The first test release of the Web browser fixbrowser, designed for low resource consumption and providing confidentiality, has been announced. The browser is being developed from scratch and fundamentally does not support the execution of JavaScript, but allows users to work on sites that require JavaScript. The code is written in SI and Fixscript, and is distributed under the zlib license. Assemblies are available for Linux (GTK2) and Windows, with plans to create assemblies for Haiku and MacOS 10.6+, as well as for Linux using GTK3/4.
For working with JavaScript-dependent sites, the browser utilizes a layer called fixproxy. This layer enables users to work on sites without JavaScript, using standard templates or FIX-training tailored for specific sites. The Fixproxy is developed as a separate proxy process independent of Fixbrowser, making it compatible with other browsers.
Most sites can be displayed without JavaScript with only minor modifications. Many sites use similar technology for dynamic content generation, allowing for typical FIX-training to be applied to draw them. Universal FIX-processors are available for sites using WordPress and forums on the DISQUS platform. Handlers can also be created for sites with dynamically loaded content, such as comments on forums.
To process captchas and JavaScript components like Cloudflare checks, plans are underway to develop a layer using the CEF (Chromium Embedded Framework) framework. This layer will selectively execute necessary JavaScript code as a separate service on the user’s system or through a public cloud service.
To protect user privacy, the browser prohibits loading resources from third-party hosts and utilizes white lists for image resolution via maintenance networks. The browser also supports HTTPS and allows for the connection of extensions written in Fixscript.
The project is led by Martin Dvorak from the Czech Republic, who previously created the programming language fixscript.