Performa 475 web browser?

[techknight]

I am doing a favor for someone by pre-loading a HDD for a performa 475. Since i dont own a 475, i own an LCIII which is close to it. just different processor.

I installed the universal system 7.5.3

What would you suggest as a good web browser to use on a perfoma 475? So i can throw one of those on there too. i might toss a few on there, IE4.0.1, Netscape 4.0.8.

anything else?

 

[ClassicHasClass]

There's iCab 2.9.9, but I pretty much use Netscape browsers on 68K.

 

[beachycove]

Wannabe with the Sherlock plug-ins (incl. Google, as I recall — there is a link on the wannabe pages somewhere). Loads like greased lightning, as it is text-only, and therefore without the benefit/ overhead of java, etc. As a result, I'd bet it would be faster than Safari on an i7 iMac in loading something like the BBC news pages.

 

[ChristTrekker]

I'm still curious if it would be possible to hack Gecko and/or Webkit to support a text-only display. A console-mode browser with good, compliant JS performance would rock, and be very fast. You could even support a decent subset of CSS: basic positioning, simple color, bold/underline/blink, etc.

 

[FlyingToaster]

Netscape 4x with java turned off

 

[techknight]

I remember last time i used netscape on the 68k, i got error popups like crazy. and the formatting was wrong, but the formatting is to be expected. i wish i could just shut-off all those errors.

 

[ClassicHasClass]

I'm still curious if it would be possible to hack Gecko and/or Webkit to support a text-only display.

The trick there would be the compiler. Both of them require fairly current ANSI C compilers -- Gecko won't build on less than gcc 4, for example, and I know WebKit really needs at least gcc 4.2.

Short of that, knowing what I know about the individual targets, WebKit would probably be more amenable (Uzbl comes to mind).

However, I have always thought that proxy approaches for old machines have been criminally underutilized. Such a proxy could even be written with native tools, such as MacPython or MacPerl. The proxy then does the "distillation" into something a native browser could understand. I used such a setup for the C64 when I was maintaining HyperLink 2.5.

 

[classic]

MacLynx

 

[ChristTrekker]

The trick there would be the compiler. Both of them require fairly current ANSI C compilers -- Gecko won't build on less than gcc 4, for example, and I know WebKit really needs at least gcc 4.2.
Short of that, knowing what I know about the individual targets, WebKit would probably be more amenable (Uzbl comes to mind).

I don't think getting them to compile (in general) would be the hard part, though I've certainly seen enough problems posted on the Webkit list from new hackers. (Building for 68k Mac OS, yeah, that might be a royal pain.) Mucking about with layout logic to support character cell rather than pixel, that's where I foresee lots of work.

 

[amatecha]

Yeah on Netscape you'll get TONS of JavaScript errors on every site. It's pretty terrible and there doesn't appear to be any way to turn off the error popups. So.. even loading google.com results in like 3 error windows every time. Ultra weaksauce

 

[Bunsen]

Cyberdog? Though that would require 7.6.1

 

[ClassicHasClass]

You know, the more I think about this proxy idea, the more I like it. IOW, have a MacPerl script running that acts like an HTTP proxy (can even be on the same Mac). Point Netscape to the proxy. The proxy cuts out

More stuff for my copious spare time. Somebody stop me before I pick up another browser project (isn't Classilla and TenFourFox enough? xx( ).

 

[ChristTrekker]

More stuff for my copious spare time. Somebody stop me before I pick up another browser project (isn't Classilla and TenFourFox enough?

I've only got one browser project, and not even time for that!

 

[trag]

More stuff for my copious spare time. Somebody stop me before I pick up another browser project (isn't Classilla and TenFourFox enough? xx( ).

Well, in the work place, the reward for a job well done is more work....

In this case, you're the man with the knowledge and experience.

Go Cameron!

 

[ClassicHasClass]

I ... I just couldn't help myself. I have a simple proof of concept running already. I might work on this some more when I get back from visiting the family for Mother's Day. Hi, I'm CHC, and I'm a hackaholic. "Hi, CHC." :scrambled:

 

[ChristTrekker]

Proof of concept of - what? The proxy idea?

 

[LCGuy]

Cyberdog? Though that would require 7.6.1

Nah, CyberDog actually came out before 7.6.1, it will run quite happily on 7.5.x, and maybe even on 7.1 (though I can't remember - and I've never actually used it on 7.1 myself)...the main requirement for CyberDog is that OpenDoc is installed.

 

[ClassicHasClass]

Proof of concept of - what? The proxy idea?

Yup. It does work, but it's a bit pokey -- mostly because the browser has to multitask with the proxy. However, it works on my IIci with 7.1 and IE 2.1.

Netscape doesn't like it, however -- it complains about socket errors. This seems to be the same infamous -3155 error that even afflicts Classilla and WaMCom which I'm finally going to fix in the next version, now that I have a trace of it.

Anyway, I'll let people toy with it when I'm done. All it needs is the MacPerl executable, no library. It will even work with MacPerl 4.1.8. Amusingly, I bet A/UX would be an even better host since the proxy could run preemptively separate of IE.