Moving Towards KDE: Apple Opens WebKit for External Developers
Apple developer Maciej Stachowiak has announced a new policy for developers of the HTML rendering library Webkit. It will close the gap between Apple developers and external programmers.
The policy will give KDE community members and external developers access to the Webkit CVS. Webkit is a free HTML rendering engine which is maintained by Apple, and is based on the KDE project’s KHTML rendering engine. Apart from in Apple’s Safari browser and on the iPhone, the Webkit, which is available under the LGPL and in part under the BSD license, is used in various projects. Trolltech’s decision to integrate Webkit with QT prompted the KDE community to add new KHTML features to Webkit with a view of possibly porting Webkit.
The port is controversial because the KDE community needs some influence on the development of Webkit to achieve its aims. The KDE team has some doubts about the use of Webkit instead of KHTML, as Webkit depends on Apple’s commercial interests. Apple’ new policies removes these doubts and demonstrates Apple’s willingness to allow external developers to participate in the engine in future.
KDE developer Aaron Seigo welcomes the new policy in his blog, saying that this is a step in the right direction and that the KDE team encourage Apple and anyone with a business interest in Webkit to choose a strategy of trust.
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
-
Fedora Continues 32-Bit Support
In a move that should come as a relief to some portions of the Linux community, Fedora will continue supporting 32-bit architecture.
-
Linux Kernel 6.17 Drops bcachefs
After a clash over some late fixes and disagreements between bcachefs's lead developer and Linus Torvalds, bachefs is out.
-
ONLYOFFICE v9 Embraces AI
Like nearly all office suites on the market (except LibreOffice), ONLYOFFICE has decided to go the AI route.
-
Two Local Privilege Escalation Flaws Discovered in Linux
Qualys researchers have discovered two local privilege escalation vulnerabilities that allow hackers to gain root privileges on major Linux distributions.
-
New TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro Powered by AMD Ryzen AI 300
The TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro 14 Gen10 offers serious power that is ready for your business, development, or entertainment needs.
-
Danish Ministry of Digital Affairs Transitions to Linux
Another major organization has decided to kick Microsoft Windows and Office to the curb in favor of Linux.
-
Linux Mint 20 Reaches EOL
With Linux Mint 20 at its end of life, the time has arrived to upgrade to Linux Mint 22.
-
TuxCare Announces Support for AlmaLinux 9.2
Thanks to TuxCare, AlmaLinux 9.2 (and soon version 9.6) now enjoys years of ongoing patching and compliance.
-
Go-Based Botnet Attacking IoT Devices
Using an SSH credential brute-force attack, the Go-based PumaBot is exploiting IoT devices everywhere.
-
Plasma 6.5 Promises Better Memory Optimization
With the stable Plasma 6.4 on the horizon, KDE has a few new tricks up its sleeve for Plasma 6.5.