Zorin OS 17.3 replaced the default Browser from Firefox(Old) to Brave(New).
Zorin OS 17.3 is Here
In light of Mozilla’s recent policy changes, we no longer feel assured that Firefox aligns with our commitment to protect your privacy. This prompted us to revisit the choice of default web browser in Zorin OS 17.3.
While FF's evil quotient has been on the rise, Brave definitely isn't a better option. If anything, librewolf is the way to go.
As a Librewolf user I wouldn't make it default for casual users this kind of distro is aiming for. Sure enabling logins to use it as a main browser is piss easy, but that's still more work than the average person wants to put into setting up their system.
Waterfox would be the better choice since it's just default Firefox in every way besides Mozilla's spyware.
Ugh. Why can't designers recognize they don't need to do things different just for the sake of being different?
I guess it's what makes them bad designers.
Agreed, I wouldn't recommend Librewolf for casual users. I understand why Librewolf makes those decisions, and I'm glad that it exists, but you definitely run into some quirks when using it. I'm thinking about switching from Librewolf to Waterfox myself.
there’s Zen also. that also has normie defaults, however the drastically changed UI/Uxmight not be for everyone.
Doesn't Librewolf log you out of every site when you close it, by default? I don't think that's a good default
That is the default behaviour, but it's pretty trivial to change. Also, I'd imagine the distro maintainer could choose to change the default settings as part of a post-install script, if they wanted to.
Edit: Not sure why you're being downvoted, as I do think it's a valid concern.
Probably getting downvoted by fanboys.
It has to be the default tho, bc the whole point of Librewolf is that it's trying to by default be untraceable and private.
It's very easy to disable that and re-enable cookies and the like, but your default experience will fundamentally be private, which is its goal
It’s very easy to
Sigh. This is what makes you people bad designers.
That's not the only point though. IIRC, they also remove telemetry, and pocket as well as some other things. I personally turn back on persistent sessions and history, but leave all the other privacy features there.
I personally turn back on persistent sessions and history
I did as well.
My point is just that it makes sense to be the default in that browser given its inclination towards privacy.
Ok but like, that makes a terrible default for Zorin OS users. They're gonna be confused and think it's some hot garbage
Right. So perhaps Librewolf isn't a good choice for Zorin OS
What's wrong with Brave?
It's the browser I've chosen to use after getting fed up w/ Gecko's terrible web compatibility these days (coming from Librewolf).
What's wrong with it? How is it evil?
The thing I dislike about Brave is that Brave intends to be an advertising company. Brave's original idea for revenue was that the browser itself should be the ad platform. Brave doesn't block ads because it has a pro-user manifesto; it blocks ads because it dislikes competition.
That's why it makes no sense for people to abandon Firefox for Brave. I understand the backlash against Mozilla's recent ad-focused shift, but Brave invented that idea. So leaving Firefox for Brave is not an improvement.
It's the browser I've chosen to use after getting fed up w/ Gecko's terrible web compatibility these days (coming from Librewolf).
I'm curious about what those compatibility issues are. It's been years since I've noticed any problems -- and back when I was seeing problems, it was mainly because Google could afford to implement new standards faster than Mozilla could, not because Mozilla was doing anything wrong. Could it have been because of Librewolf? Librewolf has a ton of privacy-focused settings that can sometimes make pages behave in strange ways. (It doesn't use your real time zone, it ignores dark mode, it lies about which OS you're on, and it constantly clears your cookies to name a few.)
And on a meta-note: I dislike Brave, but I don't think the parent here is a comment that needs to be downvoted. We can just explain why Brave is a bad idea.
Could it have been because of Librewolf?
Some issues definitiely were, but I also noticed issues when going back to regular Firefox and on Firefox mobile and Mull (which is sorta like Librewolf principles but for FF Mobile).
it was mainly because Google could afford to implement new standards faster than Mozilla could
I think that's exactly what happens.
It definitely wasn't Firefox's fault for the compat issues.
Websites would work for months, and then one day only work in Chromium browsers. Sometimes they'd come back. Sometimes only parts would fail. Sometimes they'd never come back. These sites were changing things and breaking Gecko compatibility, but never Blink compatibility. I'd try turning off all the privacy settings, disabling ad blockers and extensions too, but nothing could fix it except using a Blink browser.
So I don't blame Firefox/Librewolf for this, but it also means I suddenly couldn't, say, access my loan payment as an example in Firefox. That's one that broke. I need that to work. It works in Chrome, but not in FF (actually I think it came back to working in FF eventually)
I was always having to have 2 browsers installed, Firefox-based for most things and a Chromium-based backup.
One day I realize that it doesn't make sense to use a FF-based browser, since if I have to have a Chromium-based backup anyway, I might as well just use a Chromium browser. I didn't want to use a it, I'm generally against it Blink, but I feel that Gecko has already lost the war. I have no choice. FF is not long for this world
Asides from the kinda-shady crypto stuff and the other things that've already been mentioned, just philosophically it should be kinda evident that over-concentration on one corporate controlled rendering engine isn't a good thing. Google wants the internet to be a walled garden with themselves as the sole decision makers so they can stuff ads down your throat.
Gecko's web compat is bad largely because of this over-concentration.
just philosophically it should be kinda evident that over-concentration on one corporate controlled rendering engine isn’t a good thing
Totally with you on that point.
However, I feel now that Gecko has already lost. I was a long-time FF and later Librewolf user, but Websites don't care to support FF as much, so I'd have important sites break. I'd have to have a Chromium-based backup anyway.
So I've now given up on that from. I have no real choice but to use Blink in some capacity.
What's wrong is that we're on the Fediverse and many here write off Brave because the founder is "homophobic" because he's a conservative Christian. Sure, they make up all sorts of shallow justifications like "it's a crypto scam" but it definitely boils down to the "homophobic" whining.
Found Brendan Eich's sockpuppet :)
A conservative can't be a Christian, and vice versa. Jesus was absolutely clear: He cares as much about the sex of who you sleep with as He does about the fabric of your underwear. Hatred is never justified.
Homophobia is a plenty good reason not to use a browser. Eich is an unscrupulous person at best, and his name leaves a stink on any project he is involved with. Unsurprising that Brave has decided to embrace the crypto fad and is moving towards becoming an ad platform.
Brave is a scammy project founded by a scummy person. I'm not sure FOSS development can fix that as long as he is in charge.
Read the Bible. Even the apostle Paul reiterates that it's sinful.
As I said before, it all comes down to the "homophobia" argument. No good reasons, just a hatred of its founder. Pretty sad, if you ask me.
To take that passage (Romans 1) and to interpret it to mean that Homosexuality should be persecuted is to ignore Jesus' lessons in favor of one's own hatred. That's not Christian at all. It also ignores the rest of Romans.
Again, read the Bible. That's all I'll say because it's obvious to me that you've probably only read scraps through third parties within the context of progressive "Christianity".
You've got me wrong, but do what you think is best.
A comprehensive reading involves slowing down and taking context into account. It was included for a reason.
God, I hate Paul. He seems to be the source of most of the shitty things in Christianity.
All Scripture is God-breathed. Take it up with Him.
Actually I think they had a kind of committee to decide what was "scripture" and what wasn't.
Did you seriously just do the Ackchyually meme?
Lol, imagine thinking any of that half-baked fanfic was real.