[Libre-soc-dev] Firefox on PowerPC

[Umberto Cerrato]

Hi yg,

> 
> When the time will come to get the first real silicon for a fully-functioning Libre-SoC,
> the question of the "killer app" will be asked. I guess Debian will be an answer but
> by itself it can't do everything. Some good folks are about to end their good work though.
> https://news.slashdot.org/story/21/10/14/2116255/powerpc-fork-of-firefox-reaches-end-of-the-road
> https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/10/tenfourfox-one-of-the-last-modern-browsers-for-powerpc-macs-is-officially-dead/
> 
> " Most open source projects, even ones with large userbases,
>  are black holes ultimately and always will be."
> 
> 

The fact this is “even” a news is interesting. Because basically TenFourFox has been a one person job for many years.
Although there is interest in the browser by some, it is not a feasible job for a person only. 

Anyway, CK, the TFF developer, is dedicating himself to a much important – to him, me, and for sure us too – project, which is the JIT of Firefox for the newer POWER machines.
So more than a lost I think this is a win.

I 100% agree and understand what you say. And I think we all agree with the fact that having an operative system ready but not user applications does not make a “product” appealing for the masses.
And this is something lkcl and libre-soc knows well. But from my understanding libre-soc is not targeting the consumer market directly. Instead it fits other markets too, where f.e. having a working browser does not matter.

-u