A defanged Chrome for Debian?

[baki]

Chrome is a fascinating browser, both from a user's standpoint and (I assume) from the standpoint of a coder. However, there are many privacy concerns associated with using Google technology~Especially Chrome. Here is an article that elaborates on these issues, and suggests workarounds:

http://www.sjmdev.com/post/2009/03/25/t ... hrome.aspx

But why should every internet denizen wanting to try out the new contender have to do homework and modify the browser? It's open source! Two efforts have already been made to make Chrome private and slow Google's data mining: Chrome Plus and SRware Iron. I'm using Chrome Plus now, and rather enjoying the user interface. Either of those looks like a candidate for inclusion in Debian repositories. Or make your own Chrome-based browser! Integrate it with KDE and call it "KManganese".

[sir fer]

SRWare Iron for Linux, google chrome sans spyware.

http://www.srware.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=1031

best browser to date IMO.

[Telemachus]

This is a sidepoint, and a bit of a rant, so apologies. SRWare seems to provide a real service, and Iron may be great software. However, I really detest the use of pop-under ads on their forum.

It took me a few minutes to figure out what the hell was going on, and a quick search of the source led me to this beautiful piece of obfuscated JavaScript: http://bin-layer.de/layer-8671-3-subid:sr_forum.js.

Here's how that company, Bin-layer, describes their own work:

What is Bin Layer and what can it do for you?

We convert the visitors of your website into money! Bin Layer provides you with innovative and effective means of advertising and high quality advertising content that increase your revenue. Thanks to our quick payments you stay flexible and in case you have a question or doubt, our online live support will help you immediately. Sign up for free now or obtain more information…

PopAds

Our PopAd is a PopUnder which opens up in the background in a new window and avoids thereby to be blocked by the usual popup blockers and generates a fixed compensation of 2€ CPM for you! Additionally, we give you the possibility to control the appearance of the PopAd – for instance, it could appear when a visitor clicks the “Download” button. In case you intend to use PopAds together with LayerAds, we recommend you our HybridAd.

The world is the world, but I avoid sites that intend to turn me into money.

[sir fer]

I didn't realise this! I only go to the forum and download when there's an update to Iron. IMO it is faster than spyware-laden google chrome.

[nadir]

there would also be:
arora, midori, kazekloo, galeon, iceweasel, epiphany, konqueror, of course netsurf and one i can't spell ( u-spell, or similar) + links2 + the pure cli ones + the ones i don't know.
for me it's iceweasel which does what i want it too. not firefox, not compiled, not downloaded, not nothing. just installed right out of the repo.

ps: this is just a reminder.

[Telemachus]

I didn't realise this! I only go to the forum and download when there's an update to Iron. IMO it is faster than spyware-laden google chrome.

I didn't mean to give you grief. As I said, the site and the product may be great. I just hate that kind of advertising.

[sir fer]

@nadir, yes I know about all those. None give me the speed + screen real estate of SRWare Iron.
FWIW swiftfx and iceweasel take 7 seconds to start on this 1.6GHz AMD relic whereas with iron, I'd be lucky if I could count to 3 before it is up and running. The rest fall somewhere in that time-frame.

@Telemachus, agreed.

[nadir]

it was merely addressed at people passing by who don't know about them. i didn't. i am not sure how to put it (say a bit of balance weight during the hype and a bit of google-allergy). i am lazy, so i use iceweasel, else it would be epiphany or konqueror. each of them are easy for me, therefor not lightweight. i recall netsurf to be quite fast, as ugly as google but too difficult for me.

[baki]

Even if you don't like Chrome/Iron personally, don't you think that there would be some value in adding it to the repos?

[nadir]

yes, there would be. why: well, people do like it, so why not.

ah, i missed that: the value. people would stop talking bout it. or are there as many threads/posts etc about any other browser?

[sir fer]

I don't think chrome should be added to the repos. Chrome is spyware.

[nadir]

sir fer: FWIW swiftfx and iceweasel take 7 seconds to start on this 1.6GHz AMD relic whereas with iron, I'd be lucky if I could count to 3 before it is up and running. The rest fall somewhere in that time-frame

7 seconds? uff.
i don't measure, cause i open it and then it is there (say also three seconds, but that sounds like much).
it won't help you that i got 1.6Gh too... mh, i followed a link and disabled nearly everything in the preferences (save passwd, history set to 1 or 0 days, no check for updates, no plugins, etc. preload might be a little helper here (?). i am sure you did try all that... well thats understandable to choose another browser.

[sir fer]

I timed it using conky and TBH I hadn't turned off all those things but had switched off some, I have a couple of add ons etc. I was happy using *fox/iceweasel, but Iron just blew me away in terms of speed. Mozilla 3.6 is very good and I was happy with the improvement, but Iron (again) can do everything I need (flash etc) in a fraction of the time so why wouldn't I switch ?

[Soul Singin']

Even if you don't like Chrome/Iron personally, don't you think that there would be some value in adding it to the repos?

Excellent! The Debian Project is very happy that you have volunteered to "defang" Chrome, produce a Debian-compatible build and apply all of the necessary security updates on a regular basis.

We're looking forward to your packaging efforts.

Much obliged!,
- Soul Singin'
.

[bugsbunny]

It's already in process #520324 - ITP: chromium-browser -- A web browser developed by Google based on the WebKit engine - Debian Bug report logs

[baki]

Excellent! The Debian Project is very happy that you have volunteered to "defang" Chrome, produce a Debian-compatible build and apply all of the necessary security updates on a regular basis.

We're looking forward to your packaging efforts.

Chrome Plus(http://www.chromeplus.org/) is spyware-free, and already packaged for Debian. All that would be needed is to repackage it for the repos and update it now and then. I would do it myself if I knew anything about code. In my world, "perl" is the opposite of "knit".

It's already in process #520324 - ITP: chromium-browser -- A web browser developed by Google based on the WebKit engine - Debian Bug report logs

Excellent!

[Soul Singin']

Chrome Plus(http://www.chromeplus.org/) is spyware-free, and already packaged for Debian. All that would be needed is to repackage it for the repos and update it now and then. I would do it myself if I knew anything about code.

Excellent! I'm glad to hear that your study of programming languages will include the hands-on project of packaging "Chrome Plus" for Debian and that you will be applying all of the necessary security updates on a regular basis.

I'm looking forward to seeing the fruits of your labor.

Keep up the hard work!,
- Soul Singin'

ps: Could you post a link to the source code for "Chrome Plus?"
.

[Raffles10]

There seems to be some confusion about the Chromium Browser and Google Chrome......at least I was confused about it ! Chromium is an open-source browser from which Google Chrome was developed.

http://www.chromium.org/

Chromium source code is available for building on Linux:

http://code.google.com/p/chromium/wiki/ ... structions

There's also a Ubuntu ppa:

https://launchpad.net/~chromium-daily/+archive/ppa

This is not Google Chrome, as I understand it, and therefore should not contain any spyware, I think.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromium_(web_browser)

[sir fer]

Yeah I found all the chrome/chromium terminology confusing.

SRWare say that there is no spyware in their browser and the speed difference is palpable even between google chrome and Iron, so I tend to believe them.

[Korrode]

It's already in process #520324 - ITP: chromium-browser -- A web browser developed by Google based on the WebKit engine - Debian Bug report logs

Except the guy doing the packaging has been silent on that thread for ~2 months now :\
...but don't wanna seem impatient... he's prolly busy irl