[needs-packaging] ies4linux

[Andrew Chadwick]

ies4linux is an installer for Microsoft Internet Explorer which downloads MSI packages from MS and the evolt browser archive for multiple IE versions and some similarly non-free supporting software and deploys them into users' homes in standalone WINEPREFIXes with some registry tweaks for making everything integrate a little better. Its upstream location is http://www.tatanka.com.br/ies4linux/page/Main_Page

The license for the installer package is GPLv2. Microsoft's licenses are decidedly non-free, and a valid MS OS license is required to run MSIE, according to the MSIE EULA. Thus, the ies4linux package must be an installer only. And clearly, this'll be a multiverse package. That said, there are plenty of users who own MS OS product licenses who work in Ubuntu, and the EULA for IE doesn't restrict end users to running IE within an MS OS product (apparently).

I've been working on a package for a few weeks via ubuntuforums ( http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=636758 ), and I need to kick myself to get it in a better state and helping people out. There are still a few bugs to iron out in the packaging, but it's mostly ready for wider testing I hope.

Why do this? Web developers trying to achieve cross-platform layouts and code, and users who feel they need to access IE-only websites. The browser bundles ies4linux installs may be flaky and insecure dues to their hybrid nature and the inherent insecurities of the IE software itself. They're not recommended for general browsing, and what I've done says as much, but I feel it would be a good and useful thing to help other Ubuntu and Debian users out of any holes which require IE they happen to find themselves stuck in.

To ease integration with Ubuntu and Debian systems, I've written some debconf templates and postinst hackery to allow users to select which IEs they want on their system, and rather disgustingly split the installer into download and install/setup halves, the first of which is run at postinst time.

[Brett Alton (brett-alton-deactivatedaccount)]

For Intrepid, maybe?

[Tony Narlock (borneo)]

I've been trying the -current from their site (manual) and a deb from http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=636758&page=4. Both are giving an error.

This is a tricky app because it involves a download process from mirrors.

Thread on UbuntuForums: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=636758 (Page 4 has a deb)

[Andrew Chadwick (achadwick)]

I'm no longer working on this one since upstream appears to given up on the project.

[rusivi2 (rusivi2-deactivatedaccount)]

I am using Ubuntu 9.10, and IEs4Linux 2.99.0.1, please, please, please continue working on a package for IEs4Linux that eliminates the memory & CPU leak mentioned in the following bug:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/wine/+bug/205895

I am in a bind where I try to use a certification testing website:

www.selftestsoftware.com

which, despite offering certification testing for CompTIA Linux+, they don't have proper support for the native operating system for Linux, Firefox! Many of the modules don't work in anything but IE. I have tried Firefox with User Agent Switcher as well as Opera and Galeon, nothing works but IE/IEs4Linux. With IEs4Linux if I leave the window idle for a few minutes in the SelfTest module, the customary website timeout occurs, the screen(s) goes grey, the window bricks, and I have to open System Monitor and kill iexplorer.exe, explorer.exe, and wineserver.exe because my processor and memory are at +90% utilization for seemingly no apparent reason.

If upstream seems to have given up on this, get on with it anyways! I assure you, the Ubuntu community will be in your debt for your efforts.

I am not technically savvy enough to contribute code towards this effort, but on behalf of the community, we are begging you, please work on this!

[Jörg Frings-Fürst (jff-de)]

last release Nov. 2007
change status to invalid