Browsers on Linux

Stephen Fluin - 2010

What is a browser?

Browsers

• Connect you to documents and applications remotely

• Use standardized (kind of) interface specifications• Act as a platform for future applications

Browsers

Are Everywhere• Smartphones (Android, etc)• Desktops• Laptops• Applications

Browsers contain

• Advanced rendering engines• Complex document parsers• Complete programming environment• Layered plugin-architectures• Tons of legacy support• Full media players

A Short History of Browsers

Who are the major players?

• Internet Explorer• Firefox• Chrome• Opera

Also• Safari• Lynx• w3m• everybody else

Linux

FirefoxChromium (Chrome)OperaInternet Explorer

KonquerorEpiphany

What is the difference?

Differences

SpeedFunctionalityStyleCompatibility

Speed

Source: Jacob Gure, Six Revisions

Functionality

Extensions and Plugins vs. Built-In

Developer ToolsNavigationSynchronizationProcess IsolationCrash RecoveryDirect RenderingProtection and Safety

Style

• Customizationo Themeso General UI

• Philosophy

Compatibility

• Not 100% for anything on Linuxo Netflixo Active-X

• Firefox is Best

Compatibility Workarounds

Firefox/Opera - User Agent SwitcherDisable Javascript

Chrome vs. Chromium

• Proprietary and Closed Source vs. BSD Open Source License

• Extra tracking  vs. Full Control• Be careful with defaults

Trying Them Out

(On Ubuntu 9.10 or 10.04)

Firefox - ~12M

• Ubuntu Default (3.5.8)o sudo apt-get install firefox

• Latest Stable (3.6)o sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mozillateam/firefox-

stable• Bleeding Edge (Minefield) (3.7)

o sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntu-mozilla-daily/ppa

Chrome/ Chromium - ~13M

Chrome• http://google.com/chrome

Chromium• sudo add-apt-repository ppa:chromium-daily/ppa

I haven't found sources for Chromium on Windows. In the past week or so, chromium-browser has been added to the Lucid Lynx packages.

Opera - 13.5 mb

Official http://www.opera.com/browser/download/

The Future

• Faster Browsers• More Support and Standards• Direct Rendering• The Death of Flash

HTML5

• Easier to develop• More innovations• More interactivity• GEO-IP• Video

Video

<video></video>

Native support for audio and videoHuge Battle - H264, Ogg/Theora, MP4, ?

Canvas and SVG

Drawing like FlashGaming and visualizations1990s technology

Python Browser -A little bit of fun

#!/usr/bin/env python import sysfrom PyQt4.QtCore import *from PyQt4.QtGui import *from PyQt4.QtWebKit import * app = QApplication(sys.argv) web = QWebView()web.load(QUrl("http://penguinsunbound.net"))web.show() sys.exit(app.exec_())