add_options --disable-parental-controls
#ac_add_options --disable-accessibility
#ac_add_options --disable-safe-browsing
#ac_add_options --disable-sync
#ac_add_options --disable-webspeech
#ac_add_options --disable-webspeechtestbackend
#ac_add_options --disable-synth-speechd
#ac_add_options --disable-synth-pico
#ac_add_options --disable-webrtc
#ac_add_options --disable-gamepad
#ac_add_options --disable-b2g-camera
#ac_add_options --disable-b2g-ril
#ac_add_options --disable-b2g-bt
#ac_add_options --disable-mozril-geoloc
#ac_add_options --disable-nfc
#ac_add_options --disable-url-classifier
#ac_add_options --disable-userinfo

mk_add_options MOZ_MAKE_FLAGS="-j4"
mk_add_options PYTHON=/usr/bin/python2

I think that a better approach to Arch philosofy is keep package as close as possible to upstream. You can let user decide to enable or disable features, but by default, basilisk should be very close to official binary. You can optimize and patch if something is broken for Arch, but IMHO feature list should be almost stock.

Maybe comment the options should be a good start, and let commented for the user, or you can add a custom flag that enables a group of privacy features for instance... I don't know...

@figue

1. Usually it's derivative packages (in this case basilisk-bin) which should define the conflicts and provides arrays.
2. I was aware of this for a while but I had assumed that it was an upstream bug. The presence of this bug is probably due to my build time configuration. Unfortunately, it will take some time to track down which build flag in particular is causing the issue. In the mean time you can try removing some of the lines in the mozconfig.

@neeshy thanks for maintaining this package. Was trying to update myself yesterday but I think you did it much much better... I have several things at work that I want to keep in UXL platform, so I read about this project and would give it a try.

A couple of things:

• perhaps you can add replaces/conflicts just in case somebody has basilisk-bin installed wants to replace the package.

conflicts=('basilisk-bin' 'basilisk-git')
replaces=('basilisk-bin' 'basilisk-git')

• Advanced preferences doesn't work, but it does with basilisk-bin, same clean profile. Can you test in your system?

Cheers

Here is a working - and dirty - PKGBUILD for Basilisk 2018.07.18

1) Modified commit reference to get Basilisk 2018.07.18 release

2) Removed useless and dead patches : fix-wifi-scanner, 0001-Bug-54395-remove-hardcoded-flag-lcrmf.patch, nss_mozbuild.patch, modified-install-dir.patch

3) Added a mozver value in order to fix packaging

4) Removed some part of copy icon line in order to keep existing icons

5) || return 1 are obsolete. If a build process is broken, makepkg will manage it flawlessly.

Yes I know, it is a little dirty, but you can use it to make an up-to-date PKGBUILD.

https://pastebin.com/sidWiDB3

@KlipperKyle:

Thank you so very much. Yes, that's great, and I'm glad we can come to a solution that satisfies everyone. My apologies also for the delay in responding -- like everyone else, I'm afraid I too have a day job (and not an especially fast computer), so I'd like to beg a crumb of further indulgence by giving me a few days to put this together. If you'd like me to specifically contact you to keep you in the loop, I'm sure I can find your contact details somewhere to do that, but otherwise I'll get on this as soon as the rest of my meatspace-world commitments permit. Again, thanks very much for your help.

@frankspace:

a cross between Steve Jobs and Hans Reiser.

That's an interesting combination. It made me laugh!

The problem I have is, the build process is eventually going to generate various things with "basilisk" in the name somewhere. If all of that has to be somehow renamed without breaking anything, well, that's certainly beyond my capabilities, and I don't even know where to begin. I expect that would be "behind the scenes" to a user, but technically still present.

I just talked to @mattatobin. He says not to worry about it. The build will generate some files that have the Basilisk name. However what's important is the name of the package, the name on the desktop file, and the logo.

I'd also like to know if it's acceptable to note in the package description that it's "derived from Basilisk",

He says that's OK too.

https://freenode.logbot.info/palemoon/20180603#c1570848

I'm glad I can help.

@KlipperKyle, thank you. It is helpful.

Given that I don't want to put up with bickering, interpreting or defending whatever anyone believes a "necessary" patch to be, or depending on the whims of someone whose identity is not actually clear to me and may be the person with exceedingly poor diplomacy and communication skills who below made reference to "completely insane" and "squatting", yes, I would definitely be pursuing the first option. Bluntly, I have no intention of tolerating that kind of aggressive attitude; it reminds me a little of a cross between Steve Jobs and Hans Reiser.

Anyway, yes, the icon is already something new, the browser itself already identifies itself as "serpent," and it should be easy enough to rename the bin file used to launch it, desktop file, and I think that's it. The problem I have is, the build process is eventually going to generate various things with "basilisk" in the name somewhere. If all of that has to be somehow renamed without breaking anything, well, that's certainly beyond my capabilities, and I don't even know where to begin. I expect that would be "behind the scenes" to a user, but technically still present.

So, I just want to clarify whether it's necessary to literally strip the word "basilisk" out of everything, because (a) I don't know how to do that without breaking things, and (b) I'm afraid the license looks like a wall of text to me and I don't trust my own judgment to interpret it correctly. I'd also like to know if it's acceptable to note in the package description that it's "derived from Basilisk", which I would like to think would be okay because it's not claiming to be Basilisk, and Basilisk itself appears to note that it's derived from Mozilla, but I'd prefer not to take that for granted, under the circumstances.

I appreciate that you are not strictly speaking the authority figure here, but it looks as if you are someone who can actually be talked to reasonably. So, again, thank you.

@frankspace, the problem is that the software calls itself Basilisk when it is not a condoned configuration of Basilisk. That includes the package name, the .desktop file, and the icons.

Someone mentioned the icons have been changed to the non-branded Serpent icons. If that is the case, then great. I do not have an Arch Linux box, so I can neither confirm or deny.

The long story: this build has been customized with patches beyond the amount of patching required to obtain a stable build. For background, see point 8b in the Pale Moon redistribution license:

http://www.palemoon.org/redist.shtml

But keep in mind that the above redistribution license only applies to Pale Moon, not Basilisk. Rights to the Basilisk trademark are all rights reserved, and the trademark is held by Moonchild.

So, there are two routes:

1. Call the browser Serpent (or whatever other cool name you want), and call this package serpent. (Is this the route you are trying to pursue?)
2. If you wish to use the Basilisk package, take out all patches except the minimum required to get a stable build. Then, ask Moonchild for permission to use the Basilisk trademark.

For an example of a condoned from-source build of branded Basilisk, take a look at SlackBuilds.org: https://slackbuilds.org/repository/14.2/network/basilisk-src/ . Notice that there are no patches or modifications beyond those required to obtain a stable build.

Also, khronosschoty, who maintains the SlackBuild, is a build engineer for the Pale Moon team, so this SlackBuild has the stamp of approval. (I myself am not a build engineer for the team, so my personal knowledge of mozconfig is limited at the moment.)

If there are questions, please feel free to reach out to Moonchild or khronosschoty on the forums or IRC. Moonchild is the authoritative source.

The short story: call it Basilisk only if you obtain Moonchild's permission. Otherwise, call it Serpent, or whatever other cool name you want.

I hope this helps.