Ladybird
ladybird.org
Ladybird is a truly independent web browser, backed by a non-profit.
  • onlinepersona@programming.devEnglish
    4219·
    6 months ago

    I will never understand why people name stuff just by opening an English dictionary and simply picking a word.

    Also why start a browser with C++? Google and Mozilla don’t employ nincompoops to work on their browsers and still say 70% of their CVEs are due to memory management errors from C++. Instead of learning from that, they start yet another browser in C++.

    In theory it great that this org wants to make an alternative, and probably being funded by a millionaire (billionaire?) can’t hurt, but C++ man? Come on…

    Anti Commercial-AI license

    • Vik@lemmy.worldEnglish
      55·
      6 months ago

      From.the FAQ

      Why build a new browser in C++ when safer and more modern languages are available? Ladybird started as a component of the SerenityOS hobby project, which only allows C++. The choice of language was not so much a technical decision, but more one of personal convenience. Andreas was most comfortable with C++ when creating SerenityOS, and now we have almost half a million lines of modern C++ to maintain.

      However, now that Ladybird has forked and become its own independent project, all constraints previously imposed by SerenityOS are no longer in effect. We are actively evaluating a number of alternatives and will be adding a mature successor language to the project in the near future. This process is already quite far along, and prototypes exist in multiple languages.

    • refalo@programming.dev
      01·
      6 months ago

      I will never understand why people are so miserable they feel the need to post grumpy and meaningless bad takes all day every day, with unenforceable anti-AI meme text in every post.

    • Zier@fedia.io
      616·
      6 months ago

      Agree with naming laziness. Ladybird is the name of a Lady Bug. Sick to death of things being named after animals. It’s a computer program not a living entity, it has no gender either. Even a nonsense word would be preferable to this mess. Lets call it Zalyo. No one else has that made up word, easy to search.

  • RBG@discuss.tchncs.de
    193·
    6 months ago

    I mean, it is nice to have options. However, a first alpha release in 2026? That’s more than a year away. A lot of stuff will happen until then, not unlikely that this gets stomped before that.

  • rekabis@programming.dev
    143·
    6 months ago

    We don’t have anyone actively working on Windows support, […] We would like to do Windows eventually, but it’s not a priority at the moment.

    As much as I applaud this focus on just one broad OS architecture, as it will greatly speed development, leaving out Windows is likely to cut off 85-90% of all early adopters. I just hope that the benefit of a simplified target will outweigh ignoring the vast majority of the market.

    And honestly, methinks they should focus on Haiku OS before Windows, as it is closer to a Unix heritage than Windows is. And Haiku OS desperately needs a native modern web browser with all the bells and whistles.

    • UndercoverUlrikHD@programming.dev
      1·
      6 months ago

      I’d hazard as guess that Linux users are at least a magnitude more likely to be an early adopter of this project than Windows users, at 4% market share it shouldn’t be that big of problem at the start.

    • Ferk@lemmy.ml
      1·
      6 months ago

      The average Windows user would easily be put off by the project if they tried it this early. I feel it’d actually be better if they don’t release on Windows until they are ready. That way they can get better press when it finally releases on Windows.

      • rekabis@programming.dev
        11·
        2 months ago

        There are plenty of programs out there which can end up being required for your workflow - as in, that exact program; no exceptions - and yet, have no Linux or even non-Windows version.

        Not everything is a platformm-agnostic subscription-based SAAS yet, nor should that ever be the case.

  • FizzyOrange@programming.dev
    135·
    6 months ago

    Yeah… It’s going to take a whole lot more than $1m for this. I am skeptical.

    Also not super enthused about another browser written in C++. I skimmed some of their code and it seems pretty high quality, but still… this is going to be chock full of security bugs.

    Servo is definitely the more interesting project.

    • Telorand@reddthat.com
      15·
      6 months ago

      They’re already exploring other languages. C++ just happens be its origin by way of its heritage. It’s not their target anymore.

      Ultimately, we’ll see what happens. I agree that $1mil isn’t a ton for a big project, but we don’t know, yet, if they’ll be able to secure other big donations or not over the course of its life. People have sold stupider ideas to potential donors, so who knows?

    • rekabis@programming.dev
      5·
      6 months ago

      Also not super enthused about another browser written in C++. I skimmed some of their code and it seems pretty high quality, but still… this is going to be chock full of security bugs.

      If you are going to do anything stability-based these days, Rust should be a big consideration.

  • rah@feddit.ukEnglish
    125·
    6 months ago

    Chris Wanstrath … $1,000,000 donation

    So… not independent then.

    • f00f/eris@startrek.websiteEnglish
      281·
      6 months ago

      The website claims that sponsors have no direct influence on the project (“board seats are not for sale”). The reality is that no project of sufficient scale to fully implement web standards can survive without a significant amount of funding.

    • cerement@slrpnk.net
      231·
      6 months ago

      from the FAQ

      • How can you be “independent” if you have sponsors?
      • All sponsorships are in the form of unrestricted donations. Board seats and other forms of influence are not for sale.
        • cerement@slrpnk.net
          103·
          6 months ago

          (sad part is even if they sold out, they’d still be leagues ahead of the compromises Firefox and Chrome have made)

          • bolexforsoup@lemmy.blahaj.zone
            132·
            6 months ago

            I do not understand how folks like you get so shitty about Firefox taking Google money for making it a default search engine when that is the very clear, very limited extent of their relationship. This is the definition of “don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.” Because Firefox is pretty damn near perfect. I feel like I have to be missing something here.

            What is the issue here? What compromises have they made that make them so irredeemable? If it’s the search default for google that’s just not sufficient IMO.

  • Blaze@lemmy.zipOP
    74·
    6 months ago

    Which immediately makes me asks which codes Firefox takes from Google

  • spikespaz@programming.dev
    2·
    6 months ago

    Not a good first impression (other comments have my thoughts covered) and I think I’ll stick with Firefox.

    Unless they impress us by re-writing it in a quality-first language, and make all configuration declarative, and drop support for some cruft. They’re going to have to try something bold and different to impress me, otherwise, this seems like more of the same, and an uphill battle at that.