

A working Firefox Windows 8 Metro prototype, status update 3 - vgnet
http://www.brianbondy.com/blog/id/135/

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jules
How did you get Javascript to work? As far as I know Metro apps cannot load or
execute code dynamically (e.g. you can't use LoadLibrary or VirtualProtect).
Are you using a Javascript interpreter rather than a JIT? Or are you using the
Microsoft Javascript engine?

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mbrubeck
Microsoft has made an exception to the Metro sandboxing rules for hybrid
Metro/desktop browsers (including Internet Explorer):

<http://www.brianbondy.com/blog/id/129/>

[https://wiki.mozilla.org/Windows_8_Integration#Internet_Expl...](https://wiki.mozilla.org/Windows_8_Integration#Internet_Explorer_10_vs_Regular_Metro_Apps)

[http://www.techradar.com/news/software/operating-
systems/win...](http://www.techradar.com/news/software/operating-
systems/windows-8-browsers-the-only-metro-apps-to-get-desktop-power-1073930)

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milesoc
Firefox on android has felt very disappointing to me; I'm really interested in
seeing whether this effort can do a little better to enhance the WP7
experience. (I use Android currently, may look to switch off, to which
platform I don't know, in the next year or so)

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drivebyacct2
Try the nightlies. I have no idea why on Earth they keep the stable build in
the Market, it's god awful compared to the nightly builds. They're ...
actually usable.

~~~
avar
Here's a link to install the nightlies:
[https://wiki.mozilla.org/Mobile/Platforms/Android#Download_N...](https://wiki.mozilla.org/Mobile/Platforms/Android#Download_Nightly)

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densh
Looks like slightly themed version of current Firefox Mobile running on a
tablet:

[http://www.geeky-gadgets.com/wp-
content/uploads/2011/09/Fire...](http://www.geeky-gadgets.com/wp-
content/uploads/2011/09/Firefox-Android-Tablets.jpg)

~~~
dmbass
TFA says that the prototype is based on the Fennec (Firefox Mobile) XUL code.
But since it's so early and so ugly, I expect the styling to become more
Metro-y as development progresses.

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barranger
Glad to hear that Firefox is looking at providing a Metro Themed browser (even
if it's just to get away from IE), but looking at the icon set from the
pictures, I think they are missing the boat on the Metro style.

~~~
mbrubeck
The design work hasn't even started; this prototype is built with the same
front-end code and theme as Firefox for Android. (Actually it's using a mish-
mash of two different Android themes, because of a quirk in the way the
prototype is built.)

The icons in the prototype were all designed for Android, and all will be
replaced by real Windows/Metro icons in the final product.

[Usual discosure: I am a mobile Firefox developer.]

~~~
barranger
That's good to know.

Is the front end code that is coming from Firefox for Android just for the
windowing gui or is the rendering engine the same as well?

~~~
mbrubeck
The rendering engine code is shared across all platforms (Android, Linux, Mac,
Windows, etc.).

The "mobile" front-end code is currently used by Firefox for
Android/Maemo/MeeGo. It's separate from the "desktop" front-end code used by
Firefox on Windows/Mac/Linux.

