[sf-lug] 13 reasons not to use chrome...

[Rick Moen]

Quoting Jim Stockford (jim at well.com):

>     What I find interesting in this article (link
> at bottom) is that it presents an overview of
> alternative browsers 

But not very many.

> and, especially, highlights
> some interesting features that they implement.
>     Thus, if I could remember what I read, I have
> enhanced my understanding of what is browserly
> possible in general.

Eh, very good, thanks!

I keep a list of known Web browsers for Linux (but not reviews of them)
here:  http://linuxmafia.com/~rick/faq/kicking.html#linuxbrowser

One limitation of the cited article is that it's extremely
MS-Windows-centric and unimaginative.  For example, the whole article is
framed by the issue of whether or not to use the proprietary Google
Chrome browser, without even once mentioning the open source base
browser Chromium of which it's a variant.  Typical blinkered viewpoint,
product of the proprietary software industry.


> Browsers mentioned include
> * Chrome (no real objections, fairly high praise,
>   a little slower than some in particular cases,
>   missing the occasional feature...)

Part of the reason it -- and Chromium -- are missing the occasional
feature is that its extensions interface is much more limited than
Firefox's.  Also of note is that Chromium (and Google Chrome) implement
a separate-process-per-tab model, which on the plus side means that a
problem with a tab cannot block or crash the entire browser, but on the
minus side means it sucks a lot of RAM.

Author says:

   It’s not hard to see why. Chrome is stable, in part because its
   architects made a smart decision to put each web page in a separate
   process.

Well, it's not unambiguously 'smart'; it's a tradeoff.


Chromium (and Google Chrome) is based on the Blink layout engine

> * Opera

Proprietary, based on the Blink layout engine.

> * Edge

Proprietary, MS-Windows-only, based on Microsoft's propriteary EdgeHTML
layout engine.

> * Vivaldi

Proprietary, based on the Blink layout engine.

> * Safari

Proprietary, MacOS-only (MS-Windows version having been discontinued in
2012), based on the WebKit layout engine.

> * Firefox

Mozilla Firefox is based on the Gecko layout engine, may move to the
experimental Servo engine in future versions.

> * Tor Browser

Variant of Mozilla Firefox ESR bundled with the TorButton, TorLauncher,
NoScript and HTTPS Everywhere Firefox extensions and the Tor proxy.

> * Epic browser

Proprietary, MacOS and MS-Windows only, based on the Blink layout
engine.

> * Neon (different from but provided by Opera)

Proprietary, MacOS and MS-Windows only,based on the Blink layout engine.

Other open source graphical Web browsers for Linux include
----------------------------------------------------------
SeaMonkey
Conkeror 
Dillo
Uzbl
qtbrowser 
Luakit
BrowseX
Web (formerly Epiphany)
Amaya 
Arora
Lightweight2 
surf+tabbed
qutebrowser 
Vimprobable 
dwb 
lariza
Dooble
WCGBrowser
QupZilla
Gnuzilla and GNU IceCat
Midori 
NetSurf 
Liri Browser 
SkipStone 
Min 
Konqueror
Pale Moon
Otter Browser 
Rekonq
Brave Browser

Other proprietary graphical Web browsers for Linux include
----------------------------------------------------------
Slimjet
SRWare Iron
Maxthon Cloud

Open source console Web browsers for Linux include
--------------------------------------------------
ELinks
links
links2
lynx
w3m
Netrik
Retawq
Line Mode Browser
Debris
emacs-w3m
EWW


The author missed _all_ of those, naturally.