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Goodbye PNaCl, Hello WebAssembly

blog.chromium.org

111–120 of 352 posts

Re: Goodbye PNaCl, Hello WebAssembly

#111
post #72
post #21

This one I'm fine with since WebAssembly is a worthy replacement, but I'm still annoyed at Google discontinuing Chrome Apps. Some examples of specialized apps I use all the time that would require a native app otherwise: - Signal Desktop - TeamViewer - Postman - SSH client - Cleanflight drone configuration tool It was one of the best things that happened to Linux desktops in a long time and removing it hurts users an…

Postman recently released a Native App, fwiw

It's based on Electron

Re: Goodbye PNaCl, Hello WebAssembly

#112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It was one of the best things that happened to Linux desktops in a long time and removing it hurts users and makes them less secure. It would be more accurate to say it was the best thing to happen to your use of Linux in a long time, and it looks like even that is only because you're trying to use a bunch of closed source, non-cross-platform stuff. I also disagree that it makes users less secure. The teams working…

Your pique is noted, but as more anecdata I use Chrome Apps for Soundcloud and Mixcloud, where it's nice to have a Chrome window that won't collect tabs and have a recognizable icon. I have dozens of tabs open in each of several Chrome windows and it can be a pain to find the one I want. Insert complaint about not being able to switch to a tab from Chrome Task Manager.

You can do that with regular web apps - just create a desktop shortcut in the Chrome menu ("More").

Re: Goodbye PNaCl, Hello WebAssembly

#113
post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It doesn't do anything that Javascript didn't already do. By the way, why do you think HTML5 is a problem?

Not the OP, but with HTML5 video in modern browsers, you can't simply escape obnoxious auto-play videos by disabling/never installing RealPlayer/Shockwave/Flash/etc.

No, but unlike when you use plugins the browser can't affect (like Flash) with HTML5 video it should be possible to use standard JavaScript to either write a user-script, a browser extension, or even build your own browser in a way that it would find all HTML5 videos and prevent them from autoplaying.

Because things are built to standards now, we can build those tools to manipulate them the way YOU want (which includes making them not auto-play) so the move from Flash and other 'black box' plugins to HTML video has been a HUGE win for usability!

Re: Goodbye PNaCl, Hello WebAssembly

#114
post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Chrome OS has no native SSH client, but Google published a NaCL based SSH client: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/secure-shell/pnhec... It's useful outside of Chrome OS if you have a security perimeter based on TLS with ACLs and auditing already in place and you want to use it for SSH as well: https://github.com/zyclonite/nassh-relay https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromiumos/platform/assets... Google use…

I wouldn't call it a "Linux Desktop" if you can't run a standard SSH client. Chrome OS is it's own beast.

I've got this crazy idea. Since "Linux Desktops" are generally running GNU under the hood for providing user land services, why don't we call those systems... I don't know... "GNU/Linux"? That way we can distinguish them from systems that use the Linux kernel, but have a completely different user land infrastructure.

I know, I know. It's crazy talk....

Re: Goodbye PNaCl, Hello WebAssembly

#115

Looks like Mozilla won this fight. When Mozilla didn't accept PNaCl and Pepper API proposed by Google, Mozilla went down the ASM path which now led us to Web Assembly being the general way forward.

Yup, when you consider that WASM can be polyfilled with Asm.js it's pretty obvious where things were headed.

What does that mean: "polyfilled with asm.js"?

Re: Goodbye PNaCl, Hello WebAssembly

#116

Looks like Mozilla won this fight. When Mozilla didn't accept PNaCl and Pepper API proposed by Google, Mozilla went down the ASM path which now led us to Web Assembly being the general way forward.

How exactly did Mozilla win this fight? WebAssembly was inspired by Mozilla's asm.js and Google's PNaCl. Also, the team working on WebAssembly are from Mozilla, Microsoft, Google and Apple. The real winner here are users because we now have a standard among all major browsers.

Re: Goodbye PNaCl, Hello WebAssembly

#117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yup, when you consider that WASM can be polyfilled with Asm.js it's pretty obvious where things were headed.

What does that mean: "polyfilled with asm.js"?

That you can run asm.js code on wasm.

Re: Goodbye PNaCl, Hello WebAssembly

#118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It was one of the best things that happened to Linux desktops in a long time and removing it hurts users and makes them less secure. It would be more accurate to say it was the best thing to happen to your use of Linux in a long time, and it looks like even that is only because you're trying to use a bunch of closed source, non-cross-platform stuff. I also disagree that it makes users less secure. The teams working…

Your pique is noted, but as more anecdata I use Chrome Apps for Soundcloud and Mixcloud, where it's nice to have a Chrome window that won't collect tabs and have a recognizable icon. I have dozens of tabs open in each of several Chrome windows and it can be a pain to find the one I want. Insert complaint about not being able to switch to a tab from Chrome Task Manager.

I was specifically disputing the claims that Chrome Apps are "one of the best things that happened to Linux desktops in a long time" and that they're noticeably more secure.

Taking Soundcloud as an example, Clementine (and probably most media players) can stream it just fine. Having a Chrome App is nice, but it isn't providing anything that isn't already available. I'd even say the Chrome App is a step backwards, because with Clementine I don't need a separate app for every music service.

Re: Goodbye PNaCl, Hello WebAssembly

#119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Chrome and Firefox probably dont run on their OS.

Then they have bigger problems that they should be getting on top of urgently.

I agree, but simply telling user to download a better browser could be a pretty condescending attitude. Falling back to a css-less html 4 would be more responsible for everyone.

Re: Goodbye PNaCl, Hello WebAssembly

#120
post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But OP is specifically calling out how this hurts Chrome OS, but it doesn't seem to affect that platform, from what I can tell.

One way it affects it is to reduce the overall market for Chrome apps, reducing the incentive to make an app in the first place.

Exactly. I doubt most of the ChromeApps that exist today were made for ChromeOS. They were made because it was an easy and straight forward way of making a webapp on the desktop. Now, as OP mentions, everyone is moving to Electron and NWJS, neither of which works directly on ChromeOS.

The only upside I can see is that CrOS is soon going to support running Android Apps which may save it, but even then... Maybe they'll figure out a way to run Electron/NWJS apps on ChromeOS?

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