export MOZILLA_OFFICIAL="1" && export BUILD_OFFICIAL="1" Set some variables that affect what and how it is built. The first two exports specify that we are building a distribution. --prefix=/usr: Previously mozilla did not support the make install option. Hence the package was installed in /opt. The package now supports "make install" and follows the FHS guidelines for installation. Hence the book now recommends installation in a system wide prefix such as /usr . --enable-toolkit-gtk2Use gtk2 toolkit --with-system-zlib --with-system-jpeg \ --with-system-png --with-system-mng Use the system versions for these packages. --enable-xft: Enable the Xft support. You need fontconfig or the latest XFree86 version to enable xft. --enable-crypto: Enable the Personal Security Manager to enable SSL connections. --disable-jsd --disable-accessibility \ --disable-tests --disable-debug \ --disable-dtd-debug \ --disable-logging --enable-reorder \ --enable-strip \ --enable-cpp-rtti Various options that affect what components are built and some optimization options. You can pick and choose from these options. More information on them can be found in the Mozilla configure script help. Not all options are used in the instructions given above. --enable-extensions=...: Enables extensions. If you want, you can disable all extensions other than the browser by changing this switch to --enable-extensions="default,-venkman,-inspector,-irc". For a short description of the various extensions available with the mozilla source, see . install -d /usr/include/mozilla-&mozilla-version;/nss cp -Lf dist/private/nss/*.h dist/public/nss/*.h \ /usr/include/mozilla-&mozilla-version;/nss Copy the nss headers that are not copied by make install. ln -nsf mozilla-&mozilla-version; ...: Mozilla installs headers and libraries in version specific directories. This link makes symbolic links so that applications that depend on Mozilla (such as OpenOffice , Galeon, etc.) don't need to know which version of Mozilla is installed. export LD_LIBRARY_PATH="/usr/lib/mozilla-&mozilla-version;" && export MOZILLA_FIVE_HOME="/usr/lib/mozilla-&mozilla-version;" && ./regxpcom && ./regchrome && touch `find /usr/lib/mozilla-${VERSION} -name *.rdf` Create the required component registries to enable multi-user installs. These steps should be repeated each time a mozilla add-on is installed as root to allow normal users to run mozilla.