- cross-posted to:
- linux@lemmy.ml
- freesoftware@lemmy.zip
- hackernews@lemmy.smeargle.fans
Video announcement by Chris Wanstrath (GitHub co-founder) of the 501© non-profit and $1,000,000 donation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9edTqPMX_k
- onlinepersona ( @onlinepersona@programming.dev ) English50•5 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…
- constableunstable ( @constableunstable@lemm.ee ) 17•5 months ago
I will never understand why people name stuff just by opening an English dictionary and simply picking a word
Naming stuff is hard.
- onlinepersona ( @onlinepersona@programming.dev ) English2•5 months ago
Yeah, but not that hard.
- La bird
- BB.Bird (baby bird)
- Birdanzo
- Lanzango
- Chicbee
- Elburd (el bird)
- Birday
- Bowsun
- Baysen
- Lirsi
- Slay BC
You can even put effort into it and look for translations in other languages, combine them, use a colloquialism not found in the standard dictionary, or so many other things.
- ericjmorey ( @ericjmorey@programming.dev ) 10•5 months ago
I like Ladybird more than any of those alternatives.
- LeFantome ( @LeFantome@programming.dev ) 8•5 months ago
For anybody else with the same question…
The Ladybird browser started as a part of the SerenityOS Project. SerenityOS had adopted Ladybug imagery before the browser was conceived. “Ladybird” seemed like a perfectly reasonable name for a core component of the OS given its existing iconography.
It was ( and is ) as good name in context.
Ladybird has decided to split with its SerenityOS roots. I have pretty mixed feelings on that. Regardless, it would be silly to change the name at this point.
The same history applies to C++. SerenityOS is written in C++. Until the split, the OS and browser were maintained in a mono repo with extremely deep code integration and coordination. They share the same custom C++ standard library and coding conventions for example.
SerenityOS was started as a very personal project and the original author is ( or was ) a fan of C++. While I am personally not a fan, it seems like a perfectly reasonable language choice to write an OS in.
- Zier ( @Zier@fedia.io ) 6•5 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.
- Telorand ( @Telorand@reddthat.com ) 19•5 months ago
I don’t mind the name, but if we’re throwing out wishlist names, I vote for “‘Zombo,’ the browser where you can do anything!”
- refalo ( @refalo@programming.dev ) 4•5 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.
- JackbyDev ( @JackbyDev@programming.dev ) English5•5 months ago
grumpy and meaningless bad takes all day every day
You don’t sound grumpy at all though lol
- onlinepersona ( @onlinepersona@programming.dev ) 4•5 months ago
Another bad take of yours. Nice. It’s a pleasure blocking you 🫡
- QuadriLiteral ( @QuadriLiteral@programming.dev ) English1•5 months ago
Cross-platform and performant, are there options besides C++ and rust?
- rekabis ( @rekabis@programming.dev ) 28•5 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.
- BatmanAoD ( @BatmanAoD@programming.dev ) 6•5 months ago
Why do you think most early adopters use Windows exclusively?
- LeFantome ( @LeFantome@programming.dev ) 3•5 months ago
They do not need early adopters yet. They know it is too early. It makes sense to focus on progress. Outreach can happen later when they are more technically ready.
- UndercoverUlrikHD ( @UndercoverUlrikHD@programming.dev ) 3•5 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.
- msage ( @msage@programming.dev ) 3•5 months ago
If you are tech-savvy and looking for alternatives, you won’t use Windows.
- rekabis ( @rekabis@programming.dev ) 1•30 days 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.
- Ferk ( @Ferk@lemmy.ml ) 2•5 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.
- RBG ( @RootBeerGuy@discuss.tchncs.de ) 20•5 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.
- compcube ( @compcube@lemy.lol ) 9•5 months ago
How exactly would it “get stomped”, and by whom?
- The Cuuuuube ( @Cube6392@beehaw.org ) English3•5 months ago
By whom is by google. How I don’t know how to answer
- FizzyOrange ( @FizzyOrange@programming.dev ) 15•5 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 ( @Telorand@reddthat.com ) 18•5 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 ( @rekabis@programming.dev ) 7•5 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.
- odium ( @odium@programming.dev ) 15•5 months ago
https://lemmy.blahaj.zone/post/13898322
Just leaving this here
- rah ( @rah@feddit.uk ) English14•5 months ago
Chris Wanstrath … $1,000,000 donation
So… not independent then.
- f00f/eris ( @ipacialsection@startrek.website ) English29•5 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 ( @cerement@slrpnk.net ) 19•5 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.
- bionicjoey ( @bionicjoey@lemmy.ca ) 23•5 months ago
The threat of losing future donations if you upset a sponsor is still coercive.
- cerement ( @cerement@slrpnk.net ) 9•5 months ago
(sad part is even if they sold out, they’d still be leagues ahead of the compromises Firefox and Chrome have made)
- zqwzzle ( @zqwzzle@lemmy.ca ) English8•5 months ago
I thought this was the meta logo for a second.
Which immediately makes me asks which codes Firefox takes from Google
- noodlejetski ( @noodlejetski@lemm.ee ) 45•5 months ago
Firefox is dependent on Google financially, not codeually.
Thanks!
- spikespaz ( @spikespaz@programming.dev ) 4•5 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.