An up to date Chromium needs to be the default browser

[t3g]

You can still have Firefox installed, but many people are leaning towards Chromium as the default browser in Mint 10/Debian and other distros. It is faster, has a better interface, and overall becoming a better product. Firefox seems like it is stuck in 2006 and does not play well with the Mint theme.

I know it may or may not be in the Main Debian distros, but keeping an up to date package in packages.linuxmint.com alongside others like mint-flash would be awesome. Heck, since its in the packages.linuxmint.com repo, you can maintain it easier and add custom hooks for Mint like themes and so forth.

I know some are going to http://frickelplatz.de/debian/dists/sid ... -i386/web/ to get Chromium, but it would be nice to have it in by default as an option.

[jeffreyC]

It would be nice but I doubt it will happen.
Mint has a search add-on which is part of their Firefox browser build ( a source of revenue, keeps the lights on..)

[gotjazz]

You can still have Firefox installed, but many people are leaning towards Chromium as the default browser in Mint 10/Debian and other distros. It is faster, has a better interface, and overall becoming a better product. Firefox seems like it is stuck in 2006 and does not play well with the Mint theme.

oh well to each his own - most people still prefer firefox, you know?

I mainly use crhome (i like the included pdf thingy and also it has a nice handy repo - i know I should use chromium but hey: I'm evil) but I do think that's mostly personal preference and people are creatures of habit, ESPECIALLY when it comes to web-browsers.

So while I'd also like to see that I don't see the "need" in "needs to be".
And chromium hardly ever plays nice with any system gtk-theme.
(although there are some elementary themes for it around that somewhat fit the default mint theme)

[t3g]

So while I'd also like to see that I don't see the "need" in "needs to be".
And chromium hardly ever plays nice with any system gtk-theme.
(although there are some elementary themes for it around that somewhat fit the default mint theme)

Maybe that's partly the point. With the default GTK theme in Mint 10/Debian, the buttons look weird and too small and I end up using the native Chrome look. From there either pick a different colored theme and good to go. The native GTK theme doesn't look so good with Firefox either and I'm glad Chrome/Chromium lets me get out of the GTK.

[resuni]

It is faster, has a better interface, and overall becoming a better product. Firefox seems like it is stuck in 2006 and does not play well with the Mint theme.

The debate over which is faster seems to vary. The trend I see is that on laptops Chrome to be faster and on Desktops Firefox seems to be faster. This is based on talking only to the people I know personally, but that seems to be the case on Windows as it is on many Linux distros. I myself use Chrome on my netbook but Firefox on my Desktop.

As for being stuck in the previous decade, when is Firefox 4 due for final release? They seem to be hyping it up as the futuristic new browser. I can't find the page at the moment, but whenever you start up Firefox 3.6.13 for the first time they have a picture of weird looking vehicles flying around and stuff. Despite what people like the OP think, Mozilla seems to really be trying to make Firefox or at least advertise it as being futuristic.

I've been using *nix my whole life and to be honest it would feel really weird if Google Chrome became the default browser. Whenever you clicked on a link Firefox would always come up. Before that it was Seamonkey. Always a Mozilla product, unless you look way back to the Netscape days (shudder). What I'm saying is if the change does happen, it wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing but it would definitely be a weird change and Firefox would definitely be the first thing I would install on a fresh install of LMDE.

[KenWeiLL]

It doesn't hurt to install Chromium and not using Firefox.

I use Chromium all the time as it's much faster (loading the browser) compared to firefox. Also, my flash games loads faster on Chromium than on firefox.

Chromium is good, only, it's not up to date in Mint Debian. Maybe it's because of the fact that testing is on a freeze state right now. Don't know if it will become up to date when testing will not on freeze state anymore.

[t3g]

It doesn't hurt to install Chromium and not using Firefox.

I use Chromium all the time as it's much faster (loading the browser) compared to firefox. Also, my flash games loads faster on Chromium than on firefox.

Chromium is good, only, it's not up to date in Mint Debian. Maybe it's because of the fact that testing is on a freeze state right now. Don't know if it will become up to date when testing will not on freeze state anymore.

Firefox 3.6 is included in packages.linuxmint.com because the standard Debian is IceCat right? If that is the case, why not have Chromium in the packages.linuxmint.com as well? I know there is debate about the time required to maintain it, but the Ubuntu guys seem to keep up with the stable releases within a day or so of Google with Chrome. The maintaining of a web browser should be near the top of the list above any others because it is the primary gateway to the internet and how we use it.

Keeping a web browser recent is probably one of the most important things these days considering the usage of a computer is moving to more web browser based and less application based. The majority of people use a web browser most of the time and don't always fiddle with a media player or email app like they used to 5 years ago. I do understand there is a market for robust desktop apps for businesses and hardcore users that will use the VLCs and Thunderbirds on a daily basis.

[randomizer]

Remember that Ubuntu's dev team is a little bigger than Mint's

[ian59]

Just came across this post and started reading.. Hadn't looked at firefox for a while so decided to load and see what it now looks like. Amazing, I finished reading the post decided to add my 2 cents worth and firefox is still checking addons for compatibility with this version.(the only firefox addons are the ones that came with it, I don't use it)

Pretty good reason for me to stick with Chromium

Remember that Ubuntu's dev team is a little bigger than Mint's

It is, (and a great job they do) but if Mint were to adopt a google product as default instead of a mozilla one, would the work load not be much the same??

Mint has a search add-on which is part of their Firefox browser build ( a source of revenue, keeps the lights on..)

It can't be installed by default, I've never seen it..

No offence to anyone intended, as I said; just my 2cents worth

[t3g]

Remember that Ubuntu's dev team is a little bigger than Mint's

How hard would it be to take the Chromium source from the Ubuntu one and modify to work with the Debian Edition?

[sgosnell]

Harder than it's worth. I tried Chrome, and hated it. Tried it again later, and still hated it. Firefox is the standard browser, and will continue to be. Mozilla has a very long history of supporting Linux, while Google has a short history of doing whatever is best for Google at the time. Make Chrome the default, and I'll bail for another distro. Just my $.02.

[t3g]

Harder than it's worth. I tried Chrome, and hated it. Tried it again later, and still hated it. Firefox is the standard browser, and will continue to be. Mozilla has a very long history of supporting Linux, while Google has a short history of doing whatever is best for Google at the time. Make Chrome the default, and I'll bail for another distro. Just my $.02.

Even though they look the same and Chrome is based on Chromium, they are different in the licensing of the actual software and what Google tracks. What people like about Chromium is that it has the same power as the normal Chrome just minus some Google stuff and is considered a true open source project.

[MALsPa]

Regardless of which web browser is the default browser, nobody's forcing anyone to use it. Install the browser that you like to use, everybody's happy. [I recently installed Fedora 14 from their KDE live CD. No Firefox, no Chrome or Chromium. The default web browser was Konqueror, which I don't particularly care for as a web browser. So what? I simply installed Chromium, which I use most of the time, and Firefox, which my son prefers.]

[randomizer]

The Mint devs will include as default what everyone wants. Firefox has much more market share than Chromium but if most of the Mint community asks for Chromium I'm sure they'll consider the change in a later release of LMDE. Right now there's little reason for them to change it though. Because one or two people think that it is better than Firefox doesn't make the change a necessity.

[mudpie]

Actually, I thought Epiphany was the default browser? (Or maybe this "Sensible Debian Browser" I see listed in my Pidgin preferences?).

I personally do not like Chrome.

I try it every few months, because my husband swears by it. But he's in Windows and his Chrome experience is very different than mine. Still, I install it and try, every few months.

Either way - Epiphany, Firefox, or Chrome, it's just a browser, and not a deal-breaker for me. I think the *default* should be whatever comes with the least headache for the devs - whatever works with little fuss and generates the fewest "help, my browser is ____" posts. After that I'll install what I like anyhow.

-Laura

[craig10x]

Those who posted and said...well if chrome becomes the default browser i will find another distro is being rather silly...I prefer Chrome/Chromium over Firefox and Firefox is currently the default (or already installed) browser in Mint...so, does that mean i don't use mint? Of course i do...i simply don't even bother to open firefox and immediately install Chromium...and make THAT the default browser in their settings...done!

Actually, the solution i found (since debian is way behind on updated chromium browsers) is i simply installed the Google Chrome deb file...this way i have the current Chrome (stable) and will always get the latest stable versions right from Chrome itself...

Other programs in LMDE can be updated as debian sees fit...and i realize we won't have the latest and greatest versions in LMDE but always be a bit behind, which i am ok with..it's only with the web browser that i care about the latest version of..and this way i get it!

[abercrombieande]

I could swear that most people use lynx

[TBABill]

Make Chrome the default, and I'll bail for another distro. Just my $.02.

Seriously? Changing a default anything doesn't leave you without choice to use whatever you want. Seems a silly reason to bail but to each his own. I personally couldn't care less if there was some generic no name browser as default since I always install Opera and Chromium anyway and make one of them default. I just don't like Firefox, but that's just a personal preference, so I just don't use it unless another browser has difficulty with a particular site.

[Dave68]

It never hurts to have an extra Browser lying around. I used to use Chromium, but I'm geting used to Firefox. If I need Chromium or Opera, it's still in the Repos, just in case:

....another browser has difficulty with a particular site.

Firefox, Chromium or Opera. I don't really have a preference.

My .02,
Dave

[sgosnell]

Seriously. It's not just the default browser, it's the philosophy behind the switch. Using Chrome or Chromium indicates a trend in directions I don't want to go.