Microsoft Open Sources Edge JavaScript Code, Plans Linux Port (windows.com) 92
colinneagle writes: One month after promising to release the JavaScript engine of its Edge browser, Microsoft has proven good for its word and then some. Not only is it releasing the code, it's planning a Linux port. The company uploaded the code to GitHub and announced its plans via a blog post by Gaurav Seth, principal PM manager for Chakra, which is what they're calling the JavaScript engine. "Today, we are excited to share with you that we've just made the sources for ChakraCore available under the MIT License at the ChakraCore GitHub repository," he wrote. "Going forward, we'll be developing the key components of Chakra in the open." With the release, you can build ChakraCore on Windows 7 SP1 or above with Visual Studio 2013 or 2015 with C++ support installed, Seth said. Of course, Edge is more than just the Chakra engine, but this could result in a back port to Windows 7. He also said Microsoft is committed to bringing it to other platforms, starting with Linux, and invited developers to "help us in the pursuit either by letting us know which other platforms they'd like to see ChakraCore supported on, or even by helping port it to the platform of their choice."
Dupe? (Score:5, Funny)
It's like the Slashdot of old, circa 2000 or so.
Re: (Score:1)
No, it's much, much worse. I don't think the editors even read the damn site. At least CowboyNeal and CmdrTaco actually participated in the community. The current crop of editors seem to only serve their pay masters and completely disregard the community's input.
Re: (Score:3)
But guess what? Your still here which is proof it doesn't matter how bad it gets, you need your dose of /.
Re:Dupe? (Score:5, Funny)
I can quit any time I want!
Re: (Score:2)
I'm still here as well. But no where near as often as I was before the late 0xs.
Re: (Score:2)
It's like the Slashdot of old, circa 2000 or so.
Yep, before the first post even fell off the front page.
Re: (Score:2)
It does bring back memories ... now to bring out the Mental Floss and send them back into the damnation of hell!
Re: (Score:1)
Re:Must be thoroughly examined first! (Score:4, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
I hope someone rips your face off and feeds it to your family.
Re: (Score:1)
Change of heart? I think it was a passing hobo last time.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
Re: (Score:1)
Wait, what? You did what? You're dead to me Brons!
No, not really. I actually don't give a rats ass what people use, so long as they're happy with it.
Re: I trust Microsoft more than open source projec (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
I am less than thrilled with the lock-in, the dumbing down, and the push towards less ownership. Yet, at the same time, there's a slight change towards more openness and cross platform on the desktop. So, I'd not be to terribly surprised to see those tools getting cross-platform support, eventually. Eventually being the keyword. I suppose, if you want, there's the VM route if you're fairly beefy hardware.
Re: I trust Microsoft more than open source proje (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
I am afraid you're likely right. Which leads me to think that there may end up, at some point, an OS singularity. That frightens me more than anything,
Re: I trust Microsoft more than open source proje (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
I'd say, hold on to some old hardware. If for no other reason than just to have it on hand - in case.
Re: (Score:2)
The Linux community had better go over every single line of that code to make sure MicroSuck isn't slipping in some sort of malware/surveillance code, as they're wont to do. If it contains anything that can't be examined at the sourcecode level then it's into the trash with it. Or just ignore it anyway because it comes from MicroSuck, so how could it possibly be any good?
It's so true.
A decade or two ago the merit of open source was higher quality than proprietary software. Today that benefit has been lost, so the open source community has had to adopt "backdoorz everywhere, waaah!" as the new slogan.
Re: (Score:2)
It will probably be looked at, mostly if you are going to port it to Linux, that you will need to De-Windows a lot of the methods. There are many fundemental differences towards proper windows development and Unix/Linux development.
Re: (Score:1)
Nothing sucks. You can push, you can pull, and you can create a vacuum. But nothing sucks.
That was a T-Shirt oft-worn my my afore mentioned DB Wizard. I don't know but about him, he was not forthcoming, but he was a very ugly man with a shock of red hair. The flip side was that he was a cross-dresser out of work and even came into work in his female persona a couple of times. He made a much better female than he made a male, as outward appearances went.
Timmay! (Score:5, Insightful)
This story was just posted 6 hours ago, timmay. Bang up job as always!
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
https://www.safer-networking.o... [safer-networking.org]
Node Substitute (Score:5, Insightful)
Smart, though definitely a market-following move. This leads to a microsoft-built open-source equivalent to node, which will make people who are used to the microsoft ecosystem or who want microsoft support to keep their clients happy seriously consider them for a whole host of project types.
The competition also means we can have some benchmarking competitions between the two javascript engines, which will inspire both to get a little better.
Front Page News (Score:2)
Dupers are annoying, sure, but at least its understandable when something gets reposted a few days later. Maybe there are other source articles with fresh perspectives, for example. This one, however, is still on the front page (admittedly it is below the fold, so there's still room for "improvement"). I mean, really?
I'm glad Microsoft is releasing the Chakra (Score:3)
Al Gore will be happy!
http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_... [slate.com]
Any need for this? (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
How this one distinguish itself from the others?
This is Microsoft. There are no others.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:3)
Actually there is 14 actively maintained Javascript engines out there and 4 unmaintained. I just mentioned two out of them because they were coupled with the two other significant web browser to make a fair comparison about supported features.
The comparison with the number of text editors is irrelevant and unfair. There isn't a standardized interface and behavior for a text editor, it is all a matter of choice and taste. It cannot be compare to a Javascript engine which have to stick to a publish standard.
The Barbarians are at the Gates! (Score:2, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
You lose points on your comment because you did not use "M$" or "Micro$loth" as a minimum. And for Neck-Beard Goodness, you should have referred to your computer as "boxen".
Re: (Score:2)
Hey, if M$ had not chosen to use the $ so much in it's coding language of choice then M$ would never have never about. As the string variable denominator M$ is accurate reflection of the various elements of Micro Soft (tiny limp is of course the cheekier expression of their logo), just because you missed out on it's original expression and use does not end that original expression and use nor because of lame arse M$ marketdroids hate it because they believe it makes M$ look bad. Choosing names like Lune or
MS Office next? (Score:2)
Is this even [remotely] possible?
Re: (Score:2)
Quite likely Windows kernel and base DLLs will be eventually open source. Being the only closed source kernel is a competitive disadvantage.
Re: (Score:1)
Is this even [remotely] possible?
They already have a port of office for Android which is based on linux.
Not on Android without Google Play (Score:1)
They already have a port of office for Android which is based on linux.
Office is not ported to Android. It is ported to Android with Google Play. There's a difference.
I looked at Microsoft's publisher page on Amazon Appstore [amazon.com]. OneNote and OneDrive were listed, but not Word. I searched briefly but could not find a legit copy of Microsoft Word for Android [google.com] outside Google Play Store. And the only way to get a legit copy of Google Play Store is on a device that ships with it. This leaves users of Replicant, Fire OS, and other operating systems based on Android Open Source Project (A
Re: (Score:1)
They already have a port of office for Android which is based on linux.
Office is not ported to Android. It is ported to Android with Google Play. There's a difference.
I looked at Microsoft's publisher page on Amazon Appstore [amazon.com]. OneNote and OneDrive were listed, but not Word. I searched briefly but could not find a legit copy of Microsoft Word for Android [google.com] outside Google Play Store. And the only way to get a legit copy of Google Play Store is on a device that ships with it. This leaves users of Replicant, Fire OS, and other operating systems based on Android Open Source Project (AOSP) without access.
Now most desktop and laptop PCs running Linux run GNU/Linux with X11, not Android. Android is more common on tablets and phones. In theory, it would be possible to compile AOSP for x86 or x86-64 run it alongside GNU on top of Linux. But you wouldn't be able to install Word because it wouldn't have Google Play Store.
Sorry but do you have a point here? You are complaining about the lack of Office on a proprietary version of Android on the Fire devices or "open source" fork of Android? Neither of those are stock Android. If you want a stock Android experience get a Nexus device from Google but the vast majority of Android phones and tablets ship with Google Play.
Android is fundamentally being developed by Google so what is your point exactly? Do you expect Red Hat Packages to work on some obscure Linux distro?
Re: (Score:2)
My point is that Microsoft Office for Android with Google Play doesn't bring us any closer to Microsoft Office for desktop Linux.
Re: (Score:1)
My point is that Microsoft Office for Android with Google Play doesn't bring us any closer to Microsoft Office for desktop Linux.
Admittedly, Linux and Android have differences but I would assume that if they have ported Office functionality over to both iOS and Android, they have put in work to make their code more portable.
I am sure it will take some effort to port their UI code to yet another UI framework on desktop linux but at least some of the groundwork is there already.
Re: (Score:2)
And all 3 users of Amazon products were dismayed. :)
If Amazon see Office as a value-add on their platform then they'll come to a business arrangement with Microsoft.
Re: (Score:2)
Excellent! (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:3)
Meanwhile, Linux has been ported to IE6 :)
http://www.whaleblubber.ca/run... [whaleblubber.ca]
Re: (Score:2)
https://appdb.winehq.org/appview.php?versionId=469
Re: (Score:1)
Microsoft is the #1 software company on the planet. Despite its limited success on web servers and as a hidden component in android phones, Linux is basically a niche platform and by announcing this port (as well as .NET) Microsoft is giving Linux some much needed credibility in the enterprise space. You can stick your freetard head in the sand and claim you don't want or need this code, but that doesn't make it true.
Re: (Score:2)
unless you are a die hard MS shop, why do you think linux still needs credibility in the enterprise?
Criticize and complain? (Score:2)
Microsoft touting yet another ripped-off idea (Score:3, Insightful)
There is no altruism on Microsoft's part here, this is just an obvious ploy to compete against Node.JS.
The only newsworthy part here is that Nadella is clearly not innovative enough to move away from the same tired old Microsoft playbook of getting to the market years late with a bad copy of somebody elses already dominant product.
How much spyware wlll it have? (Score:2)
So if Microsoft has a browser running on Linux, the only reasonable expectation is that it will do the same thing. We know that other browsers enable this kind of behavior (Google, I'm looking at you), but given the Microsoft track record for