Google Chrome: Improved support in Wine 1.1.4... with a caveat
Free project WINE now offers the newest version (1.1.4) of its runtime environment. Among its features is better support for Google Chrome.
Wine 1.1.4 went public only two weeks after the earlier version 1.1.3 and, along with fixed bugs, provides better support for the new Chrome Google browser. The developers also tout its substantial WinHTTP implementation and improved JavaScript support. A complete list of changes can be found at the WINE HQ website, with binaries for Wine 1.1.4 to follow shortly. The source code can be downloaded from the Sourceforge portal.
There is nevertheless growing criticism of the browser. For example, the German Federal Office for Security in Information Technology (BSI), whose purpose it is to protect users, issued a warning at its release. The BSI spokesperson characterized the browser as "convenient yet risky." The agency sees it as risky in one sense that Google is pawning off a not-yet-prime-time prototype to a wide audience, and in another sense because technically less versed users may encounter serious security issues due to the nature of the browser's overzealous data collection practice, which the agency describes as "questionable."
Included in the Google Chrome Privacy Notice is a statement that anything entered in the browser's Address field will be sent to Google. This, they claim, is a technical requirement to enable generating website hints and recommendations. However, there is also the chance that other information such as data, applications and services might also be conveyed to Google under certain circumstances.
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
ESET Discovers New Linux Malware
WolfsBane is an all-in-one malware that has hit the Linux operating system and includes a dropper, a launcher, and a backdoor.
-
New Linux Kernel Patch Allows Forcing a CPU Mitigation
Even when CPU mitigations can consume precious CPU cycles, it might not be a bad idea to allow users to enable them, even if your machine isn't vulnerable.
-
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.5 Released
Notify your friends, loved ones, and colleagues that the latest version of RHEL is available with plenty of enhancements.
-
Linux Sees Massive Performance Increase from a Single Line of Code
With one line of code, Intel was able to increase the performance of the Linux kernel by 4,000 percent.
-
Fedora KDE Approved as an Official Spin
If you prefer the Plasma desktop environment and the Fedora distribution, you're in luck because there's now an official spin that is listed on the same level as the Fedora Workstation edition.
-
New Steam Client Ups the Ante for Linux
The latest release from Steam has some pretty cool tricks up its sleeve.
-
Gnome OS Transitioning Toward a General-Purpose Distro
If you're looking for the perfectly vanilla take on the Gnome desktop, Gnome OS might be for you.
-
Fedora 41 Released with New Features
If you're a Fedora fan or just looking for a Linux distribution to help you migrate from Windows, Fedora 41 might be just the ticket.
-
AlmaLinux OS Kitten 10 Gives Power Users a Sneak Preview
If you're looking to kick the tires of AlmaLinux's upstream version, the developers have a purrfect solution.
-
Gnome 47.1 Released with a Few Fixes
The latest release of the Gnome desktop is all about fixing a few nagging issues and not about bringing new features into the mix.