Microsoft to Linux developers: We want your help to bring Edge browser to Linux

[steven36]

Microsoft might build Edge for Linux because doing so could attract web developers.

 

 

Microsoft has already said there's nothing technically stopping it from bringing its Chromium-based Edge browser to one-time Windows foe Linux. But the company now appears to be actually doing it and is seeking out feedback from Linux developers to help with "some assumptions".

 

We on the @MSEdgeDev team are fleshing out requirements to bring Edge to Linux, and we need your help w/ some assumptions," wrote Sean Larkin, a member of Microsoft's Edge team.

 

"If you're a dev who depends on Linux for dev, testing, personal browsing, please take a second to fill out this survey," he added.

 

Chrome, of course, is already available for Linux, so Microsoft should be able to deliver Chromium-based Edge to Linux distributions with minimal fuss.

 

 

However, so far Microsoft has only committed to bringing Edge to Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and macOS. It is building the browser independently of Windows 10, which it ships with.  

 

But in June Microsoft Edge developers said there are "no technical blockers to keep us from creating Linux binaries" and that it is "definitely something we'd like to do down the road".

 

 

Despite Chrome's availability on Linux, the Edge team noted there is still work to be done on the installer, updaters, user sync, and bug fixes, before it could be something to commit to properly. Microsoft rolled out previews of the new browser in June.  

 

The developer survey is hosted on Microsoft's Forms for Office platform and targets people who use Linux as a device for web development and testing. 

 

Microsoft is keen to know the flavor of Linux that developers are using for web development, whether it's Redhat, Debian, Ubuntu, openSUSE, Fedora, or another distribution. 

 

It also wants to know whether web developers use multiple distributions of Linux for different development scenarios and how users would expect to install Edge on Linux devices, such as through a native package manager or an installer. 

 

And Microsoft is keen to understand whether developers use a browser on Linux for automated testing, web development, personal browser or "other purposes". 

 

Despite Microsoft's apparent interest in supporting Edge for Linux, some Linux users aren't that interested, partly because there's no shortage of browsers that already support it. 

 

Besides Chrome, there's already Chromium-based Opera, Vivaldi and Falkon, as well as WebKit-based GNOME Web, and of course Mozilla Firefox. 

 

Source

[vertical]

i really think that linux users don't want or at least should not do this.

What i have understood from a lot of linux users is that not only people who are looking for a cheap os are using it.

linux has a whole community behind it and there is also a philosophy behind it.

 

Look at linus torvalds.

Man, he could be the man, and the man of the  century almost.

now in my opinion he has sold his b to microsoft by letting them and others in this project. and got kicked to the side .

 

and edge is anyway the worst browser for developers. you don't want to use internet expl or edge and not only because it is a crapware(ask any web developer). it belongs to microsoft windows and should stay there . taking over everything is not an option for now.

 

[zigzag]

They could have released previews for Linux and Windows at once.

Their Universal Apps should be available on Linux as well.

Restricting their store only for Windows 10 really not universal.

Their marketing not that great haha.

[steven36]

2 hours ago, vertical said:

i really think that linux users don't want or at least should not do this.

Why would it matter  we already  have every windows proprietary browser Google Chrome , SlimJet , Opera and Vivaldi on Linux witch are  all Chromium based .EDGE  is now Chromium as well that dont mean you have use them i don't  . They are so many open source ones there is no benefit of using closed source ones anymore back years ago before Firefox had DRM  and Linux was behind on flash people use to use Google Chrome to watch videos on Linux but flash is the same version as windows now and its dead soon and Firefox , Waterfox and Brave have DRM if you want to enable it .

 

2 hours ago, vertical said:

What i have understood from a lot of linux users is that not only people who are looking for a cheap os are using it.

Microsoft have more  paying Linux users  on there cloud than they have Windows users. it's not about using a cheap OS many people donate to the distro  they use , it's about choice you dont have to pay unless you want to . Also Ubuntu and Rethat have many people who pay for enterprise support do you need this?  No you can problem shoot yourself  and use Cent OS or Fedora  witch is the open versions of Red Hat or Ubuntu and but when your a big Enterprise you can afford support . 

 

People on Linux dont mind paying for software and services as long as it's worth paying for but EDGE is just another chrome browser that are a dime a dozen if they use Microsoft Cloud they may want to use it who knows . But still AWS have more users than Microsoft do in there Cloud . We have some  Google fans on Linux already .

 

The reason old time Linux users  hate Microsoft is because Steve Ballmer said  Linux was a cancer ,  if it's a cancer its going end up eating Windows in the end .

 

Microsoft  has real Linux in Windows 10 now , do I care if they make a Linux app on Windows or Linux ? No as Long as it works on my distro and i want it is all that matters.

 

They can embrace it  or stay stuck  with there Windows  based on 1990s NT and suffer we dont really care . Today's Microsoft are Gold Members of the Linux Foundation and belong to the Linux security team . Only requirement to be part of open source is to contribute  back to it if you use it in your software which  they do. They already Microsoft apps like Skype on Linux and a lot people use it too.

 

 

[Sylence]

17 hours ago, zigzag said:

They could have released previews for Linux and Windows at once.

Their Universal Apps should be available on Linux as well.

Restricting their store only for Windows 10 really not universal.

Their marketing not that great haha.

 

Lol if anything Microsoft is doing, is removing restrictions, not putting them.

Linux being free doesn't make it any less restricted, it's not about the source code being open or close.

 

they host Linux on their Azure cloud, integrate lots of Linux technologies in their OS. they remove many restrictions regarding gaming. they are encouraging developers to use DirectX 12 to create a game once and run in on both Xbox and PC.

companies making restrictions are Sony who is against these cooperation and deny any offer regarding cross platform play.

Microsoft even tested a true Xbox game on Windows 10, State of Decay.

 

their universal app should be available for Linux? haha sure, after Apple make their OS and proprietary software/hardware open source

 

[zigzag]

Linux is the most popular choice in the servers platform . If customers use Linux MS should support it or they lose more money.

After MS lost the IE browser market they use whatever means to stay afloat. They again grabbed open-source components chromium.

This is about following the trends. open-sourcing is the way to make software available on more widely, on more devices.

Directx12 obstacle. Vulkan api independent.

MS makes apps universal for MS devices and their partners only that follows their regulations.