Re:Flow browser passes the Acid tests
by nine_k on Sunday June 14, 2020 @01:45AM
(#23515410)
There are a number of problems with locally-run websites.
One is that TLS is married to DNS, and no third-party CA would issue a certificate for localhost. TlS with self-signed certs generated on the spot becomes easy to forge.
Another is that no web browser suppoorts Unix domain sockets or a Windows equivalent as a an access protocol. You are stuck with IP-based access, wee above.
Third is that access to the OS is limited or forbidden inside the browser, for a good reason. Want to run a locally installed compiler from within your web IDE? Tough luck.
Electron solves all of these problems. It doesn't do it in the best way imaginable, but in some cases just a web site cannot be a replacement.
One is that TLS is married to DNS, and no third-party CA would issue a certificate for localhost. TlS with self-signed certs generated on the spot becomes easy to forge.
Another is that no web browser suppoorts Unix domain sockets or a Windows equivalent as a an access protocol. You are stuck with IP-based access, wee above.
Third is that access to the OS is limited or forbidden inside the browser, for a good reason. Want to run a locally installed compiler from within your web IDE? Tough luck.
Electron solves all of these problems. It doesn't do it in the best way imaginable, but in some cases just a web site cannot be a replacement.