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The New Browser Wars: Will Ubuntu drop Firefox for Google Chrome?

11 points by jfi 16y ago

ramidarigaz 16y ago
I'd love it if they did. I've basically stopped using Firefox in recent times. I currently use Chromium though, not Chrome. Chromium is so much faster than Firefox, and the UI takes up quite a bit less vertical space.
- Herald_MJ 16y ago
  Why chromium over chrome? Even chrome dev channel?
  - ramidarigaz 16y ago
    Google already has access to all of my emails, my calendar, and several documents. I figure I might use a less Google-controlled browser than Chrome. Hence Chromium. Granted, I have no idea what info Google has access to in Chrome that it doesn't have in Chromium.
    - Herald_MJ 16y ago
      iirc, SRWare Iron (http://www.srware.net/en/software_srware_iron.php http://www.srware.net/en/software_srware_iron.php) is a Chromium-based browser with an eye for privacy. Might be worth a look if that's your main motivation in browser choice?
TorKlingberg 16y ago
Does Ubuntu even have Chrome/Chromium in the package manager yet?
- SkyMarshal 16y ago
  You can also add the Chromium PPA for daily build updates: https://launchpad.net/~chromium-daily/+archive/ppa https://launchpad.net/~chromium-daily/+archive/ppa And as mentioned, installing Chrome will auto-install the Google repo for it as well. http://www.google.com/chrome/eula.html?platform=linux http://www.google.com/chrome/eula.html?platform=linux
- loire280 16y ago
  It's not in the official repositories, but that's probably a good thing considering the frequency of updates during the beta period. The Chrome beta .deb packages add the Chrome repo to your sources list, so updates are handled through the package manager (no unprompted background updating like in Mac/Windows). I wonder if there will be any issues including it in the repos because of the integration of the Flash plugin. Then again, for a Linux company, Canonical is pretty willing to use proprietary software where practical.
  - dagar 16y ago
    It is since lucid. http://packages.ubuntu.com/lucid/chromium-browser http://packages.ubuntu.com/lucid/chromium-browser
mapleoin 16y ago
Hm... did anyone notice how this is a repost of a post on ubergizmo which starts with: "We have word that Ubuntu Netbook Edition 10.10 might not feature Firefox as the browser of choice, ..."
jsz0 16y ago
How about no default browser? Offer a browser selection screen during the install process or on first login. Chrome, Chromium, Firefox, Opera, etc. Offering a level playing field for browsers is very important. I don't see any good reason Ubuntu has to dictate a default at this point.
- just_the_tip 16y ago
  I suppose everybody here knows the ins and outs of the browser landscape and has their own favorite. Most everybody else doesn't care about browsers and would find a selection screen annoying. Ubuntu has worked hard at reducing the effort to install an operating system, and such a screen goes against their philosophy. It's important to have sensible defaults.
scorpioxy 16y ago
From the default install, maybe. Why does every misleading article forget to add that. Canonical does not remove anything, you can always install it back from the repos. Sounds like these articles are just looking for controversy.
hussong 16y ago
I'd be happy if Canonical actually managed to ship a browser with great font rendering out of the box. Oh, and a 64-bit build would be the icing on the cake.

11 points by jfi 16y ago

I'd love it if they did. I've basically stopped using Firefox in recent times. I currently use Chromium though, not Chrome. Chromium is so much faster than Firefox, and the UI takes up quite a bit less vertical space.

Herald_MJ 16y ago
Why chromium over chrome? Even chrome dev channel?
- ramidarigaz 16y ago
  Google already has access to all of my emails, my calendar, and several documents. I figure I might use a less Google-controlled browser than Chrome. Hence Chromium. Granted, I have no idea what info Google has access to in Chrome that it doesn't have in Chromium.
  - Herald_MJ 16y ago
    iirc, SRWare Iron (http://www.srware.net/en/software_srware_iron.php http://www.srware.net/en/software_srware_iron.php) is a Chromium-based browser with an eye for privacy. Might be worth a look if that's your main motivation in browser choice?

TorKlingberg 16y ago

Does Ubuntu even have Chrome/Chromium in the package manager yet?

SkyMarshal 16y ago
You can also add the Chromium PPA for daily build updates: https://launchpad.net/~chromium-daily/+archive/ppa https://launchpad.net/~chromium-daily/+archive/ppa And as mentioned, installing Chrome will auto-install the Google repo for it as well. http://www.google.com/chrome/eula.html?platform=linux http://www.google.com/chrome/eula.html?platform=linux
loire280 16y ago
It's not in the official repositories, but that's probably a good thing considering the frequency of updates during the beta period. The Chrome beta .deb packages add the Chrome repo to your sources list, so updates are handled through the package manager (no unprompted background updating like in Mac/Windows). I wonder if there will be any issues including it in the repos because of the integration of the Flash plugin. Then again, for a Linux company, Canonical is pretty willing to use proprietary software where practical.
- dagar 16y ago
  It is since lucid. http://packages.ubuntu.com/lucid/chromium-browser http://packages.ubuntu.com/lucid/chromium-browser

mapleoin 16y ago

Hm... did anyone notice how this is a repost of a post on ubergizmo which starts with: "We have word that Ubuntu Netbook Edition 10.10 might not feature Firefox as the browser of choice, ..."

jsz0 16y ago

How about no default browser? Offer a browser selection screen during the install process or on first login. Chrome, Chromium, Firefox, Opera, etc. Offering a level playing field for browsers is very important. I don't see any good reason Ubuntu has to dictate a default at this point.

just_the_tip 16y ago
I suppose everybody here knows the ins and outs of the browser landscape and has their own favorite. Most everybody else doesn't care about browsers and would find a selection screen annoying. Ubuntu has worked hard at reducing the effort to install an operating system, and such a screen goes against their philosophy. It's important to have sensible defaults.

scorpioxy 16y ago

From the default install, maybe. Why does every misleading article forget to add that. Canonical does not remove anything, you can always install it back from the repos. Sounds like these articles are just looking for controversy.

hussong 16y ago

I'd be happy if Canonical actually managed to ship a browser with great font rendering out of the box. Oh, and a 64-bit build would be the icing on the cake.