[fishlevel]

Update: released new versions with tabs support, previous and next buttons, increased performance, search engine selection, file uploads, gps, bookmarks and other tweaks. Download from here: https://github.com/jonathan-reisdorf...owser/releases

Hi, I'd like to share my work regarding a very early prototype of a BB10-optimized browser. Currently it doesn't do much, just load web pages, display the current URL, you can enter a URL or a search term and it will search on google for now, and a progress bar during the page loading. Besides that nothing is there yet, no tabs, no back button, no bookmarks, ...
In the future I'll add the most important things and I'll try to add a forked version of crosswalk bringing chromium 64 to the browser, greatly improving speed, features and compatibility.

It's based on crosswalk and a forked version of the crosswalk inapp browser repo, with some custom work to make a navigation bar.

So how does it compare to the BB10 stock browser? BB10.3.3.2137 stock browser achieves 395/555 points while the prototype performs 498/555. I've attached screenshots of the html5 test benchmark. It loads and renders a lot of web pages the stock browser gives up on.

Unfortunately it's an android build for now because of crosswalk, but it should be much faster than e.g. the android chrome or firefox.

Download link to the apk: https://crossnode.org/f/442889ab163d42689d7d/?dl=1 outdated - see above

Here the links to the source code on github:
https://github.com/jonathan-reisdorf...listic-browser
https://github.com/jonathan-reisdorf...ppbrowserxwalk - for the plugin

Feel very free to report bugs, feedback etc., though I'm aware that this is just a very first prototype here with a LOT missing

Also I've only tested in on a passport silver for now.
The linked apk is a debug build, it will get faster once I do a release build.
It also asks for location permission for crosswalk, I'll create a permissionless build in the future.
The prototype is named "BB10 BEOL" (beyond EOL).

[lolo9269]

Thanks a lot for supporting blackberry 10. trackpad for classic.
Seem working.

An ad blocking, and a reader mode will be fine

And if keyboard shortcut can work as the native blackberry browser


If you can build a no debug version. Because on classic seem to be little slow.

Love Peace and Share

[BerryRipe]

Thank you for working on a browser, I'm very much looking forward to enhancements. I'm using a Classic and prefer the native browser at this point.

Posted via CB10

[fishlevel]

Thank you for working on a browser, I'm very much looking forward to enhancements. I'm using a Classic and prefer the native browser at this point.

Posted via CB10

Thanks! Yes I prefer the native browser as well, but it's not rendering a lot of websites and the list will only grow in the future as more websites transpile less code for older JavaScript. So my main driver for developing the browser is that I have a replacement for specific pages I know don't work, not for everyday usage. Also we'll need to see how fast it will get with the improvements, it will always have some disadvantage due to being an android package and not being native.

[brookie229]

Thanks! Yes I prefer the native browser as well, but it's not rendering a lot of websites and the list will only grow in the future as more websites transpile less code for older JavaScript. So my main driver for developing the browser is that I have a replacement for specific pages I know don't work, not for everyday usage. Also we'll need to see how fast it will get with the improvements, it will always have some disadvantage due to being an android package and not being native.

Is there really any advantage for your browser over an android browser such as YuBrowser, for example which is optimized for the Qualcomm Snapdragon (Passport chip)? I've noticed that YuBrowser scores 505/555 on my Passport for html5test.

[fishlevel]

Is there really any advantage for your browser over an android browser such as YuBrowser, for example which is optimized for the Qualcomm Snapdragon (Passport chip)? I've noticed that YuBrowser scores 505/555 on my Passport for html5test.

Some browsers are not open source or it's questionable which data they send where, some browsers are just not working (anymore) on BB10 as they move away from Android 4.3, while I specifically target that version, some are just bloated with features which makes them super slow, some are outdated. I have just shared a very first prototype so it's completely open which direction this thing takes. Might be better, might be worse, who knows. I do not claim to offer a real competition here for any of these browsers. But I'm pretty optimistic that once I manage to merge in the updated chromium the score will be higher than 505. (though I think it's more important to work on the basic features first)

[fishlevel]

Thanks a lot for supporting blackberry 10. trackpad for classic.
Seem working.

An ad blocking, and a reader mode will be fine

And if keyboard shortcut can work as the native blackberry browser


If you can build a no debug version. Because on classic seem to be little slow.

Love Peace and Share

Thanks! Does the trackpad work or doesn't it? Sorry I don't have a Classic so cannot verify if it works or not. Yes keyboard shortcuts are probably more easy to add than adblocking, which would be more useful imo, and reader mode is something very complex but we'll see, everything is open and I don't have unlimited time on my hands unfortunately :/ but we'll see

[lolo9269]

Thanks! Does the trackpad work or doesn't it? Sorry I don't have a Classic so cannot verify if it works or not. Yes keyboard shortcuts are probably more easy to add than adblocking, which would be more useful imo, and reader mode is something very complex but we'll see, everything is open and I don't have unlimited time on my hands unfortunately :/ but we'll see

Tackpad seems to work.

Love Peace and Share

[brookie229]

But I'm pretty optimistic that once I manage to merge in the updated chromium the score will be higher than 505. (though I think it's more important to work on the basic features first)

Yep--agree that the basics are first and foremost. Anyway, will certainly give it a try and keep my eye on it.

[Emaderton3]

Some browsers are not open source or it's questionable which data they send where, some browsers are just not working (anymore) on BB10 as they move away from Android 4.3, while I specifically target that version, some are just bloated with features which makes them super slow, some are outdated. I have just shared a very first prototype so it's completely open which direction this thing takes. Might be better, might be worse, who knows. I do not claim to offer a real competition here for any of these browsers. But I'm pretty optimistic that once I manage to merge in the updated chromium the score will be higher than 505. (though I think it's more important to work on the basic features first)

With all due respect, one could play devil's advocate and say you could be collecting data with the app as well.

Anyway, interesting project.

[brookie229]

With all due respect, one could play devil's advocate and say you could be collecting data with the app as well.

Anyway, interesting project.

He has offered up the source code fwiw : Here the links to the source code on github:
https://github.com/jonathan-reisdorf...listic-browser
https://github.com/jonathan-reisdorf...ppbrowserxwalk - for the plugin

edit: oops my bad on links but see above on OP's original!

[Vistaus]

Thank you so much for supporting BB10! Will try it out once it receives tab support and the option to change the search engine (I only use DDG), can't wait! Keep up the good work!

Posted via CB10 using my amazing  Passport (OG Red) <3

[fishlevel]

He has offered up the source code fwiw : Here the links to the source code on github:
https://github.com/jonathan-reisdorf...listic-browser
https://github.com/jonathan-reisdorf...ppbrowserxwalk - for the plugin

edit: oops my bad on links but see above on OP's original!

Yes absolutely, if you can you should definitely check out the project source and build it yourself, that's the only reliable though not so convenient option in general for any project. I'll also write a readme with steps how to build the project soonish

[doberchester]

Great to see a much needed open source app. To be honest what would really be awesome is a working version of the Brave browser.

[dpgo]

Not being opensource is the same problem that we have with bb10 browser, you depends 100% of the company whereas being opensource someone with knowledge can continue developing it. Blackberry shouldn't create it's own fork but just support FF/chromium or webkit project.

Posted via CB10

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

Not being opensource is the same problem that we have with bb10 browser, you depends 100% of the company whereas being opensource someone with knowledge can continue developing it. Blackberry shouldn't create it's own fork but just support FF/chromium or webkit project.

Posted via CB10

Why?

BB10 is the past, they lost all the money that they plan to loose on it. At this point they are planning it's end, there is no reason to find work around for four plus year old hardware.

[Vistaus]

Why?

BB10 is the past, they lost all the money that they plan to loose on it. At this point they are planning it's end, there is no reason to find work around for four plus year old hardware.

I think he means that BlackBerry shouldn't have created the BB10 browser in the first place but contributed to FF or Chromium so that we would've had native versions of either one of them available now.

Posted via CB10 using my amazing  Passport (OG Red) <3

[Bla1ze]

Not being opensource is the same problem that we have with bb10 browser, you depends 100% of the company whereas being opensource someone with knowledge can continue developing it. Blackberry shouldn't create it's own fork but just support FF/chromium or webkit project.

Posted via CB10

BlackBerry contributed plenty to WebKit and have since BBOS 6 when they bought TorchMobile. https://github.com/blackberry/WebKit-BB10 / https://trac.webkit.org/search?q=Bla...set=on&wiki=on

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

I think he means that BlackBerry shouldn't have created the BB10 browser in the first place but contributed to FF or Chromium so that we would've had native versions of either one of them available now.

Posted via CB10 using my amazing  Passport (OG Red) <3

If your going to play the "what if game"...

[Vistaus]

If your going to play the "what if game"...

I ain't playin', that other person is...

Posted via CB10 using my amazing  Passport (OG Red) <3

[dpgo]

I think he means that BlackBerry shouldn't have created the BB10 browser in the first place but contributed to FF or Chromium so that we would've had native versions of either one of them available now.

Posted via CB10 using my amazing  Passport (OG Red) <3

Yes, exactly it is what I mean. Even using webkit but delivering all code as opensource probably we will have updated forks. And maybe at same cost for Bb

Posted via CB10

[fishlevel]

Just a short update to keep you in the loop: I've added a small readme which should help you build the project from source if you prefer that. Also I've tried to create a release build but BB10 didn't let me install it yet, maybe I have to sign or repackage it or disable some optimization. Didn't have the time to look into it in detail yet. Also I'm working on the tabs feature, I'm somewhere in the middle of it, still some work to do. I decided to do this feature before other things which seem more relevant, because I want to build all or as many components the browser is made of with html, and for that I need a working concept on how to replace the main view and register other views and switch between them, what is exactly what I'm building with the tabs feature. So building this will make it much more easy to e.g. implement browser settings, bookmarks, context menus, some sort of history and so on. Every of these and other features is still a lot of work and will each take a considerable amount of time, but it will certainly help to have a mechanism to switch between different views.

[wbalogh]

Keep up the good work, kind sir!

Posted via CB10

[BriniaSona]

Can you do me a huge huge favour and make a music app that has swipe gestures to switch songs. That's all I need. Just an app that behaves like the android app Phonograph. I use it when biking but 50% of the time there are issues. If there could be a native BB10 app that'd be great. I'd use my note 8, but leaving it turned on all the time while biking causes burn in. So I'd rather use my z10 which has an led screen and I'd rather not buy a whole new phone just to play music while biking.

Posted via CB10

[fishlevel]

Can you do me a huge huge favour and make a music app that has swipe gestures to switch songs. That's all I need. Just an app that behaves like the android app Phonograph. I use it when biking but 50% of the time there are issues. If there could be a native BB10 app that'd be great. I'd use my note 8, but leaving it turned on all the time while biking causes burn in. So I'd rather use my z10 which has an led screen and I'd rather not buy a whole new phone just to play music while biking.

Posted via CB10

you are joking right? if not I'd like to ask you a question: how would you react if you post your work (which you did for yourself mostly) to a forum and then some random stranger guy answers requesting you to work on a totally different project you don't care about nor need yourself nor is there any relation to the project you posted nor has that guy already worked on his project and just asks you for help, no, he wants you to do all the work for him (very likely multiple weeks to months of dedicated work) because, well, why do the work when others could do it for you? just take your time and think a couple of seconds before answering that...

(like that you want to keep your BB10 and not waste resources by buying a new one though)