Dev/Browser/GNOME Web
For a long time I have been GNOME Web (Epiphany) development, the historic GNOME Webkit browser that recently implements the GTK4 libraries. The 43.alpha version that I tested in preview is recently available in the canary version (extremely unstable).
How to install GNOME Web 43 (Arch Linux)
Download Canary Flatpak version from this address and unzip Canary_Flatpak_artifacts folder in Home directory.
Give following command from the terminal:
$ sudo flatpak install ~/Canary_Flatpak_artifacts/epiphany-canary.flatpak
Installation can take a long time, especially if you have to install all the necessary GNOME environments files. A Flatpak application acts isolated from the rest of the system so it is not able to rely on the libraries already installed but needs complete dedicated environments specific for each application.
Fix GNOME Web won’t Connect
If the browser opens regularly but without connecting and starting it from terminal, the error is encountered:
The program ‘WebKitWebProcess’ received an X Window System error.This probably reflects a bug in the program.The error was ‘167’….. libEGL warning: DRI3: Screen seems not DRI3 capable
Open Software GNOME App and in the Updates section update the installed Gnome dev and Webkit repository environments. WebKit Developer SDK and GNOME Nightly Builds Repository.
Using Fixed Size Tabs in GNOME Web 43 Flatpak
As anyone who follows me will know one of the things I hate about this browser are the tabs that adapt to the available space. With two tabs open, each tab will take up half the screen. I prefer fixed size tabs like in Firefox.
In the past I had solved by editing Gconf-Editor but GNOME Web Flatpak doesn’t rely on Gconf-Editor like system physically installed applications, Flatpak apps do not write in system’s dconf, but they do in the one inside the sandbox
Solution is to run gsettings with a Flatpak applications dedicated command, in particular
$ flatpak run --command=gsettings org.gnome.Epiphany.Canary set org.gnome.Epiphany.ui expand-tabs-bar false
So also in this case as in Dconf-Editor we acted on the org.gnome.Epiphany.ui schema assigning false value to the expand-tabs-bar key but we did everything within Flatpak application flatpak run –command=gsettings org.gnome.Epiphany.Canary
GNOME Web 43 alpha opinions
One of the features I have appreciated in recent versions of GNOME Web releases is the automatic import of favorites, passwords and personal data from Firefox by simply logging into Firefox Sync. This makes migration a lot easier. About performances, GNOME Web impressed me positively compared to my last test. Preferences have been made more comprehensive. GNOME integration is state of the art. Sadly, I still miss the bookmark bar although the compact window view isn’t bad.
Interface menù animations are extremely smooth and pleasant.
One of the features I appreciate is the ability to create Web Applications from any site that will be added to GNOME with a custom icon.
The most convincing improvements I found with YouTube which was full of glitches and unusable a few months ago, now the visualization is perfect. Videos have a great form factor. Integrated ad blocker works well.
Not ready yet…
Unfortunately in my opinion, however, it is not a browser yet ready for daily use, despite the progress I notice a certain slowness, most sites load abnormally and in others it is impossible to simply text copying.. however progress they are continuous. I love GNOME and my dream would be to have an Epiphany at same Firefox levels of usability and I hope we get there one day…
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