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How does this page not immediately address what I assume is everyone's first question? Is this browser built on Chromium, or is it a completely fresh creation?

How does this page not immediately address what I assume is everyone's first question? Is this browser built on Chromium, or is it a completely fresh creation? I have to assume that because they AREN'T highlighting it that it IS built on Chromium.

pavlov 1y ago
Since it’s Mac only, it could be WebKit. Definitely not a new browser engine.
- Spartan-S63 1y ago
  I wish we would see more WebKit browsers just for more variety. I personally use Safari as my primary browser on my Mac. Ora is interesting as it's an Arc-like spin using WebKit, but still early days for it.
- deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]
- politelemon 1y ago
  It says currently, so it wouldn't make sense to be WebKit.
  - pavlov 1y ago
    Who says they can’t use the OS native browser engine on each platform?
jerjerjer 1y ago
Why wouldn't it be Chromium/V8-based? New browser engine is multiple developer-years of effort.
- 827a 1y ago
  But I thought AI was supposed to be writing 90% of code by now, you're telling me building a new browser engine is still a multi-year, difficult effort?
- SeanAnderson 1y ago
  Just seems like not a very smart long-term move to build on it. Tough to get changes upstream when the majority of engineers working on Chromium are Google devs. Lots of features you'd hope would be available in Chromium aren't there and have to be implemented manually, but then you need to keep your fork interoperating with a massive, moving target. Safe Browsing, Translate, Spellcheck, Autofill, Password Manager aren't available in Chromium and Google cut unauthorized Chromium browsers off from using Google Sync in 2021 (https://www.zdnet.com/article/google-cuts-off-other-chromium-based-browsers-from-its-sync-service/ https://www.zdnet.com/article/google-cuts-off-other-chromium...) There's probably more issues?
  - bigyabai 1y ago
    I'm not really seeing the alternative here, though. If your main gripe with Chromium is getting patches upstream through the vendor, that's an issue with all the browser engines available to them. Gecko would be an even riskier bet than Chromium, and WebKit verges on being chronically undermaintained on Windows and Linux.
blueg3 1y ago
They hired a bunch of former Chrome engineers, so...
dmarcos 1y ago
99.9% is based on Chromium. Would have taken ages to ship otherwise. It's great to see how much Chromium has lowered the bar for people to be able to ship new browsers.
- jkrom3 1y ago
  They used Claude code to write it.
tyre 1y ago
As a consumer company, I assure you that not everyone’s first question is which browser engine this is built on.
ushakov 1y ago
the browser looks like it is based on Chromium indeed
- rvz 1y ago
  That's because it is. Just do this on the navigation bar: atlas://extensions
amrrs 1y ago
It's built on Chromium - https://help.openai.com/en/articles/12628461-setting-up-the-atlas-browser https://help.openai.com/en/articles/12628461-setting-up-the-...
drum55 1y ago
It's just Chromium, thinly reskinned.
- shadowfax92 1y ago
  Of course
herpdyderp 1y ago
User agent string says it's Chrome 141.0.0.0
chresko 1y ago
No normal human being is asking this as a first question.

pavlov 1y ago

Since it’s Mac only, it could be WebKit. Definitely not a new browser engine.

Spartan-S63 1y ago
I wish we would see more WebKit browsers just for more variety. I personally use Safari as my primary browser on my Mac. Ora is interesting as it's an Arc-like spin using WebKit, but still early days for it.
deleted 1y ago
[deleted]
politelemon 1y ago
It says currently, so it wouldn't make sense to be WebKit.
- pavlov 1y ago
  Who says they can’t use the OS native browser engine on each platform?

jerjerjer 1y ago

Why wouldn't it be Chromium/V8-based? New browser engine is multiple developer-years of effort.

827a 1y ago
But I thought AI was supposed to be writing 90% of code by now, you're telling me building a new browser engine is still a multi-year, difficult effort?
SeanAnderson 1y ago
Just seems like not a very smart long-term move to build on it. Tough to get changes upstream when the majority of engineers working on Chromium are Google devs. Lots of features you'd hope would be available in Chromium aren't there and have to be implemented manually, but then you need to keep your fork interoperating with a massive, moving target. Safe Browsing, Translate, Spellcheck, Autofill, Password Manager aren't available in Chromium and Google cut unauthorized Chromium browsers off from using Google Sync in 2021 (https://www.zdnet.com/article/google-cuts-off-other-chromium-based-browsers-from-its-sync-service/ https://www.zdnet.com/article/google-cuts-off-other-chromium...) There's probably more issues?
- bigyabai 1y ago
  I'm not really seeing the alternative here, though. If your main gripe with Chromium is getting patches upstream through the vendor, that's an issue with all the browser engines available to them. Gecko would be an even riskier bet than Chromium, and WebKit verges on being chronically undermaintained on Windows and Linux.

blueg3 1y ago

They hired a bunch of former Chrome engineers, so...

dmarcos 1y ago

99.9% is based on Chromium. Would have taken ages to ship otherwise. It's great to see how much Chromium has lowered the bar for people to be able to ship new browsers.

jkrom3 1y ago
They used Claude code to write it.

tyre 1y ago

As a consumer company, I assure you that not everyone’s first question is which browser engine this is built on.

ushakov 1y ago

the browser looks like it is based on Chromium indeed

rvz 1y ago
That's because it is. Just do this on the navigation bar: atlas://extensions

amrrs 1y ago

It's built on Chromium - https://help.openai.com/en/articles/12628461-setting-up-the-atlas-browser https://help.openai.com/en/articles/12628461-setting-up-the-...

drum55 1y ago

It's just Chromium, thinly reskinned.

shadowfax92 1y ago
Of course

herpdyderp 1y ago

User agent string says it's Chrome 141.0.0.0

chresko 1y ago

No normal human being is asking this as a first question.