Date: Tue, 12 May 2020 13:57:34 +0200 From: Polytropon <freebsd@edvax.de> To: Maciej Suszko <maciej@suszko.eu> Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Microsoft Teams for Linux Message-ID: <20200512135734.fd7bfc91.freebsd@edvax.de> In-Reply-To: <5894ef55-29e1-05cd-6359-e84e779cded0@suszko.eu> References: <b64d57e2-f4d7-7618-c711-6501a652a6ac@suszko.eu> <20200505093624.00001df2@seibercom.net> <223da1b3-a83d-b2e8-36dc-468dcb219305@suszko.eu> <db68d8c4-cf3e-5a2f-63d9-f16f0b4f9559@lidstrom.eu> <fecdd83b-2061-a6c0-f927-c380cbc2b500@suszko.eu> <a0828175-6f75-92c4-ab48-bfd395e1a91d@suszko.eu> <ce6fe689-777f-7285-3483-76fb73ea3e82@suszko.eu> <f3a86f00-7e81-ec9d-2f29-c4d9bc3e0094@lidstrom.eu> <b28e6141-04bc-4f66-93e3-658929500c0c@suszko.eu> <CAM8r67Boe0dQt%2B1T8rdoubxNKaeDCaQ5UkY1nThM8UahF=WU3g@mail.gmail.com> <20200508113438.00006adc@seibercom.net> <CAM8r67DqhC37qoU99iBXPvSZAVVPezPCfKipOD-2xiig95-0TA@mail.gmail.com> <9329b8e5-c973-c65e-2261-c529dbfc5e7d@suszko.eu> <20200512071116.0000356f@seibercom.net> <20200512132155.dfaccc07.freebsd@edvax.de> <5894ef55-29e1-05cd-6359-e84e779cded0@suszko.eu>
next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
On Tue, 12 May 2020 13:35:26 +0200, Maciej Suszko wrote: > On 5/12/20 1:21 PM, Polytropon wrote: > > On Tue, 12 May 2020 07:11:16 -0400, Jerry wrote: > >> It is my understanding that FreeBSD does not support Google Chrome. > >> That is not Microsoft's fault. That is a failure on the part of > >> FreeBSD. You should be taking the problem up with them, or perhaps > >> Google. Whether there is no one willing to maintain the port, or a > >> systemic failure on the part of FreeBSD is the real question here. > > > > As Chrome, unlike Chromium, is not distributed in source form > > (i. e., it is not open source), distribution would only be > > possible as a binary blob, as for example nVidia does it. > > The interesting question could be: Why does nVidia provide > > a binary blob used by the FreeBSD port, and Google does not? > > You would guess that a graphics driver is much more dependent > > on bein tied closely both to the OS and to X, whereas a web > > browser is, more or less, "just" a user application program > > that should be quite portable. > > > > > > > >> The bottom line is this in not Microsoft's fault. > > > > That is correct. Chrome is supported, Chromium is not. > > And Chrome is not Chromium. And not Firefox. > > What's the difference between Chrome and Chromium that is a stopper for > Microsoft to support this browser? What's wrong with Firefox that it > can't be used... or maybe what it lacks? That's a good question! As you know, Chrome "enhances" Chromium with certain functions, such as video and audio codecs (might be important here) as well as autoupdater (which performs the task a system-controlled updating mechanism is supposed to do), or it is about the DRM (digital restrictions management) stuff that is "important" for a working video conferencing tool? By "important", I do not imply "neccessary" - two totally different things. But if a certain web app makes itself dependent on functions found in Chrome, but not in Chromium, it's obvious that it won't work in anything else; however it's still a valid question _why_ such a decision has been made... Yes, I can actually imagine the codecs and the DRM that are present in Chrome, but not in Chromium, are the "Google extensions" that are required. > So we have the situation having two modern browsers mostly useless in > such web applications. Correct. As I mentioned earlier, web browsers have become a very complex thing comparable to an operating system - it they are also _used_ like operating systems, i. e., distinct platforms to run web code (as opposed to native code) on; of course the metaphor "write once, run everywhere" that more or less used to be true for HTML content doesn't apply anymore. A web app can be very specific about which browser you can use, and what version of said browser is required. If you don't match those exact requirements - no soup for you. -- Polytropon Magdeburg, Germany Happy FreeBSD user since 4.0 Andra moi ennepe, Mousa, ...
Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?20200512135734.fd7bfc91.freebsd>