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Lynx: Open Source Native Cross Platform framework used in TikTok

lynxjs.org

41–50 of 98 posts

Re: Lynx: Open Source Native Cross Platform framework used in TikTok

#41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Instagram web is so bad that it’s the only logical explanation.

I have worked in the Instagram ios source. It is FUCKING AWFUL. They’re impressive in their business success given their code quality.

There isn't even a real iPad app (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻

Re: Lynx: Open Source Native Cross Platform framework used in TikTok

#42

Apple and Google need to talk. They need to collaborate on something truly native to put an end to these bloated frameworks. My goodness the amount of engineering work being put into terrible mobile experiences is worse than how much Nasa is spending to look for water in space. Any mobile app designers out there think TikTok has good UX? I mean scrolling video is great, but everything else?

> Any mobile app designers out there think TikTok has good UX? I mean scrolling video is great, but everything else?

You wouldn't ask a doctor if she thinks crack is great, right?

Re: Lynx: Open Source Native Cross Platform framework used in TikTok

#43
Support for CSS transitions (and animations) on a native UI thread would be huge. React Native Renanimated is cumbersome and painful to use everywhere.

Sadly I finally ditched my MacBook for a Linux PC since Expo/EAS has liberated me from needing Xcode. I won’t be able to try this out for iOS development.

Re: Lynx: Open Source Native Cross Platform framework used in TikTok

#44

Would be interested in using this if not for the lack of LLM support. Can you also explain what the advantages are over React Native?

> Would be interested in using this if not for the lack of LLM support.

I'm not even in the anti-LLM crowd, but that sentence made me shake my head in disgust

Re: Lynx: Open Source Native Cross Platform framework used in TikTok

#45
post #20

Got curious enough to wanting to give it a go, so on the quickstart page it says: > Lynx Explorer is a sandbox for trying out Lynx quickly. And then it asks me to use either the iOS Simulator or the Android Simulator, which based on experience, neither are made for anything resembling "quickly". Anyone know if there are any "pure-web" instructions around? Skimmed around the docs, website and repository but didn't fin…

> iOS Simulator or the Android Simulator, which based on experience, neither are made for anything resembling "quickly".

It's not adb / avd or some device emulator. It's an app that you install on your device, and then it can load your app from your development device using a link. I was able to run it in 5 minutes without having android studio or any other android development kits on my laptop.

Re: Lynx: Open Source Native Cross Platform framework used in TikTok

#47
post #3

Are we intentionally reusing project names now? Lynx [1] is a fairly popular tui browser. I guess it doesn’t support ssl or tls, so is now obsolete? W3M [2] is a decent tui alternative that does. Or if you use kitty, awrit [3] is nice, with images and mouse support (it renders chromium in a terminal window) [1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynx_(web_browser) [2] https://w3m.sourceforge.net/ [3] https://github.com/…

I can't tell if this is satire or a hidden advertisement for various tui browsers? A project that is a "popular tui browser" (for the literally dozens of people that use tui browsers?) does not have ownership claim to the name of a big cat genus which has 4k+ other results on GitHub with the same name.

Lynx pre-dates Mosaic... "As of 2025, it is the oldest web browser still being maintained"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynx_(web_browser)

Re: Lynx: Open Source Native Cross Platform framework used in TikTok

#49
post #5

I remember listening to a Syntax FM[0] with Zack Jackson from ByteDance, which mentioned this framework briefly. Some quotes and notes from that part of the podcast: - All ByteDance products, even native apps, are web-based - They have an in-house framework called "Lynx" which is essentially their version of React Native[1] - "All apps are Lynx apps. Everything is a Lynx app. It's all backed off the same stack." - Th…

I work at ByteDance (though not for long). Most of the "sexy" part of the app is native, or C++ crossplatform for things that would normally be in C++. I'm not sure I'm allowed to share what Lynx is used on, but it's a small subset of the app.

Re: Lynx: Open Source Native Cross Platform framework used in TikTok

#50

Apple and Google need to talk. They need to collaborate on something truly native to put an end to these bloated frameworks. My goodness the amount of engineering work being put into terrible mobile experiences is worse than how much Nasa is spending to look for water in space. Any mobile app designers out there think TikTok has good UX? I mean scrolling video is great, but everything else?

Google already did the talking for both of them. It’s called Flutter.
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