this post was submitted on 28 Feb 2025
146 points (94.5% liked)

Linux

50580 readers
1077 users here now

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

Rules

Related Communities

Community icon by Alpár-Etele Méder, licensed under CC BY 3.0

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
146
Which browser do you use and why? (lemmy.selfhostcat.com)
submitted 1 day ago* (last edited 16 hours ago) by ocean@lemmy.selfhostcat.com to c/linux@lemmy.ml
 

Using firefox but concerned now

Read about some alternatives:

Edit 2/28: It seems there is no general consensus if we should switch and/or to what.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] Kualk@lemm.ee -5 points 1 day ago (2 children)

What’s wrong with Chromium? License or Google backing?

[–] Matt@lemdro.id 5 points 1 day ago

The Google backing. See ublock Origin for example. Google wants less effective ad blockers because ads are 90% of their business. Google removed manifest v2, which is needed for good ad blocking capabilities. Now Chromium, and any browser based on it (Edge, Brave, Vivaldi, etc.), also lose it. Some have said they will manually add it back in to their browser, but that will only be possible for so long as Google’s upstream Chromium base further diverges.

The massive market share of Chromium-based browsers also gives Google near complete control over web standards. There are many websites that use non-standard functionality that only works in Chromium and not Firefox or Safari. Developers also will not adopt new standards unless Google chooses to as well because there would not be enough users to justify it otherwise.

TLDR: Control over Chromium gives Google extremely strong influence over the web and their interests likely do not have much overlap with yours.