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Docs: Beef up the FAQ

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sideshowbarker 2024-11-06 20:52:50 +09:00 committed by Andrew Kaster
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commit 98b223b9df
Notes: github-actions[bot] 2024-11-09 18:08:51 +00:00 
Author: https://github.com/sideshowbarker
Commit: https://github.com/LadybirdBrowser/ladybird/commit/98b223b9dfb
Pull-request: https://github.com/LadybirdBrowser/ladybird/pull/2196
Reviewed-by: https://github.com/ADKaster ✅
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@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
Independent means: Independent means:
- We implement the web platform standards ourselves - We implement the web platform standards ourselves: Ladybird is not a Blink/Chromium shell, not a WebKit port, not a Firefox fork.
- We don't take money from anyone with strings attached - We don't take money from anyone with strings attached
## Windows support when? ## Windows support when?
@ -23,6 +23,13 @@ Eventually, probably, if there's a Web Spec for it!
Maybe someday. Maybe never. If you want to see something happen, you can do it yourself! Maybe someday. Maybe never. If you want to see something happen, you can do it yourself!
## Is there a release roadmap?
- 2026: alpha release (daily driver for developers and early adopters) for Linux and macOS.
- 2027: beta release; downloadable app for Linux and macOS.
- 2028: stable release for general use
![image](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/dec1ab54-5844-47dc-b365-03983bc00390)
## Well, how do I run this thing then? ## Well, how do I run this thing then?
Simple, my friend! Just refer to the [build instructions](BuildInstructionsLadybird.md). Simple, my friend! Just refer to the [build instructions](BuildInstructionsLadybird.md).
@ -37,8 +44,82 @@ If you can't figure out what to do, ask in the `#build-problems` channel on Disc
For full details, see the [Ladybird: A new cross-platform browser project](https://awesomekling.substack.com/p/ladybird-a-new-cross-platform-browser-project) announcement from 12 September 2022. For full details, see the [Ladybird: A new cross-platform browser project](https://awesomekling.substack.com/p/ladybird-a-new-cross-platform-browser-project) announcement from 12 September 2022.
Here’s a very short summary: Work on what eventually became Ladybird started on 15 June 2019, as _LibHTML_ — the beginnings of an HTML viewer for [SerenityOS](https://github.com/SerenityOS/serenity) — with a commit titled [“LibHTML: Start working on a simple HTML library”](https://github.com/SerenityOS/serenity/commit/a67e8238389), and with this commit description: Here’s a short timeline:
- 2019 June: Work on what eventually became Ladybird started as _LibHTML_ — the beginnings of an HTML viewer for [SerenityOS](https://github.com/SerenityOS/serenity) — with a commit titled [“LibHTML: Start working on a simple HTML library”](https://github.com/SerenityOS/serenity/commit/a67e8238389), and with this commit description:
> _I'd like to have rich text, and we might as well use HTML for that. :^)_ > _I'd like to have rich text, and we might as well use HTML for that. :^)_
LibHTML eventually became [LibWeb](https://github.com/LadybirdBrowser/ladybird/tree/master/Userland/Libraries/LibWeb) — which in turn eventually grew into being the core part of the browser engine and browser to which, on 4 July 2022, [the name _Ladybird_ was given](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X38MTKHt3_I&t=29s). LibHTML eventually became [LibWeb](https://github.com/LadybirdBrowser/ladybird/tree/master/Userland/Libraries/LibWeb) — which in turn eventually grew into being the core part of the browser engine and browser to which, on 4 July 2022, [the name _Ladybird_ was given](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X38MTKHt3_I&t=29s).
- 2022 July: Renamed _Ladybird_ by Andreas in [“Let's make a Linux GUI for the SerenityOS browser”](https://youtu.be/X38MTKHt3_I) live-coding video.
- 2022 Sept: Spun off from SerenityOS to separate project: [“A new cross-platform browser project”](https://awesomekling.substack.com/p/ladybird-a-new-cross-platform-browser-project) announcement.
- 2024 June: [“I'm forking Ladybird and stepping down as SerenityOS BDFL”](https://awesomekling.substack.com/p/forking-ladybird-and-stepping-down-serenityos) announcement from Andreas.
- 2024 July: [Ladybird Browser Initiative](https://ladybird.org/posts/announcement/) launched by Andreas and GitHub co-founder [defunkt](https://twitter.com/defunkt) (Chris Wanstrath).
## What makes Ladybird/[Ladybird Browser Initiative](https://ladybird.org/) different?
- Fully independent: Written from scratch, using no code from any other browser engine.
- Singular focus: Doing only one single thing: building a new browser engine and browser.
- No monetization: Will never take funding from default search deals or any other forms of user monetization, ever.
## Are there video/audio announcements and interviews about the start of the Ladybird Browser Initiative?
- Ladybird Browser Initiative [announcement video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9edTqPMX_k) from defunkt explaining the project _raison dʼêtre_ + goals (July 2024).
- [Why we need Ladybird](https://changelog.com/podcast/604#t=5:08): _Changelog_ podcast interview with Andreas and defunkt (August 2024); [transcript](https://changelog.com/podcast/604#transcript); [chapters](https://changelog.com/podcast/604#chapters).
- [Eron Wolf announcement grant of $200K](https://youtu.be/p6k9qcRpW_k) from [FUTO](https://www.futo.org/about/what-is-futo/) to the project (August 2024).
- [Eron Wolf interview with Andreas](https://youtu.be/4xhaAAcKLtI) (August 2024).
## Can you describe some of the project goals and its culture?
- Eventually give everybody the choice of a whole new browser they can use for their daily browsing.
- Prove it is in fact possible to build a completely new browser, by implementing from the WHATWG/W3C/etc. specs.
- Have a lot of real fun together actually doing it.
- Prove that developing an engine doesn’t take hundreds of engineers — and not anything close to even just a hundred.
- Browser engineering: Further help de-mystify it and make it a standard thing to learn (hat tip: https://browser.engineering/).
- Using project Discord server for communication [discord.gg/nvfjVJ4Svh](https://discord.gg/nvfjVJ4Svh).
- Using [one GithHub repo](https://github.com/LadybirdBrowser/ladybird) for everything: issues (no bugzilla or other), patch/PR submission/review, CI/test automation.
## What are some of the project coding conventions? And do you have any activity metrics?
- Implement web-platform features exactly according to the actual steps in spec algorithms.
- Abundant code comments with verbatim spec text copy/pasted in — showing exactly what’s being implemented.
- Additional _`“AD-HOC:”`_ comment convention to mark code that doesn’t map to any spec requirements.
- Class/file names tend to closely match actual current spec terms; e.g., `Navigable.h`, `Transferable.h`.
- [“critically reading standards and reporting what is wrong”](https://matrixlogs.bakkot.com/WHATWG/2024-08-23#L10)
- Project activity relative rankings: https://git-pulse.github.io/snapshots/?project=LadybirdBrowser_ladybird
## Do you have some general details about the code and basic architecture?
- C++ while selectively migrating parts to Swift and while keeping an eye on things like Sean Baxter’s [Circle](https://github.com/seanbaxter/circle) & [Safe C++](https://safecpp.org/draft.html).
- Some use of third-party libraries (e.g., Harfbuzz, Skia, [simdutf](https://github.com/simdutf/simdutf), libcurl).
- Performance optimizing is not yet a super-high priority (but performance-boosting changes are regularly getting made).
- Code size:
- Roughly same size (number of lines of code) as Servo.
- About 1/15th as many lines of C++ code as WebKit.
- About 1/20th as many lines as C++ code Gecko.
- About 1/50th as many lines as C++ code Chromium.
- Level of standards support: [wpt.fyi/results?product=ladybird](https://wpt.fyi/results/?product=ladybird) has current test results for all WPT tests.
- [LadybirdBrowser/ladybird#features](https://github.com/LadybirdBrowser/ladybird/#features):
- UI process, ImageDecoder process, RequestServer process, WebContent processes.
- LibWeb: core web-rendering engine (HTML, CSS, Events, DOM, APIs).
- LibJS: JavaScript engine written from scratch (currently JIT-less).
- LibWasm: WebAssembly implementation written from scratch.
- [AK](https://github.com/LadybirdBrowser/ladybird/tree/master/AK): Ladybird standard library/abstractions: asserts, smart pointers, strings, numbers (e.g., [fast_float](https://github.com/fastfloat/fast_float) impl.), more…
## What about funding?
- Funded _entirely_ through donations and sponsorships.
- https://donorbox.org/ladybird – donations of any amount: $10, $50, $100, etc.
- https://polar.sh/LadybirdBrowser – set bounties to directly fund specific features/tasks; e.g., [$300 legacy-encoders bounty](https://github.com/LadybirdBrowser/ladybird/issues/824).
- [Sponsorship opportunities](https://ladybird.org/#sponsors): Platinum $100,000 • Gold $50,000 • Silver $10,000 • Bronze $5,000 • Copper $1,000.
- Ladybird Browser Initiative announced/seeded with [1 million dollar donation](https://twitter.com/defunkt/status/1807779408092234134) from defunkt and his family.
## Do you have some places where I can watch videos related to the project?
- Ladybird [YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@LadybirdBrowser): monthly Ladybird project updates from Andreas.
- Andreas’ [YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@awesomekling): 1000+ videos from 6+ years; incl. “car talk” + OS/browser “hacking” (live-coding) videos.
## Is there some related background to help me understand what a browser _engine_ is and why it’s important?
- [Understanding the role of browser engines](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/61b86737e90e07043c35f5be/Appendix_F_-_Understanding_the_role_of_browser_engines.pdf) (UK Competition and Markets Authority [Mobile ecosystems market study](https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/mobile-ecosystems-market-study#interim-report)).