Recommended browser for N900?
 

Hi.

I have been trying to find a modern, still-supported browser to run on my N900, but I have failed so far.

On my N900, I have MicroB, Opera, Fennec (I think that it is version 7 or so), Crochick's Macuco (not really a full-blown browser), and I tried to install hydrogenbrowser, but none of them are that good.

I am using the latest stable community update and some of the browsers above are OK, but Crochick's Macuco is, hands down, the fastest/most responsive while using GMail. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to want to load Google Calendar, which is a real pity. :(

MicroB is, of course, the most well-integrated browser. Opera is, perhaps, OK, but nowhere near Macuco. hydrogenbrowser just gives me a black screen with no feedback and I have to force quit it.

Fennec is, supposedly, a more modern browser, but it takes ages to load one page after you've clicked on a link.

So, what are, in the community opinion's the current best, modern browser that one can use on an N900?


Thanks a lot for any recommendations from fellow users.

Re: Recommended browser for N900?
 

http://wiki.maemo.org/Web_browser

I use Opera 11 at the moment but hopefully in the future I will use Apolex on my main device. This will require CSSU-Thumb.
Fennec is very memory intensive and therefore slow on most devices.

It all depends on what features you require.

Re: Recommended browser for N900?
 

First of all, thank you very much for your reply and your indication of the link to the wiki. I am a bit sleep deprived and forgot to mention that I had seen that many browsers are way, way outdated (e.g., midori is only version 0.2 while the current version is 0.5 or newer).

Essentially, all the browsers that I saw available either had abandoned development (Opera, Fennec for N900), could be installed due to unsatisfied dependencies (dooble), were too ancient (midori), didn't start (hydrogenbrowser) or, when, I tried to load Gmail, would simply be in an infinite redirect loop (I don't recall which one, but I can recheck).

I would just love a simple, barebones browser that had some modern javascript, which were mostly maintained (well, I can try to help with maintenance---but this would exclude closed-source browsers like Opera) and which allowed me have the same experience as Macuco2's.

BTW, thanks again for the pointers and, also, for the hint on Alopex.

Re: Recommended browser for N900?
 

I use Opera. Version 12.1 was released less than a year ago. Also, I like the "built in" ad blocking ("~/.opera/urlfilter.ini").

Is Macuco faster than Opera because Macuco is downloading the iPhone / mobile version of websites and Opera is downloading the desktop version?

Re: Recommended browser for N900?
 

I'm curious what the problem is with MicroB? You don't really say. NEVERMIND--tried it on Gmail and related for first time in a while. Usually use Opera (but rarely go to Google stuff since I use an N9 for that stuff).

Re: Recommended browser for N900?
 

Thanks SIxwheel' for the wiki link I didn't know that Opera had a repo of its own, I think I got my Opera from OVI store, is the N900 store or the apps from OVI even updated anymore?
.....
It seems that I alteady have the latest(12.10.16) for Maemo5.

Re: Recommended browser for N900?
 

There is a opera repo but I don't think we will see updates from it.
Many people have had issues with Opera 12 randomly crashing.

Re: Recommended browser for N900?
 

It was stated by Opera that 12 is the last maemo version. Sad as it is the best for me (no flash tho) and stable.

Re: Recommended browser for N900?
 

Flash?!
HTML5 is the future :)

Re: Recommended browser for N900?
 

BBC with html5? Indeed it is the future but flash is sticking around...

Re: Recommended browser for N900?
 

microB is best browser. nothing comes close.

Re: Recommended browser for N900?
 

I tried several browsers.MicroB rules.

Re: Recommended browser for N900?
 

Microb has all those awesome keyboard shortcurs and the flash.

but Opera is a good alternative. The rest of the available browsers are sub par.

Re: Recommended browser for N900?
 

I use the html version of gmail on MicroB, and it is quite fast....

You lose some features but it works.

Re: Recommended browser for N900?
 

Yes, microb with the leaked flash-10 and hex edited to report flash 12 should hopefully last us through the flash-pocalypse.

Re: Recommended browser for N900?
 

microb with advanced checkerboarding is best opera is good . Why cant i download dooble and dillo they say package not found ?? Midori should be updated its best with stylus support :) firefox is hell slow macuo is fast it should de given aa ui overhawl with more options . Helium is pretty tear and digia average . I mostly use links and microb with opera:) at last everything is fine to complete it we need a microb quality html5 browser:) yet to try apolex and debian. Did i miss any and what is hydrogen browser mentioned here?

Re: Recommended browser for N900?
 

Are there concise instructions for how to set that up, or does one have to read hundreds of posts to figure it out?

Re: Recommended browser for N900?
 

Re: Recommended browser for N900?
 

I am having a hard time finding the flash-player-10.deb binary. Any pointers?

Re: Recommended browser for N900?
 

MicroB for 99% of needs, Chromium via EasyDebian, when you need something more. As simple as that.

/Estel

Re: Recommended browser for N900?
 

Here it is: adobe-flashplayer-10.deb

Edit: same file as above zipped before uploading.

Re: Recommended browser for N900?
 

Unfortunately, I get the following error:

/media/mmc1/Files/Temp # dpkg -i adobe-flashplayer-10.deb
dpkg-deb: `adobe-flashplayer-10.deb' is not a debian format archive
dpkg: error processing adobe-flashplayer-10.deb (--install):
subprocess dpkg-deb --control returned error exit status 2
Errors were encountered while processing:
adobe-flashplayer-10.deb

PS: Same thing after I copied the file to /home/user/Downloads and made it executable.

Re: Recommended browser for N900?
 

The file worked for me following these steps. I downloaded the file from mediafire and compared the file size with my working one. Both are 3,536,878 bytes.

Re: Recommended browser for N900?
 

Amen.

Except I don't think I've ever used Chromium. Ever. On a phone OR a desktop. Ever.

On my N900, I have tried: MicroB, Fennec, Midori, Opera and Alopex. The only one I use or even have installed after having tried them all is MicroB. It satisfies 100% of my browsing needs.

since we're in such topic, is there a way to close microb's launcher after entering url? since everytine i type from the launcher it launches a new window. Thanks :)

Re: Recommended browser for N900?
 

If there is a way to do that, it would be great. Also, when I close that window (launcher one with a list of bookmarks) sometimes the newest opened browser window's url bar at the bottom breaks... It either becomes empty (text disappears) or the indeterminate loading progress indicator appears forever (the narrow rectangle below the url which bounces from left to right over and over again), even after page load, and never stops. Does anyone else face this behavior?

Re: Recommended browser for N900?
 

BTW,xes build a thumb version of midori 0.4.0 here,yet not many ppl noticed or used it.
MicroB is still the best one for now.

Re: Recommended browser for N900?
 

I've used Fennec, microb, Opera and Chrome under Easy Debian. Fennec was really slow. microb, as other posters have noticed, is good, but mine inserted what looked like settings into the typed URL history, and later on completely deleted all typed URL history, without me doing anything. Also, it's difficult to use with gmail. Opera has a neat interface (I use Opera 11, because Opera 12 crashes randomly for me too, pity) and I use it as a default browser until microb's WYSIWYG-ness is needed (but still don't trust it 100% after the typed URL history debacle).

Re: Recommended browser for N900?
 

+ Opera 11. I pinned it for apt so I wouldn't get the annoying update to Opera 12 that doesn't work.

I tend not to use Microb unless I really need flash or Opera isn't rendering a page well. I find microb a bit slow and the UI not as clean as Opera.

Re: Recommended browser for N900?
 

I'm using Opera, mostly, & Microb occasionally.
I would probably use Microb more if "Open link in new window" opened the window in the background. Still, Opera's reflowing of text when zooming is probably the winning feature.

Re: Recommended browser for N900?
 

Can you try and report:
I can install them both.

Re: Recommended browser for N900?
 

Still using Opera 12 b16 which is fast, compact and fully implements HTML 5. It's got some serious bugs though and doesn't support Flash.

Re: Recommended browser for N900?
 

That can be set with a command, I think. I don't have time to look it up right now, but my MicroB opens up new windows in the background...

Re: Recommended browser for N900?
 

how can I do that? I'd like it to open new windows in the background...

Re: Recommended browser for N900?
 

I'm a bit baffled... I searched and can't find the thread...

It's either a CSSU/thumb option (or HildonDesktop), or I set it by typing about:config in the MicroB address bar. I can't find it now, though. Sorry...

BE CAREFUL with about:config. If you don't know what you're doing, STOP.

Edit: Well, I rechecked my MicroB, and it doesn't open new tabs in the background anymore. But I SWEAR I had that going recently (I reflashed about a week ago...)

Re: Recommended browser for N900?
 

One disadvantage of microb, at least for me, is that it doesn't handle USB mouse clicks; I can point but I can't click. Opera can handle that, as can Chromium (under Estel's Easy Debian).

EDIT microb doesn't handle clicks on the links, but clicking on the buttons in the browser interface, e.g. the back button, works. One exception is the maximize button in the lower right corner, that still needs a fingerstylus tap unless the address bar is visible.

Re: Recommended browser for N900?
 

Yeah, very annoying when using vncserver or connected to tv using a bluetooth mouse... In these use cases I use Opera, anyway it crashes too often :(

Re: Recommended browser for N900?
 

Is there really a way to get new windows to start on background?

My MicroB is opening new window on foreground (tested with just flashed device). And I hate it that way.

Re: Recommended browser for N900?
 

That would be nice, but according to this from 2010:
http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=44117
leads to this:
https://bugs.maemo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1695

RESOLVED WONTFIX
I'd love to get my hands on this patch. Anyone know how to get hold of Andre Klapper?

Re: Recommended browser for N900?
 

Having more than browser (microb and Opera in my case) has helped me in situations where one or the other would not correctly show the Wifi authorization page (e.g. microb says "data transfer interrupted). I haven't looked into why that happens; meanwhile I just fire up the alternative browser and it works.