Uncoiled2777Feb 27, 2025
Jeff Fortin T. (風の庭園のNekohayo)

For those worried about what's going on with #Mozilla's new T&C for #Firefox and seeking alternatives to Blink-based browsers (aka Chrome-in-a-trenchcoat), consider helping @WebKitGTK (a port of @webkit), used by apps throughout the FreeDesktop.

#WebKit/WebKitGTK/WPE is effectively the only other mature/production-ready web engine you can use *today*, not many know that (see also https://github.com/Fyrd/caniuse/issues/6807).

I hedge my bets by simultaneously helping QA Firefox and Epiphany (WebKitGTK) for parity.

Add the "WebKitGTK and WPE WebKit" engine for not-exactly-WebKit browsers like Epiphany (GNOME Web) and embedded devices · Issue #6807 · Fyrd/caniuse

Summary / TLDR In current features matrix tables, CanIUse's browsers include Chrome (Blink), Edge (Blink), Safari, Firefox, Opera (Blink), IE (dead), and a long tail of somewhat niche mobile browse...

GitHub
Feb 27, 2025 at 6:50pmWeb
Show threadJeff Fortin T. (風の庭園のNekohayo)Feb 28, 2025

An example of how I'm trying to simultaneously help #WebKitGTK, #WebKit and #Firefox:

I recently spent time looking for ways in which web engines could save dynamic tables of contents (outlines) into PDF metadata using the webpage DOM's headings (h1, h2, h3, etc.) when "printing" to PDF. Very useful for archival purposes, and great for #accessibility.

I filed these enhancement requests as a result:
* In WebKit: https://bugs.webkit.org/show_bug.cgi?id=288719
* In Firefox: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1950656

#PDF #a11y #web

288719 – AX: [a11y] Automatically create outline (table of contents) metadata from page's headings (<h1>, <h2>, etc.) when printing/saving a page to PDF

WebKit Bugzilla
Show threadiooioioFeb 27, 2025
@nekohayo That GitHub issue is a work of art.
Show threadRoot MooseFeb 28, 2025
@nekohayo @WebKitGTK @webkit It would be great to see Epiphany have an extensions interface to support things like AdBlock Origin and whatnot.
Show threadBardMoss the Bodhi Linux GuyFeb 28, 2025
@nekohayo @WebKitGTK @webkit
I have tried using Gnome Web (Epiphany) on more than a few occasions and I don't find it to be full featured or a suitable replacement for Firefox or Chrome.
Show threadJeff Fortin T. (風の庭園のNekohayo)Feb 28, 2025
@zaivala
I use it mostly for web apps, and testing websites.
v47 is much better.
Hasn't replaced Firefox as my main (I doubt it will, until it can handle _thousands_ of tabs across a hundred tab groups, and "send tab to my other computer"), but I like to put effort into the underdog, as a way for us to have an escape hatch (and for the benefit of others in the general public who may be able to switch more easily than me… I realize that my requirements are not really "normal").
Long-term vision!
Show threadozamidasMar 1, 2025

@nekohayo @zaivala I like GNOME web quite a lot but their RAM consumption is brutal, and it's scrolling speed is the lowest compared to chrome and especially Firefox.

If they solve the RAM usage i will make the switch in no time.

Show threadJeff Fortin T. (風の庭園のNekohayo)Mar 1, 2025

@ozamidas @zaivala
Yeah, a big part of why I want the notion of tab workspaces (aka Tab Groups) in https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/epiphany/-/issues/1835 is because I'd also want some sort of automatic tab process suspend feature to save RAM.

Currently Epiphany also can't handle a hundred tabs before it will reach kernel limitations, as it uses too many inotify handles per tab: https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/epiphany/-/issues/1454

As for general performance (rendering, scrolling, playback, etc.), I have a meta/tracker bug: https://bugs.webkit.org/showdependencytree.cgi?id=245783

Tab workspaces (Simple Tab Groups like Safari/Firefox/Chrome, with idle tabs unloading to save memory) (#1835) · Issues · GNOME / Epiphany · GitLab

The current posterchild of this feature is the "Simple Tab Groups" Firefox extension, the most reliable and well-rounded successor to the defunct...

GitLab
Show threadDan WMar 3, 2025

@nekohayo @WebKitGTK @webkit @tinker
I was looking for alternatives to Falkon and IceWeasel/IceCat.

I was also wondering how IceWeasel and FireFox focus were affected by the change in TOS.