Arctic Fox web browser for 10.6 (32 & 64-bit)

[Pipeline79]

The only thing i see that could be causing it is : --libdir=/usr/pkg/lib in your mozconfig.
Generally you want to use whats in the source tree and not link to system libs. I'd comment out that line and retry.

Cheers

Nah, it's not having it. That line's been removed, I've just had one last try by deleting the unpacked tree and re-extracting it, but it fails with the same error.
Can only think it's something to do with NetBSD. To be honest, some of the stuff I tried building with pkgsrc as dependencies didn't work either, so I had to go back and find packages instead. So I don't think the state of the BSD's for PowerPC32 is that great anymore, which is understandable. That's if you wan't desktop applications or Java-capable browsers.

Thanks anyway, maybe I'll try Linux instead.

 

[xeno74]

Hi All,

I was able to compile Arctic Fox 27.9.18 for Debian 10 PowerPCSPE today.

The 'PowerPCSPE' architecture is a binary-incompatible variant of PowerPC/POWER designed and supported by NXP (Freescale) and IBM. It is also known under the trade names "e500"/"MPC8500" and "e200"/"MPC5xx". The A-EON AmigaOne A1222 (Tabor) based on the PowerPCSPE architecture.

In particular, the 'PowerPCSPE' architecture lacks the classic FPU with dedicated FPRs found on most other PowerPC systems. It is replaced with a set of "SPE" instructions which perform floating-point operations on the integer registers.

The "e500v2"-series chips have 64-bit GPRs, where the high 32-bits are accessible only via the special "SPE" instructions, allowing them to make efficient use of the "double" datatype.

I had to remove the AltiVec source code from Arctic Fox because the instructions for the "SPE" operations overlap with the AltiVec instructions. It's not possible to compile Arctic Fox with its AltiVec source code on Debian PowerPCSPE.

I added "-mcpu=8548 -mtune=8548 -mspe" to the gcc and g++ options. I configured the target to "powerpc-unknown-linux-gnuspe" in the second build.

Additionally I had to use GCC 4.9.2 instead of the default GCC 8 because Arctic Fox doesn't compile with GCC 8.

I had some kernel crashes (invalid memory access) during the compilation of Arctic Fox with the latest mainline vanilla kernel 5.3. I switched to the stable longterm kernel 4.4.189 with Freescale patches. After that the kernel crashes are gone.

.mozconfig:

# This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
# License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
# file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.

export CC="gcc -flax-vector-conversions -O3 -falign-loops=16 -falign-functions=16 -falign-labels=16 -falign-jumps=16 -mcpu=8548 -mtune=8548 -mspe"
export CXX="g++ -flax-vector-conversions -fpermissive -O3 -falign-loops=16 -falign-functions=16 -falign-labels=16 -falign-jumps=16 -mcpu=8548 -mtune=8548 -mspe"
export LDFLAGS="-latomic"

mk_add_options MOZ_OBJDIR=@TOPSRCDIR@/obj-ff-dbg

ac_add_options --target=powerpc-unknown-linux-gnuspe
ac_add_options --disable-crashreporter
ac_add_options --disable-tests
ac_add_options --disable-debug
ac_add_options --disable-updater
ac_add_options --enable-mozril-geoloc
ac_add_options --disable-webrtc
ac_add_options --disable-safe-browsing
ac_add_options --disable-parental-controls
ac_add_options --enable-release
ac_add_options --disable-necko-wifi
ac_add_options --disable-eme
ac_add_options --disable-gamepad
ac_add_options --enable-dbus
ac_add_options --disable-gio
ac_add_options --disable-pulseaudio
ac_add_options --enable-strip
ac_add_options --enable-install-strip
ac_add_options --enable-application=browser
ac_add_options --with-branding=browser/branding/arcticfox
ac_add_options --enable-optimize
ac_add_options --disable-jemalloc

Arctic Fox for PowerPCSPE is very important because there isn't a new Firefox version available for the PowerPCSPE architecture. There is an old version of iceweasel 31.3.0esr available but it has problems with some websites.

Downloads:

• arcticfox-27.9.18.linux-powerpcspe.tar.bz2
• arcticfox-27.9.18.linux-gnuspe-powerpc.tar.bz2 (target=powerpc-unknown-linux-gnuspe)
• Stable longterm kernel 4.4.189 with Freescale patches and with the latest firmwares for AMD graphics cards for compiling Arctic Fox on the A-EON AmigaOne A1222 (Tabor): uImage-4.4.189

Screenshot of Arctic Fox 27.9.18 on Debian 10 PowerPCSPE:



Cheers,
Christian

 

[wicknix]

@Pipeline79 yeah, unless you're using it as a server ppc linux has much better application support.

Cheers

 

[wicknix]

@Pipeline79 : I had another idea. I totally forgot about this, and i haven't tried it with anything other than powerpc linux, but give UXP a try (base for pale moon 28 / FF52.9-60.9 comparable). I have a modified version here: https://github.com/wicknix/UXP4PPC32 . Just be sure to read the build-notes.rtf before you start.

Cheers

 

[sparty411]

@Pipeline79 : I had another idea. I totally forgot about this, and i haven't tried it with anything other than powerpc linux, but give UXP a try (base for pale moon 28 / FF52.9-60.9 comparable). I have a modified version here: https://github.com/wicknix/UXP4PPC32 . Just be sure to read the build-notes.rtf before you start.

Cheers

Did you have to do anything special to get UXP to build for PPC32?
[automerge]1569073954[/automerge]

 

[wicknix]

Didn't take much once rpxrpx gave me insight on how he got it to build on ppc64. Modify a couple make files and include a BE icu.dat file as by default it comes with (or creates) a LE icu.dat which would cause the browser to crash before it even launched.

Cheers

 

[Marina43182]

I know that it will never be developed, but I was wondering if you still had the link to the OS X 10.4/10.5 PowerPC version of Arctic Fox? I lost the link. Thanks Wicknix for keeping everything alive. Take care.

 

[wicknix]

Check my blog for its link and other stuff. Most link back to this forums powerpc threads. https://randommacstuff.blogspot.com/p/powerpc-mac.html

Cheers

 

[Marina43182]

Thank you Wicknix. That was very kind of you. I never knew you did such work on OS X 10.4 and 10.5. That was a lot of work and very much appreciated. Thank you.

 

[RobJos]

Can't remember when AF had frozen on me last. Accessing today the Manage Search Engines (MSE) interface, probably for the first time since the past couple of versions, not only could I not activate anything at all, but I couldn't even get out of there. After a good number of minutes I even got the pizza wheel, although only in the menu bar. No slowdown or other problems with any other program running at the time.

Force-Quit AF, relaunched, emptied the cache, quit, relaunched. The MSE was again unresponsive, but it woke up after a couple of minutes, when a search engine I was trying to select did finally appear as selected. I was then able to Cancel and re-open the MSE, and managed to do what I wanted to do (remove that particular SE) — v_e_r_y s_l_o_w_l_y

After this the MSE seems to behave more or less normally, although it takes 2-3 seconds for anything to react — which is never the case with any of AF's other functions.

 

[wicknix]

This might interest a few people since we are using a bunch of legacy hardware. Roytam1 built Arctic Fox for Windows XP! Download here: http://o.rths.ml/gpc/files1.rt/arcticfox-27.9.18.win32-20191005.7z

My VBox MicroXP screenshot below.

Cheers

 

[sparty411]

This might interest a few people since we are using a bunch of legacy hardware. Roytam1 built Arctic Fox for Windows XP! Download here: http://o.rths.ml/gpc/files1.rt/arcticfox-27.9.18.win32-20191005.7z

My VBox MicroXP screenshot below.
View attachment 869227

Cheers

Based. I figured it was only a matter of time. ?

 

[WinterClaws]

Haven't posted in a long while, but I've continued to follow (and use) Arctic Fox, quite a bit. To the point where it has been my primary browser for over a year. However...I feel compelled to add a comment or two at this later stage of heavy usage.

First, I find the browser (even up to 27.9.18, as of this note) continues to have problems with excessive CPU usage. It occurs on even seemingly the most innocuous sites. For example just looking up a recipe yesterday...the browser hit 100% CPU - *2 dual cores at full capacity* - and would not calm down, not even long after having closed the tab, then the window, waiting an hour with the fan running wild, putting the machine to sleep then waking again, etc.. Finally I had to shut AF down, and sure enough, with restart with the exact same tabs as before, CPU usage was running quiet and fine. This is not open for doubt anymore as far as I'm concerned, there is clearly a problem somewhere with this out-of-control CPU thing. Memory leak, thread not stopping properly?...I don't know. It happens relatively often, and like I say with the most "innocent" sites, quite unpredictable but frequent. What bothers me even more is that the problem continues after the tab/window is closed...that raises other questions with what exactly AF continues to do (or allow being done) from sites even after the user has closed off that tab/window?! Anyway as a result of this, as of yesterday I have relegated it back to secondary browser, to be used only when necessary, when running into a "stubborn" site that isn't playing well with my other browsers. This CPU thing has been an issue from the beginning I think.

Second comment is not as serious but still worth mentioning. I find the printing function in AF to be horrible...truly the worst of any browser I have used in the last few years. Constant, constant rendering problems, missing sections/pages. Plus no in-browser preview, and unstable (once or twice crashed the browser as well). I don't know enough about this to know what to suggest but I have to imagine there are certainly ways to improve this...fixes, alternate APIs?... But honestly even before yesterday I had all but given up on printing from AF.

Third, the browser *needs a confirm-before-shutting down option*. This is a long-standing, very baffling lack in AF. It's hard to convey how aggravating it can be to accidentally shut down the browser with no warning whatsoever, and then have to re-load all the open tabs and windows, lose status in some, etc.. If it is already in the options...where?!

Those comments made, I will just add that AF actually remains my "favorite" in terms of usage. It's just that these issues (mainly the first one) have become a bit too much. I'd be overjoyed to make it my primary browser again if these could be fixed/overcome...

 

[Dronecatcher]

For example just looking up a recipe yesterday...the browser hit 100% CPU - *2 dual cores at full capacity*

I often experience this too and have to Force Quit to close AF as well - however, the regularity of such occurrences I find to be the same as with every browser I've ever used - such errors I'd say fall into the category of acceptable. It's still my default browser on my Mac Pro and has been for a year or so.

 

[RobJos]

Haven't posted in a long while, but I've continued to follow (and use) Arctic Fox, quite a bit. To the point where it has been my primary browser for over a year. However...I feel compelled to add a comment or two at this later stage of heavy usage.

First, I find the browser (even up to 27.9.18, as of this note) continues to have problems with excessive CPU usage. It occurs on even seemingly the most innocuous sites. For example just looking up a recipe yesterday...the browser hit 100% CPU - *2 dual cores at full capacity* - and would not calm down, not even long after having closed the tab, then the window, waiting an hour with the fan running wild, putting the machine to sleep then waking again, etc.. Finally I had to shut AF down, and sure enough, with restart with the exact same tabs as before, CPU usage was running quiet and fine. This is not open for doubt anymore as far as I'm concerned, there is clearly a problem somewhere with this out-of-control CPU thing. Memory leak, thread not stopping properly?...I don't know. It happens relatively often, and like I say with the most "innocent" sites, quite unpredictable but frequent. What bothers me even more is that the problem continues after the tab/window is closed...that raises other questions with what exactly AF continues to do (or allow being done) from sites even after the user has closed off that tab/window?! Anyway as a result of this, as of yesterday I have relegated it back to secondary browser, to be used only when necessary, when running into a "stubborn" site that isn't playing well with my other browsers. This CPU thing has been an issue from the beginning I think.

Here too, it's been my primary browser since I've heard about it, 'twas last February I think. But I don't get anything that resembles a memory leak, which often happened with Firefox depending on the version. Or, to tell the truth, AF does occasionally get kind of stuck, maybe once a month at the most. Usually that's due to a specific site that doesn't load properly, or messes about somehow. Sure enough, when loading a tab (or several tabs simultaneously) CPU usage rises above 100%, but once they're loaded it goes back down and hovers constantly between, say, 5 and 50%.

Could your issue be due to one or several unhappy extension(s)? Or plainly related to your machine's power (mine is a 2.3 GHz Intel Core i7)?

Second comment is not as serious but still worth mentioning. I find the printing function in AF to be horrible...truly the worst of any browser I have used in the last few years. Constant, constant rendering problems, missing sections/pages. Plus no in-browser preview, and unstable (once or twice crashed the browser as well). I don't know enough about this to know what to suggest but I have to imagine there are certainly ways to improve this...fixes, alternate APIs?... But honestly even before yesterday I had all but given up on printing from AF.

If I have to save a page from a website, I print/save it as pdf, in which case AF is far from perfect, but it certainly isn't worse than Firefox's rendering, which used to be awful. If I have to print for reading (about 20 A4's every day), I use Reader View -> clipboard -> text application -> print in super-economy. Saves time, ink, paper etc. Maybe you have other needs, but these two options pretty much cover mine. Oh, and also: screen shots of each single page when shopping online.

Third, the browser *needs a confirm-before-shutting down option*. This is a long-standing, very baffling lack in AF. It's hard to convey how aggravating it can be to accidentally shut down the browser with no warning whatsoever, and then have to re-load all the open tabs and windows, lose status in some, etc.. If it is already in the options...where?!

If it often happens to you, can't you set the prefs ("General") to Show my windows and tabs from last time ? Also, the Tab Mix Plus extension has two functions that allow you to Protect a tab and to Lock it. Else, different people, different needs, it would certainly be aggravating for me to have a "confirm-before-shutting-down" that I can't opt out of — that is, if I had to quit and relaunch AF often, which is rarely the case in the course of a day.

 

[wicknix]

I can solve your last issue easily. Open about:config and type in "warn". Look for "browser.showQuitWarning", then double click it to set it to true. It's an annoyance to most people, therefor disabled by default.

Printing i'm afraid probably isn't something that will ever get fixed. I'm guessing that's one issue that occurred when the PM devs plopped the old UI on top of a newer code base.

As for cpu usage, it really boils down to the internet moving forward with bad (google) website coding, scripting, etc. I've survived by using one of the many script block addons, and just disable JS by default, then enable it on a site by site basis as needed. Is that a perfect solution? No, but i no longer get prolonged spiked cpu use either. The web is moving forward rapidly, AF is not. All we can do is what the TenFourFox crew is doing, add relevant security updates and bug fixes. The browser backend is "outdated" by todays standards, and it will encounter more problem sites as time goes on unfortunately.

Now...if you're in a tinkering mood, you could try my .19 "unofficial" prerelease test build. I suggest backing up your profile first, then use a new fresh profile, ( open terminal and type: /Applications/ArcticFox.app/Contents/MacOS/arcticfox -p ) but give it a spin on those sites. Riccardo has done hundreds of commits to the JS backend to bring it more up to date.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iRrwpaQQ3ReVcIxXZSr5JLixR0JHEJ9d/view?usp=sharing

An official 27.9.19 for all platforms should be out around the holidays or beginning of the new year.

Cheers

 

[brdeveloper]

Regarding high CPU usage, even Chrome (the worst browser in this regard) and Safari suffer from this. I prefer using Opera, since it has a built-in ad/crypto currency blocking. This prevents sites from using my CPU for free. Even innocent sites sometimes have a background process stealing CPU time.

 

[wicknix]

That's where this add-on: decentraleyes , combined with either a hosts file or ad-blocker & script blocker come in handy.

Cheers

 

[sparty411]

for all platforms

I don't imagine that includes PPC Tiger / Leopard, does it?

 

[wicknix]

Umm. No. Heh. I should have said "for all supported platforms".

 

[swamprock]

Regarding high CPU usage, even Chrome (the worst browser in this regard) and Safari suffer from this. I prefer using Opera, since it has a built-in ad/crypto currency blocking. This prevents sites from using my CPU for free. Even innocent sites sometimes have a background process stealing CPU time.

Minerblock (Firefox extension) is good for sites like that

 

[RobJos]

Minerblock (Firefox extension) is good for sites like that

Shouldn't Little Snitch take care of this kind of invasion?

 

[WinterClaws]

I often experience this too and have to Force Quit to close AF as well - however, the regularity of such occurrences I find to be the same as with every browser I've ever used - such errors I'd say fall into the category of acceptable. It's still my default browser on my Mac Pro and has been for a year or so.

Absolutely not true in my experience. Firstly I have never encountered nearly the level of browser out-of-control-CPU as with AF (on any platform, mind you...admittedly including Windows), but specific examples of still-usable Snow-Leopard browsers: Seamonkey, Chromium, and even Firefox (which is the least well-behaved of them all but still far better in this respect than AF). Anyway for me, AF's chronic unstoppable CPU spiking is not acceptable, not anymore. I might not have said this a year ago but...straw, camel's back kind of thing...

I can solve your last issue easily. Open about:config and type in "warn". Look for "browser.showQuitWarning", then double click it to set it to true. It's an annoyance to most people, therefor disabled by default.

Well, thank you, but...negative. I found that option on my own long ago, as well as another very-similar-sounding one: browser.WarnOnQuit, and set both to true. Neither one works. It still closes without warning.

I beg to disagree that this is an "annoyance to most people", but irrelevant...anyone can have that on or off as they wish of course, that is specifically why I use the word "option". I think it should be in the general options, readily accessible to lay-users. It should not require wading in advanced settings like about:config (if that even worked).

Printing i'm afraid probably isn't something that will ever get fixed. I'm guessing that's one issue that occurred when the PM devs plopped the old UI on top of a newer code base.

But I would expect the opposite to possibly cause this (old code base on a newer UI), so not sure if this makes the fullest sense to me. Wouldn't one expect a newer code base to render print better not worse, so to speak, regardless of the overlying UI. In any case printing does seem to be a low priority for the devs. If it's unlikely to be fixed, so be it I guess.

As for cpu usage, it really boils down to the internet moving forward with bad (google) website coding, scripting, etc. I've survived by using one of the many script block addons, and just disable JS by default, then enable it on a site by site basis as needed. Is that a perfect solution? No, but i no longer get prolonged spiked cpu use either. The web is moving forward rapidly, AF is not. All we can do is what the TenFourFox crew is doing, add relevant security updates and bug fixes. The browser backend is "outdated" by todays standards, and it will encounter more problem sites as time goes on unfortunately.

Well...that actually brings up another peeve, but...*how* do you disable javascript and enable site by site?! That would be fine for me. But javascript-disable/enable options also seems to be missing...where are they? I remember trying to mess with such an option in about:config at one point but if I remember correctly, it seemed to be all-or-nothing, broke too many things to be usable.

And...the bigger concern but...why would bad coding/scripting continue to run after the tab/window is closed?! Surely I don't need to go into detail about how big of a concern this can be, CPU aside, security at the very least. Stated another way, what does AF continue to run in the background after the associated tab/window is closed, why, and when (if ever) does it stop?

 

[RobJos]

*how* do you disable javascript and enable site by site?

One of several extensions: Yes Script 2.2 ("a JavaScript blacklist"). Else, I'm a bit flabbergasted - just can't relate to the issues you're describing there with AF. And nobody seems to have mentioned similar ones earlier. This would somehow point to a very different setup.

 

[wicknix]

Privacy / Script block add-ons found here: https://addons.palemoon.org/extensions/privacy-and-security/
Use the versions compatible with v27.

Just tested browser.showQuitWarning and it works on my end.
You probably have a rogue add-on breaking things. Try a new profile and narrow down which one is causing your issues.