Thread

1. p-e-w · 1789634754 · focus · HN ↗

   What can one actually do with Servo today?

   It’s apparently still not ready to be used as a browser engine (and may never be), so what exactly is it for?

   1. foresterre · 1789634990 · focus · HN ↗

      Regardless of actual use as an (embedded) browser, it is useful in the sense that it can be used to provide (another) source of validation about whether specs and WPT [1] tests are properly and clearly defined. That helps for long term browser compatibility.

      [1] <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;wpt.fyi&#x2F;results&#x2F;?label=experimental&amp;label=master&amp;product=servo&amp;aligned" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;wpt.fyi&#x2F;results&#x2F;?label=experimental&amp;label=master&amp;pro...

      1. charcircuit · 1789636394 · focus · HN ↗

         &gt;long term browser compatibility

         Making a new browser engine hurts browser compatibility more than it helps it. It now becomes one more target that needs to be tested against, limitations need to be kept tracked of, etc. The best thing for long term browser compatibility is focusing resources into Blink. In regards to the standard we can use LLMs to cross reference the spec, with tests, and with the implementation to make sure all match.

         1. Oxodao · 1789637038 · focus · HN ↗

            yeah in a perfect world google dictates how the standard will evolve, we kill all competition so we&#x27;re sure that you have only one target to build your software against, I&#x27;m sure a monopoly will greatly improves innovation and not be used to stiffen competition. &#x2F;s

            1. charcircuit · 1789641924 · focus · HN ↗

               Using Blink doesn&#x27;t mean you have to defer all decisions to Google. You just benefit from not having to duplicate work.

               1. kryptiskt · 1789651463 · focus · HN ↗

                  And you can&#x27;t do what Google doesn&#x27;t want you to do. That&#x27;s a nice ad blocker you have there, shame if we removed support for it.

                  1. armadyl · 1789663124 · focus · HN ↗

                     “The benefit of open source is that anyone can fork and modify the code!”

                     Yet somehow this argument seems to evaporate since people’s brains short circuit the moment they see the name Google.

                     The community can always fork and maintain a separate version of Chromium if necessary. Or does this concept only not apply to Chromium?

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