3 ms·

I'm currently developing a web app and while my nw.js/electron version is around 50 MB and uses 200+ MB of memory, loading it in Firefox it's a 600kB bundle, fu

by z3t4 8y ago

I'm currently developing a web app and while my nw.js/electron version is around 50 MB and uses 200+ MB of memory, loading it in Firefox it's a 600kB bundle, fully renders in less then half a second, and uses a whopping 8 MB of memory in Firefox. Actually less the HN! So while I think this project is cool, if you consider using it, also consider making a in browser web app. Also remember that the browser is more then just a HTML renderer. You have stuff like speech recognition, text-to-speech, user input, sound api, 2d/3d api, support for a bunch of mobile sensors like accelerometer, etc.

WhitneyLand 8y ago
The extra memory usage of electron is a shame. When you say consider using an “in browser” web app what do you mean by that precisely? Do you mean consider if you can get by using browser based offline/local capabilities and not go outside the sandbox? See my other comment on rebuilding FF, not sure if you meant anything overlapping.
- z3t4 8y ago
  You would have to run non-sandboxed features via a server, which can run on the user machine! Chrome, Firefox, Opera, IE, Edge supports starting the browser in "chrome"-less or "app" mode, so the program will feel native. You could also run the server part in the cloud! And use "add to desktop" to get the "chrome"-less mode which is currently supported on Chrome and Firefox on Android. Or just run the app in a browser tab :)
roryisok 8y ago
I think you're failing to include the firefox memory usage in that second example. the 200+MB memory of electron is because it includes the browser. Your 8MB file also needs firefox to run, so in a naked desktop environment the user first has to spin up 170MB+ of firefox before they can run your 8MB app.
- z3t4 8y ago
  But you do not need to have five full Firefox's running for using five web-app's. Another benefit of web apps, is that with some effort it can run everywhere, where as an app container like electron needs to have separate builds for each platform.
  - roryisok 8y ago
    Agreed that's definitely a drawback. Mozilla had an experimental project called qbrt that was like electron but used the locally installed Firefox, exactly like you're describing. Hasn't been updated in quite a while though

by z3t4 8y ago

WhitneyLand 8y ago

The extra memory usage of electron is a shame. When you say consider using an “in browser” web app what do you mean by that precisely? Do you mean consider if you can get by using browser based offline/local capabilities and not go outside the sandbox? See my other comment on rebuilding FF, not sure if you meant anything overlapping.

z3t4 8y ago
You would have to run non-sandboxed features via a server, which can run on the user machine! Chrome, Firefox, Opera, IE, Edge supports starting the browser in "chrome"-less or "app" mode, so the program will feel native. You could also run the server part in the cloud! And use "add to desktop" to get the "chrome"-less mode which is currently supported on Chrome and Firefox on Android. Or just run the app in a browser tab :)

roryisok 8y ago

I think you're failing to include the firefox memory usage in that second example. the 200+MB memory of electron is because it includes the browser. Your 8MB file also needs firefox to run, so in a naked desktop environment the user first has to spin up 170MB+ of firefox before they can run your 8MB app.

z3t4 8y ago
But you do not need to have five full Firefox's running for using five web-app's. Another benefit of web apps, is that with some effort it can run everywhere, where as an app container like electron needs to have separate builds for each platform.
- roryisok 8y ago
  Agreed that's definitely a drawback. Mozilla had an experimental project called qbrt that was like electron but used the locally installed Firefox, exactly like you're describing. Hasn't been updated in quite a while though