Arora Is A Lightweight, Cross-Platform WebKit Browser
Windows/Mac/Linux: Lightweight web browser Arora uses the same rendering engine as Google Chrome and Safari, but works on almost any platform.
The browser offers most of the features of mainstream browsers, including private browsing, session management, and a smart location bar—all in a lightweight browser that opens nearly instantly. It’s unlikely that Lifehacker readers will leave their precious Firefox behind for this, but it’s a nice, functional, and fast browser that’s definitely worth a look—especially for Linux users interested in a functional WebKit browser with a private browsing mode.
Arora is free and open source, available for Linux, Mac, Windows, or even FreeBSD. In our testing on Windows, the browser worked without a hitch, opened quickly, and rendered pages extremely fast. If you have any experience using this browser on other platforms, let us know in the comments.
Arora [Google Code via Download Squad]
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Comments (AU Comments | US Comments)
I'm going to stick with Chrome.
I use it speradicly on Kubuntu 9.04 - when I want to open a quick browser to check something. I have no complaints about it, works great, runs fast, and looks good. I can't think of a time I have ever had it crash. My only complaint is the lack of ad-blocking.
@they do.
HeartBurnKid: Agent of R.O.A.C.H.
I just tried it out. It seems to have trouble reading RSS Feeds? Pending that small problem, I'd give it a shot.
@P_Smith: perhaps through poll data that shows Firefox is the most popular browser among its readers.
I use Chrome almost exclusively myself.
Crashproof
@Conlin: Er, Shiretoko was just the codename for Firefox 3.1. It's been finalized a Firefox 3.5 for quite some time now...
ElBeh
Wow. I was really surprised at the screenshot, at first glance I thought it looked very much like Firefox!
hardman.ethan
Intel Macs only :(
Dan Butcher
Given how crash-prone is QtWeb (it crashes more than Infernal Exploder), I wouldn't trust arora or anything else build on the same Qt software. If you want small, portable and reliable, stick with K-meleon, which is based on Mozilla.
http://kmeleon.sourceforge.net/
Also, and for the record, why does LH arrogantly assume that everyone uses firefox? Opera's faster and stabler, even by LH's own tests. (If firefox fanboys don't want to hear about Opera, tell LH not to bring up the subject.)
P_Smith
And is cross-platform ...
n2burns
@vandinem: Is "pr0n browsing" a better description for ya?
Haha, essentially its browsing mode that doesn't save any history/cookies/etc.
@m-p{3}: Yup, thats right. It looks like a Firefox built with WebKit, the same rending engine used Safari and Google Chrome.
ArJay
There is Shiretoko, its built from firefox 3.1. http://www.mozilla.org/projects/firefox/3.1a1/releasenotes/
What do you mean, 'private browsing'?
vandinem
@North Star: No, if you *really* want a menu bar... but chrome is a webkit based browser that starts up instantly.
From that screenshot, the interface layout looks pretty close to Firefox.
I guess that shouldn't break the habits of a Firefox user, other than the extensions..
It's actually pretty good.
Clean.
I use it now, until Chromium for Linux is out of dev.
The only problem with it is that it doesn't have the fast Javascript stuff that all the big browsers are putting in.
But do give it a try. Especially if you're on Linux since there is no adequate Webkit option right now.
LilybellEpopeus
what's with the polar bear humping Earth?
Could be great for netbooks like the eee... I'm definitely going to give it a try on mine.
rondalescott
I think I'll give this a try. Chrome has been bogging down for me lately and I don't know why. After 3 tabs, it all goes downhill to the point where I have to close Chrome just to get FireFox to load even the Google homepage.
Ethyn
@bagano: Looks nothing like Chrome, because the menu bar is visible, and the tabs are on bottom.
If it had extensions like FF, I'd give it a try.
@bagano: Chrome has a menu bar?
North Star
On windows this is called chrome