Microsoft's Edge Browser for Linux is Now Available for All Users (zdnet.com) 97
A year after releasing the first preview build of its Chromium-based Edge browser for Linux, Microsoft is announcing its general availability. From a report: The new release supports a variety of Linux distributions, including Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora and openSUSE. Microsoft announced Linux on Edge's availability milestone during the first day of its Ignite IT Pro conference. As of the release of Edge for Linux to the "stable" (mainstream user) channel, Edge is now available on Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and Linux. As it did when introducing the new Edge on macOS, Microsoft has been positioning Edge on Linux as more of an offering for IT pros and developers who want to test web sites than as a browser for "normal" users on those platforms. However, any user on any supported platform can use the new Edge.
Dont think it brings anything new to Linux (Score:3, Interesting)
There are a bunch of browsers in the various flavours of Linux.
I really doubt Microsoft is bringing anything new to the linux party.
And since there is a sizable number of Linux users who don't view Microsoft favourably, there is a higher chance that there will be less users of this browser.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Who asked for this? Really?
Re:Dont think it brings anything new to Linux (Score:5, Interesting)
Re: (Score:1)
It kind of is (kinda agreeing with you), however, Chromium, which is what Edge is built upon, does run on RASPI, so how hard can it be to build Edge for ARM?
Re: (Score:1)
funny, whenever I have an issue with X supporting Y I always get "its linux just do it yourself you lazy fuck" but when X doesnt support Y out of the box its HOW DARE THEY!
wish you linux nerds would get your story in order ... might mean that maybe one day you could get some mainstream support
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Dont think it brings anything new to Linux (Score:4, Interesting)
What Microsoft brings to the Linux party is the ability to develop a website or web application on a workstation that runs Linux and see it as Edge users see it without having to download a new VM image every 90 days[1] and spend a bunch of RAM, CPU time, and HDD seek time spinning up a Windows VM every single time.
[1] From "Virtual Machines" [microsoft.com]: "These virtual machines expire after 90 days."
Re:Dont think it brings anything new to Linux (Score:5, Insightful)
First, would you actually trust the Linux version of Edge to render exactly the same way as the Windows version? I sure wouldn't. Meaning you're still going to have to fire up that VM, because the only thing you can check for on the Linux Edge is that the site looks okay on the Linux Edge.
Second, stick to web standards and to hell with browsers that don't render them properly. (Yeah, I know, you don't always have the choice...)
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
Proper testing is going to mean having to test the site out on the architectures and OSs you expect the app to run on. There's no real getting around that, So far as I understand it there will be at least some rendering differences between OSs even with a common code base.
So really, full testing is going to require a VM anyways.
Re: (Score:2)
Which means, you probably just got one more browser to include in your tests. Exotic one, for one.
Re: (Score:3)
I'm going to go out on a bit of a prognosticatory limb and suggest Edge isn't exactly going to go gangbusters on Linux.
Re: (Score:2)
You can also just download the Windows 10 Pro iso, install that, and run it without activation indefinitely, getting updates and the latest versions of Edge as well.
Re: (Score:2)
You need spare station, if not doing VM (which personally so far I do somehow disgust too).
Re: (Score:2)
Yes a VM. That's what the parent poster was talking about.
Re: (Score:1)
And now you can just download the Linux iso, install that and run it without activation indefinitely, getting updates and the latest versions of Edge as well.
Re: (Score:2)
...you still have to test it on Edge for Windows because it *will* be different
The only reasonable testing you can do is to make sure it works for the 2 people using this on Linux ...
Re: (Score:2)
What Microsoft brings to the Linux party is the ability to develop a website or web application on a workstation that runs Linux and see it as Edge users see it
And why would I care about that? If edge doesn't display it right, then Microsoft can fix it. I'm not doing free work for one of the richest companies in the world.
Re: (Score:1)
one thing that comes to mind is the font's in linux are some weird half breed look alike "free as in speech" mutation of the real things which always borks formatting on other systems
Re: (Score:1)
Wrong.
Rendering won't be the same. At least, you can't guarantee it.
You can already check this with chromium on windows and linux.
Re:Dont think it brings anything new to Linux (Score:5, Funny)
OpenBSD Chromium (Score:2)
There is actually a Chromium package in OpenBSD that uses pledge() and unveil(), and it's interesting. The browser is only able to see your ~/Downloads directory; the kernel will either block or kill it for trying to open anything else.
If Microsoft is serious about Edge, then I would like to see a relevant OpenBSD package. I would also like to see an F-Droid listing.
Barring these, Edge is a Windows-only browser.
Re: (Score:2)
~/Downloads is so disclosing, frankly
Re: (Score:2)
> Instead of sending all of its data to google this browser sends all of its data to microsoft.
Still better than Chrome if you can't use Firefox, for at least a couple of reasons.
First, most of Google's income comes from spying on you (are they making any money off the cloud yet?), so they NEED to extract as much of your info as they can. Microsoft has a whole range of other moneymakers; they don't have such a strong motivation to put too much effort in tracking you.
Second, if you have an Android phone,
Re: (Score:2)
Perhaps this is where I would add a third one: it may surprise or not, but was surprising for me - occasionally I do opt for AnyDesk to share desktop with me, and also with remote user (at what RDP does lack, then full fledge Teams account may fill-in).
The other day, upon my client runs Windows AnyDesk, he wonders what is this .dll crap, that just appeared on his Desktop. While I do disregard its exact name, that was .dll reported as made by Google, when you had least expectation for it. Most likely, to spy
Re: (Score:2)
It brings the promise of compatibility for web based products to focus on Edge rather than FireFox or Chrome. I don't expect it to work well, anymore than Microsoft Office on MacOS worked well. But being able to click that box for "compatibility for Linux users" on a compatibility checklist is very useful for web developers, especially if Microsoft engages in typical "extend" behavior to ignore published standards and proprietize Edge application even further.
Re: (Score:1)
However, since MSIE still has something like ten times the market share of Edge, I'm not sure it actually accomplishes the goal. Heck, I think IE6 still has more market share than Edge. IE's market share is 100% enterprise deployments where IE is the only browser that will work with the crusty old ActiveX-custom-control-based line-of-business software on the corporate
Re: (Score:2)
This is more about web developers not wanting to maintain a whole Windows VM just to see whether their website works on Microsoft's browser.
On Linux. It's very separate spacetime, which will tell quite little about Win Edge behavior.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah, but establishing a foothold and starting to collect some 'telemetry' has value to microsoft. It's a strategic move in a long game.
Re: (Score:1)
I really doubt Microsoft is bringing anything new to the linux party.
Telemetry, cross platform monitoring.
Re: (Score:2)
But how many other browsers will have ActiveX?
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
Microsoft in the early days of IE had it running on Unix in a way that was Linux compatible. They dropped support as soon as they were the dominant browser.
Re: (Score:3)
It brings the single most important feature of the modern browser to Linux: Bookmark synchronisation for those people unfortunate to also use it on their Windows machines.
Seriously that's the only thing which differentiates browsers these days between Chrome, Chromium, EdgeChrome, BraveChrome, ChromeoftheOpera, ChromeoftheOpera'sFormerCEO, and FireChromeWannabe (which is technically the least Chrome of the monoculture).
Re: (Score:2)
But Firefox does suppport bookmark synchronisation. That's why I use FF and not Chrome/ium.
Re: (Score:2)
I think you missed my point. All of these support bookmark synchronisation. But do they support synchronising *YOUR* bookmarks?
I for the life of me can't figure out how to sync Firefox bookmarks with Edge. Which is precisely the use case for any Microsoft software on windows: You already use it in Windows and need it to conveniently just do its thing on your Linux development PC or something like that.
Oh wow this is a proposition I can't refuse (Score:5, Funny)
A browser made by Google and repackaged by Microsoft? Why, sign me in! This is the perfect opportunity to be tracked by two dataraping monopolies at the same time. Talks about a time saver!
Re: (Score:2)
Mod parent funnier, but it's a good thing I didn't read the story on a full stomach. It makes me want to throw up.
"Microsoft Edge? Just say no. Even as an edible."
Re: (Score:3)
Can we get some Facebook plugins for it?
Re: (Score:2)
It beats the shit out of crappy snap packaged browsers that are in Ubuntu, that don't work. Let me try and access a PDF on a network mounted drive to upload on this web form. Nah, lets give an error saying access denied. Or how about ignoring all those Microsoft core fonts for the web I have installed.
Been using Edge for a while and it has some decent features like being easily able to remove stuff that it has remembered where you typed it into the wrong field by mistake by right clicking and selecting del
Re: (Score:2)
lol, but by definition how can you have two monopolies?
IE for Unix? (Score:3)
Does anyone remember IE for Unix? It was a halfassed port onto the Unix platform. While it worked, is was based on an older version of IE, and didn't bother too much for things like adapting to the different fonts in the OS, or supporting ActiveX or Javascript. In general at the time you would stick with Netscape as it was actually supported and worked well on the Unix (and Linux) environment.
If Microsoft wants to push Edge on Linux, they better do a good job, and make it just as good if not better than the windows version, and keep it up.
Next the need to get Office to Linux.
Re: (Score:3)
Setting the bar pretty low, aren't you?
Re: (Score:2)
Oh yeah I recall trying it on Solaris. The sad part was it was faster than Netscape.
Re: IE for Unix? (Score:2)
Office on linux?
All the fun of being not quite compatible with the windows or the mac version, and hogging twice the memory of libreoffice!
Re: IE for Unix? (Score:1)
Ya but at least you will get all the new features and functions post office 97 which line office barely meets
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Worse still when MS gained market share over Netscape, they just dumped it with zero warning.
Re: (Score:2)
If Microsoft wants to push Edge on Linux, they better do a good job
They slapped a skin on Chrome. Even they couldn't fuck this up.
macOS X too! (Score:2)
Remember, IE 4 MacOS X? :D
Use Case? (Score:2)
Edgium excels in having a widevine plugin that somehow gets away with ignoring all the broken hdcp implementations and playing sabotaged content despite this theoretical limitation. I'm guessing that doesn't hold true on any non-microsoft platform though.
Strangely enough, this is a good thing. (Score:3)
But I know a few developers who will be happy to be able to test Edge on web sites from their work Linux machines.
Re: (Score:2)
And even for them it's more sensible to test it on a Windows VM instead, because I wouldn't trust MS to actually be 100% compatible with itself.
Re: (Score:2)
And not even just because it's MS. Even when Safari on Windows was a thing, you couldn't trust that it would work 100% the same as Safari on Mac. I don't think any browser claims to offer completely the same functionality across operating systems.
Re: (Score:2)
And even for them it's more sensible to test it on a Windows VM instead, because I wouldn't trust MS to actually be 100% compatible with itself.
I am sure they will, but it does make for a quick first test.
And nothing of value was gained (Score:2)
Dreams come true. (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
and then point it to a DOS emulator https://virtualconsoles.com/on... [virtualconsoles.com]
The article is leaving out a crucial detail (Score:2)
Why the hell would anyone give a fuck about an obsolete browser being ported to an OS that has better alternatives? What's next, porting Windows Firewall over?
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
Because on Ubuntu Chromium is now a piece of shit snap package and Edge is just a normal application.
Re: (Score:2)
Are you sure you know what Microsoft Edge is? Hint: It's not Internet Explorer.
And in other important news (Score:2)
We are proud to announce that bags of dog crap are available to be dropped off at your address upon request.
Not good enough (Score:2)
I demand they release Microsoft Bob and Clippy for Linux and also contribute the source code of Windows Vista kernel to the Linux kernel.
I'm migrating to Linux (Score:2)
Gotta buck the conventional wisdom ... (Score:1)
Ran it (Score:5, Informative)
Installed it on 18.04.6 LTS. If you install just the .deb and you get a source entry at:
deb [arch=amd64] https://packages.microsoft.com... [microsoft.com] stable main
It's fast. I have no benchmarks but it seems at least as fast as Chrome on Linux. It didn't do anything sketchy. The .deb installation pulled in no dependencies. Weirdly, although I'm pulling from "stable main" settings are in ~/.config/microsoft-edge-beta and ~/.cache/microsoft-edge-beta. No other dot file pollution in $HOME, which I appreciate.
Seems like a solid respin of Chrome. Figured there would be abundant emoting about this and so maybe someone ought to install it and look around.
Netflix in 4k? (Score:2)
So can you watch Netflix in 4k on it?
Re:Netflix in 4k? (Score:4, Informative)
All attempts to play netflix video give "Error Code D7121-1331". I can't tell if that's fixable or not; seems likes it's happened on other platforms and been corrected in the past. There is a thread about it over here [microsoft.com].
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:1)
Did the same,
uninstalled it after 15 minutes.
Does not bring anything worthy over plain chrome or chromium.
Does bring a lot of microsoftish bullshit hard to turn off.
Wanted to try vertical tabs. It's crappy.
Back to Sidebery on FF.
Things in .config and .cache are standard.
Next.
Re: (Score:2)
Things in .config and .cache are standard.
Obviously. I was pointing out the "-beta" part. This is supposed to be a "general availability" release and the "beta" qualification isn't mentioned in the press release, so I found that strange.
Lol (Score:1)
Cool I guess (Score:2)
I mean, I don't think I'll use it, but it's a good gesture. Not going to lie Edge isn't really that bad. I still prefer to use Chrome, but compared to the disaster that was Internet Explorer I think Edge is at least "OK".
That's awesome! (Score:2)
Microsoft Teams for Linux means it's not necessary to to fire up a VM for every work-related meeting or continuous all-day team chat.
That's actually useful, no snark, although whenever teams starts up the laptop gets *really* busy for a minute or two.
Edge means the VM is no longer needed for...not sure yet...
When do MS release OneDrive and Outlook for Linux?
Re: (Score:2)
I think I would resign if I had to use Outlook as my email client. For the calendar I just have a Edge browser window open logged into Office 365. Works well for I have used it for and should be fully supported because it all Microsoft. Teams for Linux has been invaluable during COVID. Though there was a short period when the camera stopped working properly earlier in the year.
Could not care less about OneDrive but perhaps my usage is not typical. I basically sshfs mount my home directory on the console ser
Re: (Score:2)
I like thunderbird, but some of my colleagues use outlook. Sharing stuff with them (esp. contact lists) is easier in outlook, and it would be nice not to have to boot the windows vm when I want to do that.
A computer is a tool; use whatever works for the task at hand.
I suppose if I was going to make some software my religion it would have to be slackware, since I paid my $30 & got ordained.
Praise Bob.
Re: (Score:2)
Well, this is strange.
Slashdot gives me the ability to mod someone's reply to my own comment?!!
(no I didn't do it).
I though you weren't even allowed to post and moderate in the same thread! /. how far you have fallen.
When did that rule change? Seems a conflict of interest.
Re: (Score:2)
Well isn't Teams just an "Electron" app, which means it's just a web browser frame with webcontent on all platforms?
On Linux, Teams is just an Edge frame like any other. Also though, Linux Teams has some less functionality (see the very long running request from Linux users on Teams insiders) than Windows Teams, so therefore you would assume Windows Edge has greater functionality than Linux Edge. Have they addressed this?
Coming soon(ish) Outlook is also going to be an "Electron" app, so just a web browswer
Excellent (Score:2)
This is good stuff. There's a few sites I need for work that really want Edge. Should be nice to have Edge on a real OS.
Doom to fail (Score:1)
Useful for working with MS web apps (Score:2)
Hell has frozen over (Score:1)
But.... but.... (Score:2)
WHY?
Not ALL Linux users (Score:2)
Only AMD64 builds are available, in DEB and RPM formats. No 32 bit or ARM builds, so some Linux users are left out. Google Chrome on Linux has the same problem.
The only options for those other platforms are browsers that can be built by the community, including Chromium and Firefox.