Firefox

[brad]

Binary package hint: firefox

Half the bug reports are for problems with Firefox.

It's a great, 'holy' open-source project and all, but how about making something else the default internet browser - maybe something like Konqueror, (which provides additional functionality), except for Gnome, (Gonqueror?). Then maybe we'd start seeing some plug-in development for something other than Mozilla-Firefox which has a trillion plug-ins that can only be used for Firefox.
Is this Ubuntu development, or Firefox development?

[Jonathan Thomas (echidnaman)]

"Half the bug reports are for problems with Firefox."
By my count it's around 1500, which is about 3% of the total open bugs.

Konqueror, while being the greatly-integrated browser for KDE that it is, currently does not have a mature webpage rendering engine that provides anywhere near the quality of Gecko or Webkit. (Epiphany's default engine) There is a webkit backend for Konq in the works, but it is still very much beta.
Furthermore, Konqueror is not an option for Ubuntu due to the KDE dependencies. There's not exactly room for most of the KDE software stack on the LiveCD, and running Konqueror on Gnome looses all of the integration benefits with KDE.
If anything, Epiphany would probably be the best choice to consider as a replacement for Firefox as the default web browser, but I don't think that there are any intentions to change that either. Either way, a bug report is not the proper place to discuss this. A mailing list probably would be best.

Though, if you like Konqueror you're always free to use Kubuntu. ;-)

[brad (netcom61)]

Hello Jonathan

Thanks for the reply.
I realize Konqueror is a KDE dependent-project. I use it on my Gnome
desktop now anyway. I've been using Ubuntu since Feisty Fawn, (my
desktop is actually still Feisty because Feisty runs smoother than the
newer releases (on my older hardware), though I'll probably switch to
Hardy soon since most of the bugs have been worked out and it's looking
very solid).
I probably shouldn't gripe about Firefox, since it's been a very
dependable browser, but...
To be honest, when I use Firefox now, I feel as if I'm sitting watching
commercials. I also realize that this is a totally unfounded emotion,
but nevertheless, there it is.( I liken it to the comparison between
Google and Yahoo, - both are ad driven services, but Google disguises
this fact more effectively) So when Firefox started acting weirdly
(considering how solid it's been), I decided I'd had enough.
I also use Debian Etch, which has IceWeasel instead of Firefox, and
though they're one and the same, IceWeasel, like Google disguises it's
commercial roots more effectively.
Anyways, I'm ranting. I was really only interested in putting forward
the idea that the Gnome desktop could a Konqueror-like browser whose
only purpose it is to serve Gnome.

Thanks -- Brad
PS - I'll post this to the more appropriate Ubuntu
features/brainstorming wiki. In the meantime, thanks for a great OS.

On Mon, 2008-13-10 at 22:58 +0000, Jonathan Thomas wrote:
> "Half the bug reports are for problems with Firefox."
> By my count it's around 1500, which is about 3% of the total open bugs.
>
> Konqueror, while being the greatly-integrated browser for KDE that it is, currently does not have a mature webpage rendering engine that provides anywhere near the quality of Gecko or Webkit. (Epiphany's default engine) There is a webkit backend for Konq in the works, but it is still very much beta.
> Furthermore, Konqueror is not an option for Ubuntu due to the KDE dependencies. There's not exactly room for most of the KDE software stack on the LiveCD, and running Konqueror on Gnome looses all of the integration benefits with KDE.
> If anything, Epiphany would probably be the best choice to consider as a replacement for Firefox as the default web browser, but I don't think that there are any intentions to change that either. Either way, a bug report is not the proper place to discuss this. A mailing list probably would be best.
>
> Though, if you like Konqueror you're always free to use Kubuntu. ;-)
>
> ** Changed in: firefox (Ubuntu)
> Status: New => Invalid
>