browser comparison section + worth mentioning: waterfox, icecat & pale moon

[angela-d]

Description

Submitting 3 browsers "worth mentioning," as discussed in issues: https://github.com/privacytoolsIO/privacytools.io/issues/375

Plus a new section: Browser Comparison section with a chart comparing privacy-related features of each browser

As of right now, the choices are limited to Tor, Firefox and Brave.
Due to the recent trust issues surrounding actions by Mozilla, users who are seeking alternatives should know there's other options out there.

Note: I seen IceCat was previously on Privacy Tools but commented out, I didn't see any mention regarding why it was taken off nor could I locate a PR.

The 3 browsers suggested meet the Software Criteria:

• Open Source
• Cross-platform
• Easy to use
• Privacy respecting (arguably more-so than 2 of the 3 browsers currently listed as choices.)

HTML Preview

http://htmlpreview.github.io/?https://github.com/z0m8i3/privacytools.io/blob/master/index.html

[beerisgood]

Why not add Pale Moon?

[Mikaela]

After asking the question about browser comparsion table, I tried to try them and reached the following conclusions:

• Waterfox is the most recent and imports Firefox data without issues while also having official Android app, but it's not in F-Droid or Play Store (which has some app that is commented as fake with bad reviews), but according to their subreddit it's coming.
• I didn't try Pale Moon as I have some issue with their IRC policy from years ago and now morw recently I wasn't able to read their changelogs which are behind forum registration and I understood it to be based on old Firefox and not have any support for WebExtensioms, but there is a new browser doing that which name I naturally forgot.
• I disn't try IceCat as it wasn't in Chocolatey (while Waterfox was) and I wasn't able to find a official build or build from website that is faniliar to me or that I would trust.

I typed this on mobile before going to sleep, so I am not going to hunt for names or source links, please ask me better time in case you don't find them by yourself. Good night

[Atavic]

but there is a new browser doing that which name I naturally forgot.

It's Basilisk

[angela-d]

@beerisgood Pale Moon is mentioned on the 'Worth Mentioning' and browser comparison chart in this pull request.

I disn't try IceCat as it wasn't in Chocolatey (while Waterfox was) and I wasn't able to find a official build or build from website that is faniliar to me or that I would trust.

Chocolatey is Windows, right?
The Free Software Foundation has a link to a zip toward the bottom of the page: https://directory.fsf.org/wiki/IceCat
IceCat is also in F-Droid: https://f-droid.org/en/packages/org.gnu.icecat/

[Atavic]

I didn't try Pale Moon... I wasn't able to read their changelogs

http://www.palemoon.org/releasenotes.shtml

...and not have any support for WebExtensions

Nah, check its site, it has many addons.

[beerisgood]

@Mikaela who in hell use chocolatey?

[Mikaela]

but according to their subreddit it's coming.

https://www.reddit.com/r/waterfox/comments/7km3n2/switched_from_firefox_today_why_doesnt_waterfox/drfu79n/

It's Basilisk

Thanks :)

Chocolatey is Windows, right?

Yes.

The Free Software Foundation has a link to a zip toward the bottom of the page: https://directory.fsf.org/wiki/IceCat

Where? I read it twice without seeing it and CTRL + F was unhelpful. I wish it was directly linked from their homepage. https://www.gnu.org/software/gnuzilla/

http://www.palemoon.org/releasenotes.shtml

Thanks. I originally tried finding them from http://www.palemoon.org/ bottom (If you are interested in keeping updated...), but today both of the links are working for me, maybe their mobile website wants registration or I performed user error while being tired.

Nah, check its site, it has many addons.

From Firefox 57 onwards, WebExtensions will be the only supported extension framework in Firefox. This framework is not and will not be supported in Pale Moon, therefore anything using it will not be compatible. says https://addons.palemoon.org/incompatible/

@Mikaela who in hell use chocolatey?

I do. Windows is not my primary OS and Chocolatey makes using it and supporting family with it less painful as I don't have to check updates for all apps separately. In this case I used Chocolatey as I had no idea whether Waterfox or IceCat would include automatic updater until I installed Waterfox and learned that at least it does (and also supports Firefox sync).
Is there something wrong with Chocolatey that I should be aware of?

[Mikaela]

Are you sure that Waterfox has pre-installed privacy extensions? Which ones?

I didn't see any new extensions installed when I imported data from Firefox and when I created a new Waterfox profile, it didn't have any extensions installed. I am not sure if this is because I created a new profile and would I have had different experience if I had started Waterfox as another user.

[angela-d]

The Linux version has Decentraleyes installed for Waterfox 56. I did not upgrade; it was a fresh install.

I am not sure if importing would have any effect on pre-installed extensions?
Creating a new profile would likely obliterate any existing extensions, though.

Maybe someone else using Windows can confirm.

[Mikaela]

I tried on another user account on Windows10 that had never opened Waterfox, chose to not import anything and it again said that no extensions had been installed.

[angela-d]

My guess is that perhaps the Windows version doesn't have it, which is odd.

I'll remove Waterfox from that section of the chart.

[Hillside502]

Open Source Chocolatey Alternatives - AlternativeTo.net
https://alternativeto.net/software/chocolatey/?license=opensource

[angela-d]

Where? I read it twice without seeing it and CTRL + F was unhelpful. I wish it was directly linked from their homepage. https://www.gnu.org/software/gnuzilla/

Under Resources and communication at the very bottom:
https://casualgamer.ca/icecat/icecat-52.3.0.en-US.win64.zip

[ghost]

Take a look at Palemoon dev's attitude towards privacy.

mozilla-mobile/focus-android#1743
https://forum.palemoon.org/viewtopic.php?t=11659

No palemoon please.

[ghost]

Not supporting Tor = No privacy at all.

[ghost]

Here's an interesting history which Palemoon developer and its user is arguing over Tor LOL
https://github.com/MoonchildProductions/Pale-Moon/issues/413

[beerisgood]

It looks like you dont understand what Moonchild write.
Also you should learn how to edit posts

[angela-d]

@ghost Pale Moon devs stance on Tor doesn't come off as anti-privacy to me. He has some legitimate arguments.

[ghost]

Any updates? We should resolve this PR.

[angela-d]

@Shifterovich What kind of updates were needed?

[ghost]

I'd like add this section to the website. So I'd like to see this discussion resolved.

[Atavic]

My opinion is that IceCat has some fine extension, the only con is slow development (not a big issue IMHO).
Waterfox devs do a great job; although it does not aim at privacy, but at a wide compatibility instead.
Tor has an hardened setup and Firefox is now adopting most of Tor Project decisions towards better privacy.
Brave should be left alone.

[angela-d]

I don't have much else to add that hasn't already been said.
The conversation died down quite a while ago, I'd forgotten about this pr. :)

[steils]

Looks like a nice comparison and reviews here: https://spyware.neocities.org/articles/browsers.html — CC0, BTW.

[beerisgood]

@steils Not realy. The ungoogled chromium still use Google spying and is on "top tier" while Firefox is near latest tier but you can Firefox configure to stop all crap. Not with Chromium or a fork

[gjhklfdsa]

This PR is licensed under GPL and not WTPL.

@Shifterovich @angela-d

[angela-d]

@gjhklfdsa
And?

That's what privacytools.io was licensed at, when the PR was made: https://github.com/privacytoolsIO/privacytools.io/commits/master/LICENSE.txt

[gjhklfdsa]

@angela-d It means that it cannot be merged with the current version. :)
Or at least, not without changing the license.

Would you be so kind to re-license your work?

[angela-d]

The license wasn't submitted in the PR, it came with the fork clone. This has been up for over a year, so modifying anything at this point seems futile.