SpiderWeb browser for Snow Leopard released (32-bit)

[RobJos]

Ahh, gotcha. Never used that feature in FF. Apparently it was never an option for SeaMonkey (which borealis/spiderweb user interface is based on). I found this "hack" you can apply for something similar. http://forums-test.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3040331

A bit tricky, this. Once I'd figured it out, it gave me one single Pin Tab. A good start, but I tend to use a few more, at least eight usually. Being as ignorant of scripting as ever, I added that same piece of code under the first one after turning “first-tab” into “second-tab”, but it didn't do anything. Any ideas?

Else, there were a couple of good tips on that thread, like the use of 2x F6, which I happily inserted in the macro I've made to replace +Opt+S with the more standard F4. [Added 15.05.2020: also created a macro to replace +T with +T + F6, so that a new tab opens with the cursor in the URL box]

Thanks for making clear the SeaMonkey descendency: it'll help when searching for stuff. A bit later I'll have a question about add-ons and what you've explained earlier. For now, I haven't gone through all the add-ons you provided, only noticed that the User Agent add-on doesn't save the settings — meaning that it goes back to default after quitting SW (or when re-launching it.) Is there an easy way to fix that?

Close buttons on each tab is also not standard or implemented in seamonkey. Middle click will close a tab, or right click -> close tab. I did find and modify seatab though, so here you go: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QULbQ9zjSmUVA-SG5BqikigbmEsyk2Fv/view?usp=sharing

Neat and simple, thanks. When I'm on an open tab I close it with +W, but often it's useful to close a bunch of tabs without having to access them.

 

[mortlocli]

Wow wicknix...just tried spiderweb on youtube...using iphone 3.0 as the agent..and your collection of addons...wot a different experience.. No warnings about dated browsers, no ads, no distractions... Fantastic!!!!

 

[RobJos]

@wicknix: two more banking/payment go-between sites that weren't doing their thing in Arctic Fox, but are working as they should in SpiderWeb — immensely time- and frustration-saving! I also can't applaud enough the re-introduction of the NoScript! add-on, really missed it in AF.

About add-ons: I'm not sure in understand I'm pretty sure I don't understand what you mean here. Picking up an install.rdf from a package at random:

<em:targetApplication>
            <Description>
              <em:id>{ec8030f7-c20a-464f-9b0e-13a3a9e97384}</em:id>
              <em:minVersion>20.0</em:minVersion>
              <em:maxVersion>30.0</em:maxVersion>
</Description>
</em:targetApplication>

          <em:targetApplication>
            <Description>
              <em:id>{aa3c5121-dab2-40e2-81ca-7ea25febc110}</em:id>
              <em:minVersion>20.0</em:minVersion>
              <em:maxVersion>30.0</em:maxVersion>
</Description>
</em:targetApplication>

          <em:targetApplication>
            <Description>
              <em:id>{8de7fcbb-c55c-4fbe-bfc5-fc555c87dbc4}</em:id>
              <em:minVersion>27.1.0b1</em:minVersion>
              <em:maxVersion>30.0</em:maxVersion>

where are 1.* and 2.* supposed to get inserted (as usual, please excuse my ignorance in matters of programming)? Actually, I tried (another add-on), it didn't work. But then maybe it wasn't meant to. In this respect — before I waste time battling hopeless battles — do you reckon that this and this can be useful?

 

[wicknix]

In this case, it's not clearly labeled. Usually they'll say basilisk / firefox / pale moon etc with min max versions below each one. SW uses pale moons ID, so for your posted example you want to use the one where the ID starts with 8de7fcbb-c55c. Change the min/max and save.

              <em:id>{8de7fcbb-c55c-4fbe-bfc5-fc555c87dbc4}</em:id>
              <em:minVersion>1.0*</em:minVersion>
              <em:maxVersion>2.*</em:maxVersion>

Cheers

 

[RobJos]

In this case, it's not clearly labeled. Usually they'll say basilisk / firefox / pale moon etc with min max versions below each one. SW uses pale moons ID, so for your posted example you want to use the one where the ID starts with 8de7fcbb-c55c. Change the min/max and save.

              <em:id>{8de7fcbb-c55c-4fbe-bfc5-fc555c87dbc4}</em:id>
              <em:minVersion>1.0*</em:minVersion>
              <em:maxVersion>2.*</em:maxVersion>

Thank you, I'll work from there, then.

 

[verdantppc]

Yes, you read that right. Now, just so you are aware, this is based on Basilisk/Borealis code from early 2018, which was probably it's first or second release after it forked from FF52.9/seamonkey. I had been picking at this on and off since then. So, with that said, it's not the latest and greatest with any security updates or bug fixes since that point in time, but it's modern enough to surf the web pretty hassle free. This will probably be the only release. I rarely use 10.6 these days, and between my other projects and work, time is limited. Anyway, enjoy.

Download here: spiderweb
View attachment 910350

(I took down InterWeb for 10.6 as it has odd issues on some systems. If you already have it, and it works for you, keep it. I may bring it back if i can fix the quirks.)


Cheers

Fantastic news for me because your Spiderweb compile for 10.6 is enabling me to once again access work-related websites that AF and TFF Intel can no longer access!

To access these sites, I previously had to go out of 10.6 and boot into 10.10 to upload/download data, and then boot back into 10.6 (or be running Windows on another computer at the same time as 10.6....)

Thanks so very much wicknix because alongside 10.5, 10.6 remains my main OS for work due to Rosetta!

 

[verdantppc]

@ wicknix BTW is SSL3 disabled in SpiderWeb for Snow Leopard? I am presuming Yes, to accompany TLS1.2 support.

 

[wicknix]

I'll have to look through the source later to verify yes/no, but it should support tls 1.0, 1.1 and 1.2 iirc.

Cheers

 

[verdantppc]

Thanks for looking at this at your convenience AND also for a working InterWeb browser on Snow Leopard!

 

[RobJos]

@All:

SpiderWeb Preferences: advice requested, hopefully without the need for too complex explanations. What the recommend settings be for:

1. Privacy/Opportunistic Encryption — both check boxes.
2. Advanced/HTTP Networking — which HTTP and especially Enable Pipelining (also: 11 entries with "network.http.pipelining" in about:config).

I couldn't find anything useful around the net, and my IP's reply to queries was less than helpful.

 

[snowy moon]

Hi RobJos, very interesting questions!

1. Privacy/Opportunistic Encryption — both check boxes.

I have had no idea about these settings and therefore searched the web myself. Following article in particular lead me to the decision to disable all of these features, especially regarding that codebase of SpiderWeb/Seamonkey is probably as old or older than Fx37.

Firefox disables “opportunistic encryption” to fix HTTPS-crippling bug

2. Advanced/HTTP Networking — which HTTP and especially Enable Pipelining (also: 11 entries with "network.http.pipelining" in about:config).

HTTP Pipelining: A security risk without real performance benefits

Here another text, that discusses HTTP pipelining. It's argumentation is debatable (see comment of same article) but interesting nevertheless. I tend to not enable experimental features, but why not benchmarking page load time with/without this feature?!?

 

[RobJos]

Fine, snowy moon — good that some people are much better than others at searching and finding!

1. Opportunistic encryption: agreed. Unless someone else comes with some convincing arguments in favour of using it, I'd suggest that our friendly wicknix removes it from sight if he decides to dedicate some of his time to enhancing SW.

2. HTTP pipelining: good article — security issues are for one's IP to take care of, then. Benchmarking: after spending half a day I didn't get anything really conclusive out of it. Thing is, finding a single page that's heavy enough to make it worth benchmarking is like looking for a needle in a haystack. OK, maybe a slightly better performance without pipelining, but if that's the case we're talking of fractions of a secon when loading average pages.

 

[madbiker31]

Thanks wicknix for this relase, and RobJos for the interesting questions.

I appreciate more and more this browser that allows me to deal with increasing stubborn sites.

I had difficult to import bookmarks because I was used to get the tools menu inside the bookmarks windows, now it's good.

I were disapointed with no close buttons into tabs, it's good with the xpi provided.

Now to complete my happyness I'd need two things I can't have like ArcticFox do :

First, the prefill of the location bar for sites I already visited even with Preferences/Location bar/autocomplete features proposed. Nothing autocomplete, did I miss something ?

Then, I would have the links at the left bottom in a popup, but there isn't status bar preferences for that. For now I need to maintain all the status bar displayed to see them. Is there an alternative ?

 

[RobJos]

Now to complete my happyness I'd need two things I can't have like ArcticFox do :

First, the prefill of the location bar for sites I already visited even with Preferences/Location bar/autocomplete features proposed. Nothing autocomplete, did I miss something ?

Then, I would have the links at the left bottom in a popup, but there isn't status bar preferences for that. For now I need to maintain all the status bar displayed to see them. Is there an alternative ?

I'm not sure I follow what you mean with your second point, but I agree about the first one. For the moment, small solace, you can click on the arrow to the right of the location bar — although I don't quite understand which URLs get remembered and when:

[Hidden the URLs]​

 

[wicknix]

If you disabled your "history" settings, it will be empty. Make sure these are enabled.

As for the status bar, there is no popup option like in AF. However, at the top right of SW if you click that button, it will hide everything on top, but your open tabs, which is handy. Also the 'component bar' which resides in the status bar can be used to place your add-on icons, which i find useful to "clean up" overloaded toolbars.

Cheers

 

[madbiker31]

@RobJos For my first point I noticed as you thet the right arrow don't propose what I would, a simple autocomplete choices as AF do.
For my second point I mean when you pass the mouse over a link, I appreciate to read it at the bottom left as a popup without opening the entire status bar.

@wicknix my history is not empty, all the sites I visited are here. I check your box there are default settings I didn't change. Higher in Preferences everithing is enabled but not any autocomplete choice proposed.

I tried successfully your option to place add-on icons in the status bar and mask the location bar.

 

[RobJos]

@RobJos For my first point I noticed as you thet the right arrow don't propose what I would, a simple autocomplete choices as AF do.
For my second point I mean when you pass the mouse over a link, I appreciate to read it at the bottom left as a popup without opening the entire status bar.

@wicknix my history is not empty, all the sites I visited are here. I check your box there are default settings I didn't change. Higher in Preferences everithing is enabled but not any autocomplete choice proposed.

2nd point — I think I understand what you mean, but it's not a feature I've got in my installation of AF. Instead, URLs show at the mouse cursor (as native in Firefox, but an add-on in AF, if I remember correctly), so it's possible that your feature got “toggled away” in my setup, a few IT centuries ago.

1st point — same here, Location Bar history checked, but URLs still don't show and there's no autocomplete. Moreover the Clear Location bar button has cleared what I had there, but after that nothing comes back at all — ever since, the right hand down arrow brings up this: “(Nothing Available)”.

On the other hand, @wicknix, checking “Remember visited pages” in the History pref panel now gets the History (window) populated on the fly. When setting up SW I must have checked it off with the understanding that it wouldn't remember them, but only after ending the session.

 

[madbiker31]

@RobJos to get the popup at the bottom left in AF go to Tools/Status Bar Preferences/Links/Show Links in Pop-up

One more thing a little disturbing, SpiderWeb needs to have a tab opened to run. If I close everything, bookmarks don't run, I have to open a new tab first.

I say a little disturbing because this blank tab is always here while switching between opened applications that doen't take all the screen, Finder for example.

 

[RobJos]

@RobJos to get the popup at the bottom left in AF go to Tools/Status Bar Preferences/Links/Show Links in Pop-up

Ah, I had forgotten about this menu's existence. Maybe not just this popup, but some other stuff in there that could be useful. Thanks.

I say a little disturbing because this blank tab is always here while switching between opened applications that doen't take all the screen, Finder for example.

You could try using the WindowShade X CP, for example — one of the many good reasons to stick to 10.6.8. See (background is the Finder, of course):

 

[madbiker31]

@RobJos I had to do search about WindowShade X I didn't know ?

Anyway the yellow button of the window can do the job.

For now, SpiderWeb is always open beside ArcticFox that remains my default browser with it's ability to autocomplete links in URL bar.

 

[RobJos]

@RobJos I had to do search about WindowShade X I didn't know ?

Anyway the yellow button of the window can do the job.

Made by Unsanity.com, which apparently has gone down the drain — just shows that once SnL is running (I installed WS X in 2010) you don't have to bother about anything else, kinda. You'll read lots of pros and cons in that post — I'm definitely among the pros, and not only for their WS X. The advantage, among other features, is double-clicking anywhere in the bar instead of having to focus on a button. I'd happily mail it to you (5.9Mb), but then where would you get a registration key?

 

[madbiker31]

@RobJos Thanks for the idea and the proposition, as the yellow button mask the window in the Dock it's good enough for me.

This way when I switch to SpiderWeb (-Tab for example) the SpiderWeb main menu allows to choose a bookmark or ask something else and the window comes back with the result of the action.

Windowshade X reminds me OS 8 on my former G3 beige ;-)

 

[RobJos]

One more thing a little disturbing, SpiderWeb needs to have a tab opened to run. If I close everything, bookmarks don't run, I have to open a new tab first.

I say a little disturbing because this blank tab is always here while switching between opened applications that doen't take all the screen, Finder for example.

Confused here. Today I did  + W by accident on the last open blank tab, thus closing the window. Yet, SpiderWeb did not quit.  + T (as well as  + N) brought a new window/blank tab back on the screen. I closed it once again, SpiderWeb remained active.  + B then brought up the Bookmarks (window), as it should. All by itself. In this open window I clicked randomly on a bookmark, which then opened in a new window/tab. For that matter,  + Sft + H also opened the History (window) all by itself, and from there I could also open a new window/tab.

 

[madbiker31]

Once you closed the SpiderWeb window, nothing runs from the upper main menus unless you open a new window/tab.

 

[RobJos]

Once you closed the SpiderWeb window, nothing runs from the upper main menus unless you open a new window/tab.

No problem accessing the menus here, for instance History, Bookmarks, Go > Home, Tools menu > Passwords, Cookies Manager and more. Only on my main screen, though, the helper application for menus on the second screen doesn't seem to like SW. Other menus like the View menu are greyed out, which makes perfect sense if there's nothing to be viewed ;-)