4 ms·

Thorium: Cross-platform patched Chromium fork

45 points by nateb2022 2y ago

paulryanrogers 2y ago
Interesting change-set. Not sure DNT by default really helps things. Perhaps if it were a first run prompt? Afraid that DNT by default undermines the case for legislation to enforce it.
- Nursie 2y ago
  Why? Tracking should be opt-in. If we hide it in settings, where most normal people never go, they will get no benefit. Trackers should need explicit permission, not just ignorance. That all a saw is, DNT is a waste of time anyway because it has no force of anything behind it.
  - Nursie 2y ago
    > That all a saw is, Wow autocorrect has gone mad... "That all said".
- callalex 2y ago
  DNT is specifically used as a data point in fingerprinting algorithms that stalk you during your daily life. If it is a configurable option the “entropy” will be weaponised against you. If it always matches exactly for every user of this browser that “entropy” doesn’t exist and can’t be used against you.
  - paulryanrogers 2y ago
    DNT can be backed by laws to enforce it. Bad actors may still use it as a signal, yet it's only one bit of information and they risk suffering the consequences if found out. A worthy tradeoff IMO, or at least it would be if we can get some legal enforcement in place.
    - eipi10_hn 2y ago
      If I'm not wrong, DNT is not backed by laws. GPC can https://www.eff.org/gpc-privacy-badger https://www.eff.org/gpc-privacy-badger
      - paulryanrogers 2y ago
        You're correct for the time being. It's my hope some laws can be put in place since DNT is already built. And making DNT default undermines such efforts.
Sarkie 2y ago
This was flagged by our internal security scans due to some dumb Easter egg the developer added. Fast or not. Not a fun email
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- whalesalad 2y ago
  https://github.com/Alex313031/thorium/commit/9947421f1480bd1a59b7f79d7a136cce01b3ffc9#diff-d7f27e9b3fe5f52dd815774bd23044a12ef1b241e16e90f11461bd5394f031f6 https://github.com/Alex313031/thorium/commit/9947421f1480bd1...
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
  - 000ooo000 2y ago
    Yeah.. not sure I want my browsing taking place in software authored by someone who does this kind of thing. Gross level of immaturity. Dumb furry joke today, adware tomorrow.
    - deleted 2y ago
      [deleted]
    - jlarocco 2y ago
      I don't know why you're down voted. Even if it doesn't get a person in trouble with HR, it'd be embaressing and humiliating to have one of those images pop up at work, in a public place, during a presentation, in front of family members, etc. So strange that they'd do so much work to make a professional looking product and then throw users under the bus with something stupid and juvenile like that. It's their right, of course, but count me out.
      - DemocracyFTW2 2y ago
        Hey calm down a bit can't be that bad. If I read the code correctly this will almost never happen because the Easter egg has been designed to only show up when your mother, the head of HR, and your boss are jointly attending a presentation you're giving at a public venue, so... quite unlikely /s
killingtime74 2y ago
Tongue in cheek but faster browser would be curl or some text based one no?
- gertop 2y ago
  Curl isn't a browser.
  - giantg2 2y ago
    Technically it is. It's just a non-interactive browser.
    - bangaladore 2y ago
      If we envision a spectrum ranging from an HTTP(s) client to a full-fledged web browser (like Chrome or Firefox), I would place cURL very close to the HTTP(s) client end of the scale.
    - smellf 2y ago
      Isn't that kind of like saying my pressure washer is a non-ambulatory car?
      - giantg2 2y ago
        More like your newspaper isn't a TV. You still get the news, but it's a different format.
DrNosferatu 2y ago
Any benchmarks?
- nateb2022 2y ago
  https://thorium.rocks/performance https://thorium.rocks/performance
speed_spread 2y ago
But does it support jpegxl?
- 000ooo000 2y ago
  Dotpoint #4
Retr0id 2y ago
"fastest browser on Earth" seems like an editorialized title. What's the source of that claim? Edit: looks like the post title has since been edited
- nateb2022 2y ago
  https://thorium.rocks/performance https://thorium.rocks/performance
jsheard 2y ago
The stakes are so high with browser security that it's the last software I'd want to use some random persons fork of, even if they appear to have good intentions. I don't particularly trust Googles intentions but I do at least trust that they have their shit together when it comes to security.
- userbinator 2y ago
  No surprise, first thing I see in the comments section is FUD.
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
- pennybanks 2y ago
  what would be some security concerns in a situation like this? genuine question
  - dcsommer 2y ago
    Remote code execution + local privilege escalation to own your device. Just last week on the RCE front: https://thehackernews.com/2024/05/new-chrome-zero-day-vulnerability-cve.html?m=1 https://thehackernews.com/2024/05/new-chrome-zero-day-vulner...
    - pennybanks 2y ago
      right makes sense, ty
    - resource_waste 2y ago
      Is there such a thing as a 'stable' browser that will never have these flaws. (I'm afraid to use the word Stable since Debian-family corrupted the meaning) I really don't need push notifications going to my desktop. HTML, CSS... ughhhh javascript... So if covering javascript is too hard, maybe a HTML/CSS browser, and anytime you need javascript, you open a chrome session.
WorldPeas 2y ago
Not to put salt in an old wound but didn't Chris Titus get in hot water after he recommended this, and it was found to contain certain adult images?
dang 2y ago
Related. Others? Thorium Browser: The fastest browser on Earth - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38900191 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38900191 - Jan 2024 (3 comments) Thorium – The Fastest Browser on Earth - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38896266 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38896266 - Jan 2024 (14 comments) Thorium – The first browser to score over 600 speedometer points on a Mac M3 Pro - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38894920 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38894920 - Jan 2024 (57 comments) Thorium – Radioactive Chromium Fork - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38854932 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38854932 - Jan 2024 (26 comments) Don't Use Thorium Browser – If Installed, Remove It - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38647363 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38647363 - Dec 2023 (21 comments) Thorium – The Fastest Browser on Earth - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37917922 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37917922 - Oct 2023 (2 comments) Thorium is the first browser with HEVC and AC3 support even in a mkv container - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36455533 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36455533 - June 2023 (8 comments) Show HN: Thorium – The fastest browser on Earth - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31525464 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31525464 - May 2022 (3 comments) Outline of benefits of Thorium over vanilla Chromium - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29946310 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29946310 - Jan 2022 (31 comments)
Ameo 2y ago
I ran Thorium for a while on Linux because the claimed performance improvements appealed to me. However, I recently ran some actual modern browser benchmarks and vanilla Chrome performed significantly better in every one I tested. My testing wasn't by any means scientific and there are an enormous number of factors to consider of course. Maybe it's a quirk of my system, or some recent changes they made to Chrome's build process (LTO, BOLT optimizer, etc.) but yeah I've switched back to plain Chromium.
mdaniel 2y ago
Seems they're really into "windows 7-ing" all the things <https://thorium.rocks/win7 https://thorium.rocks/win7>, hacking^W Optimizing!!1 Firefox and VSCodium, too and FWIW I despise the thinking that leads one to commit ever-changing binary artifacts into git because then $(git clone) turns into a DVD sized download https://github.com/Alex313031/codium/commit/5bd47c17194e80191d16c70795a2777c1db5ba21 https://github.com/Alex313031/codium/commit/5bd47c17194e8019...

45 points by nateb2022 2y ago

Interesting change-set. Not sure DNT by default really helps things. Perhaps if it were a first run prompt? Afraid that DNT by default undermines the case for legislation to enforce it.

Nursie 2y ago
Why? Tracking should be opt-in. If we hide it in settings, where most normal people never go, they will get no benefit. Trackers should need explicit permission, not just ignorance. That all a saw is, DNT is a waste of time anyway because it has no force of anything behind it.
- Nursie 2y ago
  > That all a saw is, Wow autocorrect has gone mad... "That all said".
callalex 2y ago
DNT is specifically used as a data point in fingerprinting algorithms that stalk you during your daily life. If it is a configurable option the “entropy” will be weaponised against you. If it always matches exactly for every user of this browser that “entropy” doesn’t exist and can’t be used against you.
- paulryanrogers 2y ago
  DNT can be backed by laws to enforce it. Bad actors may still use it as a signal, yet it's only one bit of information and they risk suffering the consequences if found out. A worthy tradeoff IMO, or at least it would be if we can get some legal enforcement in place.
  - eipi10_hn 2y ago
    If I'm not wrong, DNT is not backed by laws. GPC can https://www.eff.org/gpc-privacy-badger https://www.eff.org/gpc-privacy-badger
    - paulryanrogers 2y ago
      You're correct for the time being. It's my hope some laws can be put in place since DNT is already built. And making DNT default undermines such efforts.

Sarkie 2y ago

This was flagged by our internal security scans due to some dumb Easter egg the developer added. Fast or not. Not a fun email

deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
whalesalad 2y ago
https://github.com/Alex313031/thorium/commit/9947421f1480bd1a59b7f79d7a136cce01b3ffc9#diff-d7f27e9b3fe5f52dd815774bd23044a12ef1b241e16e90f11461bd5394f031f6 https://github.com/Alex313031/thorium/commit/9947421f1480bd1...
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- 000ooo000 2y ago
  Yeah.. not sure I want my browsing taking place in software authored by someone who does this kind of thing. Gross level of immaturity. Dumb furry joke today, adware tomorrow.
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
  - jlarocco 2y ago
    I don't know why you're down voted. Even if it doesn't get a person in trouble with HR, it'd be embaressing and humiliating to have one of those images pop up at work, in a public place, during a presentation, in front of family members, etc. So strange that they'd do so much work to make a professional looking product and then throw users under the bus with something stupid and juvenile like that. It's their right, of course, but count me out.
    - DemocracyFTW2 2y ago
      Hey calm down a bit can't be that bad. If I read the code correctly this will almost never happen because the Easter egg has been designed to only show up when your mother, the head of HR, and your boss are jointly attending a presentation you're giving at a public venue, so... quite unlikely /s

killingtime74 2y ago

Tongue in cheek but faster browser would be curl or some text based one no?

gertop 2y ago
Curl isn't a browser.
- giantg2 2y ago
  Technically it is. It's just a non-interactive browser.
  - bangaladore 2y ago
    If we envision a spectrum ranging from an HTTP(s) client to a full-fledged web browser (like Chrome or Firefox), I would place cURL very close to the HTTP(s) client end of the scale.
  - smellf 2y ago
    Isn't that kind of like saying my pressure washer is a non-ambulatory car?
    - giantg2 2y ago
      More like your newspaper isn't a TV. You still get the news, but it's a different format.

DrNosferatu 2y ago

Any benchmarks?

nateb2022 2y ago
https://thorium.rocks/performance https://thorium.rocks/performance

speed_spread 2y ago

But does it support jpegxl?

000ooo000 2y ago
Dotpoint #4

Retr0id 2y ago

"fastest browser on Earth" seems like an editorialized title. What's the source of that claim? Edit: looks like the post title has since been edited

nateb2022 2y ago
https://thorium.rocks/performance https://thorium.rocks/performance

jsheard 2y ago

The stakes are so high with browser security that it's the last software I'd want to use some random persons fork of, even if they appear to have good intentions. I don't particularly trust Googles intentions but I do at least trust that they have their shit together when it comes to security.

userbinator 2y ago
No surprise, first thing I see in the comments section is FUD.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
pennybanks 2y ago
what would be some security concerns in a situation like this? genuine question
- dcsommer 2y ago
  Remote code execution + local privilege escalation to own your device. Just last week on the RCE front: https://thehackernews.com/2024/05/new-chrome-zero-day-vulnerability-cve.html?m=1 https://thehackernews.com/2024/05/new-chrome-zero-day-vulner...
  - pennybanks 2y ago
    right makes sense, ty
  - resource_waste 2y ago
    Is there such a thing as a 'stable' browser that will never have these flaws. (I'm afraid to use the word Stable since Debian-family corrupted the meaning) I really don't need push notifications going to my desktop. HTML, CSS... ughhhh javascript... So if covering javascript is too hard, maybe a HTML/CSS browser, and anytime you need javascript, you open a chrome session.

WorldPeas 2y ago

Not to put salt in an old wound but didn't Chris Titus get in hot water after he recommended this, and it was found to contain certain adult images?

dang 2y ago

Related. Others? Thorium Browser: The fastest browser on Earth - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38900191 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38900191 - Jan 2024 (3 comments) Thorium – The Fastest Browser on Earth - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38896266 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38896266 - Jan 2024 (14 comments) Thorium – The first browser to score over 600 speedometer points on a Mac M3 Pro - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38894920 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38894920 - Jan 2024 (57 comments) Thorium – Radioactive Chromium Fork - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38854932 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38854932 - Jan 2024 (26 comments) Don't Use Thorium Browser – If Installed, Remove It - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38647363 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38647363 - Dec 2023 (21 comments) Thorium – The Fastest Browser on Earth - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37917922 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37917922 - Oct 2023 (2 comments) Thorium is the first browser with HEVC and AC3 support even in a mkv container - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36455533 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36455533 - June 2023 (8 comments) Show HN: Thorium – The fastest browser on Earth - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31525464 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31525464 - May 2022 (3 comments) Outline of benefits of Thorium over vanilla Chromium - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29946310 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29946310 - Jan 2022 (31 comments)

Ameo 2y ago

I ran Thorium for a while on Linux because the claimed performance improvements appealed to me. However, I recently ran some actual modern browser benchmarks and vanilla Chrome performed significantly better in every one I tested. My testing wasn't by any means scientific and there are an enormous number of factors to consider of course. Maybe it's a quirk of my system, or some recent changes they made to Chrome's build process (LTO, BOLT optimizer, etc.) but yeah I've switched back to plain Chromium.

mdaniel 2y ago

Seems they're really into "windows 7-ing" all the things <https://thorium.rocks/win7 https://thorium.rocks/win7>, hacking^W Optimizing!!1 Firefox and VSCodium, too and FWIW I despise the thinking that leads one to commit ever-changing binary artifacts into git because then $(git clone) turns into a DVD sized download https://github.com/Alex313031/codium/commit/5bd47c17194e80191d16c70795a2777c1db5ba21 https://github.com/Alex313031/codium/commit/5bd47c17194e8019...