#non chromium web browsers

[ms-demeanor]

Do you think opera is as good as firefox? or is there a reason why you like firefox the most?

Opera is a chromium browser; the reason to stick with non-chromium browsers is because the more people who use those browsers, the more necessary it is for web developers to support non-chromium browsers, which means that google won't have a complete monopoly on how browsers work because there is *somebody* out there developing browsers that don't use the same central engine as chrome.

But Opera is the non-firefox browser I've got installed on my desktop for when I need something that works on chrome and not firefox. It's fine.

[solus-official]

NEW COMPUTER, NEW(?) LINUX

I FINALLY GOT IT WORKING

HOLY HELL THIS HAS BEEN TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS

I FUCKING HATE be quiet! NOW AFTER THE SHIT THIS CASE HAS DONE TO ME MENTALLY

I am running @arch-official on my new workstation/gaming because although I love the idea of Bazzite and the general function of Fedora, Arch just kinda yknow. does stuff. lmao.

Now I just need to settle on some various things.

For starters, it installed with SDDM i think? and it looks godawful. so i'm either switching greeters or getting a theme.

Speaking of theme. I need to fucking rice. But I'm terrible at ricing and super indicisive so i might just hire someone lmao. Anyone looking for some contract work?

Also, web browser. I made a post before about various web browsers and their usefulness. mostly asking about non-chromium. And it got some pretty cool answers/insights! I plan on tallying up the results later after dealing with some family stuff.

Hooray!!!

(i love you arch please fix your wiki it's awful)

[cuprohastes]

Don't do this:

OK so do not go to Github and search for yt-dlp and don't either isntall it using brew, or download the binary.

Do not, I repeat do not then launch a command line...

MacOS: Command+Space type Terminal Windows, Right-click the Start Menu and open a command line

... then type something like

yt-dlp "https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=WL" -S "ext" --embed-chapters --embed-subs --mark-watched --cookies-from-browser firefox

Because that will download the best quality audio and video format (mp4) at the best size, using your YouTube Watch Later playlist, mark all the videos as read, and give you MP4 files with subtitles and chapters, but no adverts. You can switch firefox for your browser if it's supported. Shit, I mean, don't do that.

Currently supported browsers are: brave, chrome, chromium, edge, firefox, opera, safari, vivaldi, whale.

Especially do not replace the URL with a BBC iPlayer page in case it accidentally downloads an entire series, or individual video. Or try non-DRM'd web pages, or you may find it's also downloaded those individual videos for later use too.

And whatever you do, don't spend a few hours on the GitHub page learning to use it. For example to rip just the audio files from YouTube videos for use as a personal musical playlist, or Twitch streams to play back when it's quiet.

And also beware if you slip and use the right flag it may even mark the YouTube video's sponsored ad reads so they can be auto-deleted or skipped.

This has been a public announcement to prevent you from accidentally downloading video or audio for your own personal use.

[autolenaphilia]

Fuck Chromium (and that includes Brave and Vivialdi)

I have made multiple posts about why you should use Firefox, and of course I get the reply "not all chromium browsers are bad, they are not all as evil as Chrome." And sure, browsers who use the chromium code are not required to do all the shady things that Google does with it.

Still, I think it's bad that chromium-based browsers are getting close to total market dominance. By this point it has made Google's competitors like Microsoft and Opera drop their own unique proprietary browser engines for chromium. Browsers are becoming a fucking monoculture at this point. And Chromium becoming the browser code base of choice empowers Google, since they are the ones who mainly develop, maintain and fund its code. It means supporting them in their quest to become an internet monopoly that can do things like drm the web itself.

So let me be clear: you are still supporting google by using chromium-based browsers. By helping out in making chromium the de facto standard for browsers, you are giving google power. They are the ones driving chromium development, they will set the standards. And those standards will be in Google's favor. They are an ad company, their goal is to kill off adblockers by making them impossible to use, first with manifest v3 for extensions and now WEI, their web drm.

Brave is a joke.

The supposed "good guy" chromium browsers people recommend are actually shady as shit.

The one i see recommended the most is Brave, and it's fucking terrible. For one thing, it is funded by right-wing techbro Brendan Eich. He was Mozilla CEO for some time, but then people found he was a massive homophobe who funded campaigns against marriage equality, and Mozilla forced him to resign. And that's why he created Brave. That's who you are supporting by using Brave.

It runs off chromium because that's the easy and lazy choice for a browser. And it's literally funded through cryptocurrency, probably the negative environmental impact is a plus in Eich's book. And its adblocker runs off the same dishonest business model as adblock plus does, it will not block ads if advertisers pay them for the privilege. This betrayal of the users is opt-in at least, and you get paid for watching ads, but it's in the aforementioned worthless crypto beans. Brave is a joke.

Vivaldi and the importance of open-source

And then there's Vivaldi, it's a freeware proprietary browser run by a for-profit company, which alone should scare you off it.

"If you aren't paying for it, you are not the customer, you are the product" is a phrase that sometimes unfairly gets applied to open source projects to dismiss them. If it's open source and either community-run or run by a non-profit foundation like the Open document foundation for Libreoffice and or the Mozilla foundation for Firefox/Thunderbird, you are safe even if it's free.

But that phrase 100% applies to free products from for-profit corporations. These companies need to make profits at some point for for their shareholders, and if it is not from selling goods or services, it comes from things like selling your user's data or "attention".

That applies to Vivaldi, who makes big promises about how they will respect their users privacy and never sell their data. But promises mean nothing, Google also says they respect your privacy. And the thing is, Vivaldi is closed source. Not entirely, ironically the bits they got from Google's chromium are open source, but other parts of their code is closed-source. And what that means is, they can make any and all promises about what their browser's code does and there is nobody except Vivaldi that can check if their code actually fulfils those promises. Only Vivaldi has access to that code.

I'm no open-source fanatic, like I don't care if some random game i install and play is closed-source, as long as it is from a credible developer. But open-source is important for security and privacy, because that means someone else other than the company who develops the program can vet it's code for vulnerabilities and privacy violations. Your browser and e-mail client (vivaldi has an e-mail client too) should be open-source for your own safety, because those programs handle sensitive data like your passwords or your e-mails. Closed-source is not more secure, since Kerckhoff's principle applies to digital security and privacy.

And Vivaldi by being proprietary software fails that test. Their own justification is that being closed-source is "their first line of defense, to prevent other parties from taking the code and building an equivalent browser (essentially a fork) too easily." It's the same hypocritical argument that Red Hat used to justify making their Enterprise Linux distro closed-source. "It's fine if we use chromium's code to build our own browser, and expressly for making an Opera clone (that's the literal point of Vivaldi, that's why the name is a music reference), but if someone does the same with our product, they're evil." It's nauseating and alone justification to distrust Vivaldi as it is crying out to be trusted.

Listen to some Antonio Vivaldi instead, his music slaps. And install Firefox and Thunderbird instead.

[modestbirdwizard]

How to Steal Youtube like your Dad Stole Cable: A non-comprehensive guide.

Piracy is cool and you should do it.

I mean it, I fully condone the theft of copyrighted material online for the masses. You should consider the relative prices of a sturdy VPN to the cost of all your monthly streaming subscriptions and see what I mean: The mere fact that so many of these services trade the same movies back and forth on a bi-monthly basis only proves one thing, They don't respect you or your hard earned money. The prices go up, the services offered get more narrow and ill-defined, and worse to boot, but the torrent sites still exist and they still have everything I could ever want.

There are other guides on how to get any movie or album you want online, and maybe I'll write another, but today I want to talk you through something different. Piracy for the modern age, stealing something that would make the eyes of any tin-foil antenna wielding cable pirate misty with pride.

Let's get around youtube's bullshit under the jump:

We're going for the big dog. We're going… for youtube premium. I'm writing this guide with Firefox and Android in mind, but as far as I'm aware this will work more or less on chromium based browsers as well.

The two web extensions you'll need for your desktop:

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/ublock-origin/https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/sponsorblock/

If you're like me and find yourself in a youtube death spiral more often than you wish, you might want this one too:

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/hide-youtube-shorts/

Now, we address the app on your phone. Real heads have known about this trick for years, but it recently came to my attention.

ReVanced is a revival of the original Vanced app modding tool, and what it lets us do is very simple: bypass restrictions in many of our favorite apps like youtube, duolingo and others, so that we can get back essential features that have been paywalled. Specifically for youtube, we can now access off-screen playback, windowed playback, ad-free viewing, and we even GAIN a feature for our trouble, sponsor block, which uses crowdsourced data to find and skip embedded sponsor spots in videos. Think Squarespace and raid:shadow legends.

When you're installing revanced, you need to be careful not to install a pre-made hacked .apk, you really need to apply them yourself because nefarious users are everywhere and WILL send you malware. The ReVanced Manager app makes it very easy anyway, so you shouldn't need to rely on pre-hacked apks anyway.

You can get revanced from their page. Make sure it's the real deal, because there ARE fakes around.

You can find a current or slightly out-of-date youtube app around online very easily if you search. A slightly out of date apk is preferable here, as it means more of the hacks will work out of the box. If you've already downloaded the ReVanced app, then it will suggest a version for you to download.

"What about my TV?!" I haven't done this one personally, though I do intend to soon. My understanding is that you can use the command line on your fireTV stick to download a hacked app there as well! It's not an Enter The Matrix-tier operation, you just have to type a couple lines into a console. Super simple!

"Why aren't there more links in this post?" The companies have the internet too, and you probably know how to use it a bit more than they do. Posting links is like handing info to the enemy.

[16naughts]

Dev Log Mar 7 2025 - All Hands on Deck

Crescent Roll v1.0 is now live on Steam, but with it being something of a soft launch, there's quite a bit of work still to be done. And our first order of business is getting together a Steam Deck version so the more players can take advantage of those all-too-essential motion controls.

The Steam Deck is a Linux machine with a custom OS (aptly called SteamOS) that has a compatibility layer called Proton that lets you run most Windows games straight out of the box. However, Crescent Roll is not most Windows games. We use .Net8 and WebView2 on Windows, neither of which Proton is able to efficiently emulate straight out of the Steam library (you can do some trickery on Desktop mode to get it running, but the point of the Deck is to make it easier for non-tech people, so that ain't gonna fly) Fortunately, we've already thought on this for quite a bit. The .Net platform can be embedded in the executable itself with no need to install anything, which solves problem 1. The replacement for WebView2 is a little more tricky - we have to embed essentially an entire web browser into the game. Steam uses something called the Chromium Embedded Framework, or CEF, to show the popover that you see in games, as well as their storefront and a bunch of other little widgets. It's essentially a self-bundled customized Chrome instance that you can stick in pretty much anything. That would be perfect, but unfortunately for us, after searching for days, it doesn't seem to be exposed anywhere in the Steam runtime, so we can't piggyback off of that. Unfortunate. Embedding it ourselves is also going to add a whopping 1GB to our 100MB install, so uh, perhaps not. So, alternatively, there's WebKit. It's to Safari what CEF is to Chrome. Just the bare minimum of a web browser that you can slap into anything. SteamOS doesn't have it pre-bundled, but it's around 100MB-ish, so you know - better than CEF. So, there we go. Except, CEF expected you to just drag-and-drop libcef.so into your project, and WebKit wants to be installed separately. Which you can't really do on the Steam Deck. So, what I've been doing for the past week is chopping up and patching pieces of the WebKit2GTK project to get it running on the Deck under our sub-directory. Which has not been remotely fun, and will probably get its own write-up here to help out anybody else doing the same thing. But...

It works. Well, as of writing this, it's mostly works. The audio isn't playing, and we're locked at 20FPS display even though the game runs at full speed and is only using 10% of the CPU, but it's actually entirely playable. We were hoping to start releasing a weekly update every Monday starting next week. Fingers crossed we'll be able to iron those last two issues out for it. Although this is big enough that if we're close, we might just wait for Tuesday to ship out both at once. Fortunately, nobody seems to be knocking down our door for this, so we've got a little bit of leeway.

[opensuse-official]

These are all facts that coexist. I know I'm going to the no nuance store expecting to find nuance, but come on.

Chrome is bad

Chrome and Chromium are not entirely the same thing

Chromium is a monopoly

Chromium is free and open source

Chromium when utilized properly can be an excellent web browser in 2024

Vandium and Brave both are browser based on chromium and are more secure than Firefox in a few key ways

The more people who use a non-chromium based browser the more websites that will better support non-chromium browsers.

Chromium based browser are a necessity in a lot of situations, choose a secure one.

Chromium itself cannot get rid of adblockers, chrome can.

[tyote]

(reblog for a bigger data pool, if you'd like)

[despite-everything]

I wrote out this list of instructions/recommendations for making Firefox your default browser, and setting up some extensions I recommend. This is all my personal preference - I’m no expert, but I made these instructions for some friends and family, so I figured I’d share here, too! All the extensions are linked for convenience.

1. Download Firefox, pin to dock of computer, set as default browser 

Why Firefox? Mozilla is a non-profit organization, so unlike Google, they aren’t looking to continually turn a profit, and is an open-source project, meaning you can check the code at any time. Firefox and Safari are independent browsers, but others like Chrome, Brave, and Microsoft Edge all run on Chromium - meaning they’re essentially all Google. The downside to using them is that if your entire internet access is connected to Google, then Google is going to collect data on everything (and then turn around and sell it all over the place).

2. Add DuckDuckGo, set as default search engine for Firefox

Why DuckDuckGo? Unlike Google, DuckDuckGo doesn't collect data from users, and allows IP addresses to remain hidden/protected. Doesn’t use cookies to track activity. Doesn’t share IP address, search terms, etc. with sites you visit (Google, Yahoo, and Bing all share this data). I find that the search results are more “clean” and I usually find what I’m looking for faster, and with fewer “listicles”/bullshit SEO-filled nonsense.

Downsides: Some complex searches may not work (niche content can be missed, but pretty much everything else is good) - so if searching for academic sources, I recommend using Google Scholar instead. Also uses Apple Maps instead of Google, which I don’t like as much, but isn’t a huge problem on the desktop. I have some privacy-centric extensions listed below, which help protect me when I do need to turn to Google.

3. Import browser data from old browser.

4. Set homepage/new tab defaults → Settings.

5. Download Firefox on phone, follow instructions to sync to computer desktop.

6. Install extensions! Improve internet browsing experience! Check out my list of recommendations below.

7. When installing extensions, take a look at the “themes” and customize the look of your browser.

Ad Blockers

Adblocker Ultimate (blocks ads)

uBlock Origin (also blocks ads)

AdGuard Adblocker (guess what this is.)

AdBlock for Firefox (I just really hate ads and want to cover my bases)

Privacy extensions

Privacy Possum (interferes with data collection by sites, helps prevent tracking)

Don’t track me Google (speeds up search results, removes Google tracking feature)

I still don’t care about cookies (allows cookies for sites/prevents pop ups - use with cookie auto delete for privacy)

Cookie autodelete (automatically deletes cookie info from sites, pairs well with above)

Youtube extensions

Return Youtube Dislike (shows the number of dislikes on Youtube - Youtube removed this feature in 2021 for no good reason)

DeRound Youtube (personal preference - makes Youtube thumbnails “sharp”. I think it looks nicer like this.)

Youtube NonStop (prevents “are you still watching” prompts)

SponsorBlock (removes embedded sponsor promotions within Youtube videos)

Other helpful stuff

Unpaywall (checks database of 16 million legal, open-access articles when you view a paywalled scholarly article to see if there’s an open version available)

Don’t Accept image/webp (lets Firefox tell sites webp formats don’t work - enables easier access to downloadable jpeg/png formats on search results)

Absolute Enable Right Click and Copy (some sites block the right click copy/paste option, this extension restores that ability - this seemed to interfere with my use of Google Docs so I disabled it for the site, but it may be coincidental. Need to investigate - this extension is newer to me.)

Facebook Container (prevents Facebook/Meta from tracking all your web activity)

LeechBlock NG (can be enabled to prevent you from using certain sites in a certain timeframe - good for productivity)

Recommended extensions for Tumblr users

Shinigami Eyes (works on other sites too, but highlights trans-friendly people/orgs/etcs green, highlights anti-trans in red. Very useful for Tumblr - makes identifying and blocking hateful users easier)

XKit Rewritten (Tumblr XKit! OG XKit doesn’t work anymore, but I’ve had success with this one. Helps customize the site, sometimes can be used to get rid of/override stupid UI updates)

My personal XKit recommendations:

Toggle on: 

Anti-Capitalism (hides ads)

Mutual Checker (notes who your mutuals are, useful if you follow a lot of people/have a lot of followers and want to know who your “friends” are - especially helpful if you have friends who often change icons/urls)

No Recommended (gets rid of recommended stuff - I clicked “hide” for all the options - I only want to see things posted/reblogged by the people I follow, or things I search for specifically. Clears up the homepage, too.)

Quick Reblog (I personally love this feature - I have it set up “above the reblog button” and checked “yes” for showing the blog selector (useful if you have multiple blogs on the same account), and the “show tags” field. With Quick Reblog, when you hover over the “reblog” button, it pops up a little box that lets me quickly select what blog (defaults to main), add tags, then reblog, queue, or save the post as a draft. I don’t usually add a comment, and never using Quick Reblog, so I didn’t enable that field. You can add more settings, but this is how I like to use it!)

Tweaks (I clicked “Restore links to individual posts in the post header”, “Remove the coloured shadow from focused posts”, “Hide the ‘blaze’ and ‘tip’ button labels”, “Hide my follower count where possible”, “Hide the ‘’Now, where were we?’ button”, and “Hide the Tumblr Live carousel” (I also “snooze” Tumblr Live weekly, but still). Again, these are all personal preferences! This is just how I like the site set up).

[levysoft]

È bene specificare, infatti, che anche se App Store esistevano già altri browser (Chrome, Firefox, etc), fino ad ora tutti i browser alternativi erano costretti a utilizzare lo stesso browser engine di Safari, chiamato WebKit. Il browser engine (chiamato anche motore di rendering) è il componente del browser che a tutti gli effetti interpreta i dati forniti dal sito e ricostruisce graficamente la pagina web: è il "cuore" del browser, quello che esegue effettivamente il lavoro principale.

Al momento, tutti i browser pubblicati su App Store utilizzano lo stesso engine di Safari: al netto delle personalizzazioni estetiche, dell'esperienza utente e della gestione dei profili, tutti i browser sono quindi una versione rivista e abbellita di Safari.

Con iOS 17.4, invece, non sarà più così e ogni browser potrà utilizzare il proprio motore di rendering. Oltre WebKit di Apple, in ambito desktop i motori di rendering più famosi in giro sono sostanzialmente due: Blink (Chromium), ossia quello che muove Chrome (ma anche Microsoft Edge, Brave, Opera, Arc...) e Gecko, quello sviluppato da Mozilla per Firefox.

Vale la pena precisare che con iOS 17.4 non solo Apple consentirà l'installazione di browser completi, ma che anche i browser integrati all'interno delle applicazioni potranno usare motori di rendering diversi da WebKit. Inoltre, per favorire la libera concorrenza, al primo avvio di iPhone verrà chiesto all'utente quale browser vuole utilizzare.

[snapai]

It's not always morally correct to pirate Adobe software.

That counts towards their market dominance, that they can use to strongarm their real customers, your employers with money, to keep buying their crap.

Just find good alternatives and use those whenever possible, unless you're already being forced to use an Adobe product because the project or deliverables are impossible in something else.

Then it might be morally correct to somehow find an Adobe product on your computer.

See also: Google using chromium's ubiquity to try to DRM your computer configuration, coming soon to a non-firefox web browser near you.

[keploy]

A Guide to Automated Software Testing Tools in 2025

As the complexity of software systems grows, the need for fast, reliable, and scalable testing solutions becomes critical. Manual testing simply can’t keep up with modern release cycles—and that’s where automated software testing tools step in. In 2025, these tools are smarter, more integrated, and increasingly powered by AI, helping developers and QA teams deliver high-quality applications at speed.

If you’re looking to explore or upgrade your testing stack, this guide to automated testing tools in 2025 covers everything you need to know.

What Are Automated Software Testing Tools?

Automated testing tools are frameworks or platforms that execute test cases without human intervention. They simulate user interactions, verify system outputs, and ensure your application performs as expected across different scenarios and environments.

These tools significantly reduce manual effort, improve test coverage, and speed up the feedback loop in the software development lifecycle.

Why Use Automated Testing in 2025?

Here’s why more teams are adopting automation:

Speed: Run thousands of test cases in minutes.

Accuracy: Eliminate human error with repeatable scripts.

Scalability: Easily test across browsers, devices, and APIs.

Cost-Effective: Catch bugs early, reducing costly fixes post-deployment.

CI/CD Integration: Seamlessly fit into DevOps pipelines for continuous testing.

Key Features to Look for in 2025

AI-Powered Test Generation: Tools now use AI to auto-generate tests from user behavior or API traffic.

No-Code/Low-Code Interfaces: Empower non-technical team members to write tests.

Cloud & Parallel Testing: Run tests across environments at scale.

Self-Healing Scripts: Automatically update locators when UI changes.

Test Coverage Analytics: Visualize what’s tested and what’s missing.

Popular Automated Software Testing Tools in 2025

Here are some top picks:

1. Keploy

An open-source tool that auto-generates test cases and mocks from actual API calls. Perfect for full-stack testing without writing manual tests.

Integrates with Postman, Docker, and CI tools.

Automatically generates regression and unit tests.

Stores real user traffic to replicate production behavior.

✅ Explore: Guide to automated software testing tools in 2025

2. Cypress

A JavaScript-based front-end testing framework ideal for fast browser testing.

Great for E2E tests

Powerful debugging UI

Active open-source community

🧠 Check out: 5 Free Cypress AI Tools That Actually Work

3. Playwright

An open-source framework from Microsoft supporting Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit.

Cross-browser support

Supports UI and API tests

Headless testing out of the box

4. Selenium

Still relevant in 2025 for legacy and cross-browser support, especially in enterprise environments.

Wide language support

Huge community

Best for custom workflows

5. Testim / TestSigma / Katalon

These no-code and AI-powered platforms help non-developers write tests easily while offering enterprise-grade features like visual testing, analytics, and CI integrations.

How to Choose the Right Tool

When selecting an automated software testing tool, consider:

Your tech stack (frontend/backend/API/mobile)

Team skill level (coding vs low-code preference)

Project size and frequency of releases

Integration needs (CI/CD, GitHub, containers)

Maintenance and community support

Conclusion

In 2025, automation is no longer optional—it’s a necessity. Whether you're building web apps, APIs, or mobile software, adopting the right automated software testing tools helps you release faster, with confidence. Explore Keploy’s powerful open-source test automation approach in this detailed guide to automated testing tools in 2025, and supercharge your QA process for the future.

[ideyalabsllp]

Test Automation Frameworks: Your QA Consultants' Secret Weapon for Success

Your QA Consultants' Secret Weapon for Success

In the fast-paced world of software development, quality assurance (QA) plays a pivotal role in ensuring that products meet the highest standards. One of the most significant advancements in recent years has been the rise of test automation frameworks, which have revolutionized the way QA teams approach testing. For QA managers, decision-makers, and project managers, selecting the right automation framework is a critical task. With the right guidance, your QA team can accelerate testing, improve product quality, and reduce the time to market.

In this article, we’ll explore the importance of test automation frameworks, highlight the best-known frameworks like Selenium, Cypress, and Playwright, and offer expert advice on how Quality Assurance consulting services can help you choose and implement the best framework for your needs.

What Are Test Automation Frameworks?

Test automation frameworks are a set of tools, libraries, and practices that help automate the execution of tests on software applications. These frameworks serve as the foundation for developing automated tests, making it easier to write, maintain, and scale tests over time. When implemented correctly, automation frameworks can greatly improve the efficiency of your testing efforts, leading to faster releases and higher-quality software.

Popular Test Automation Frameworks

There are several test automation frameworks available today, each with its own unique features and capabilities. Let’s take a closer look at three of the most popular frameworks: Selenium, Cypress, and Playwright.

Selenium: The Industry Standard

Selenium has long been the go-to framework for web application testing. It supports multiple programming languages, including Java, Python, C#, and JavaScript, making it highly versatile. Selenium’s ability to work across various browsers and operating systems makes it a popular choice for organizations looking for a robust, reliable testing solution.

Strengths of Selenium:

Cross-browser support (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.)

Language-agnostic, with support for multiple programming languages

Open-source and highly customizable

Integrates easily with continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) tools

However, Selenium does come with its challenges, including slow execution times and a steep learning curve for beginners.

Cypress: A Modern Approach to Testing

Cypress has gained popularity in recent years as a modern, developer-friendly test automation framework. It is built specifically for web applications and offers fast execution, an easy setup process, and detailed debugging capabilities. Unlike Selenium, which operates outside of the browser, Cypress runs directly inside the browser, allowing for faster tests and easier debugging.

Strengths of Cypress:

Fast execution times

Real-time browser interaction and debugging

Built-in support for mocking/stubbing HTTP requests

Excellent developer support and documentation

Cypress is an excellent choice for developers looking to implement fast, reliable testing. However, it is currently limited to testing within the browser, which means it’s not suitable for non-browser-based applications.

Playwright: The Rising Star

Playwright is a relatively new testing framework that has quickly gained traction among QA professionals. Created by Microsoft, Playwright supports multiple browsers (including Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit), and it is designed to handle modern web application complexities, including single-page applications (SPAs) and dynamic content.

Strengths of Playwright:

Cross-browser testing (Chromium, Firefox, WebKit)

Supports testing of single-page applications (SPAs)

Built-in handling of browser contexts, cookies, and storage

Offers API testing and end-to-end testing capabilities

While Playwright is a powerful tool, its ecosystem is still developing, and it may not yet have as large a community or third-party tool integrations as Selenium.

How to Choose the Right Test Automation Framework

With so many options available, selecting the right test automation framework for your project can be challenging. However, with the right guidance from quality assurance consulting services, you can make a well-informed decision based on your unique needs.

Considerations for Choosing the Right Framework:

Project Requirements: Assess whether your application is a simple web app or a complex single-page application. For basic testing, Selenium might suffice, but for modern web apps, Playwright or Cypress could offer superior support.

Team Expertise: Consider your team’s programming skills. Selenium supports multiple languages, but Cypress and Playwright focus more on JavaScript and TypeScript, so ensure your team is comfortable with the framework you choose.

Execution Speed: If your team requires fast, reliable tests with quick feedback loops, Cypress may be the best option. Its speed and ease of use make it ideal for rapid development cycles.

Integration with CI/CD: Ensure the framework you choose integrates seamlessly with your existing CI/CD pipelines for continuous testing. Selenium, Cypress, and Playwright all support CI/CD integration, but the level of support and ease of setup can vary.

Long-Term Maintainability: Test automation is most effective when it’s scalable and maintainable over time. Work with QA consultants to ensure that your chosen framework is flexible enough to evolve as your software development needs change.

How QA Consulting Services Can Help

While choosing a test automation framework might seem straightforward, the process can quickly become overwhelming. That’s where quality assurance consulting services come in. A skilled QA consultant can help guide your team through every step of the framework selection and implementation process, ensuring that you make the best decision for your project.

How QA Consulting Services Add Value:

Framework Evaluation: QA consultants assess your project requirements, team expertise, and long-term goals to help you choose the most suitable framework for your needs.

Tool Integration: Consultants help integrate the chosen automation framework with your existing tools, ensuring seamless workflows.

Test Strategy Development: They also assist in developing a comprehensive test strategy that includes best practices for writing, executing, and maintaining automated tests.

Training and Support: QA consultants provide training for your team, ensuring they have the necessary skills to use the chosen framework effectively. They also offer ongoing support to troubleshoot issues and optimize tests.

Conclusion: Accelerate Your Testing with the Right Framework

Test automation frameworks are a powerful tool in the world of quality assurance, enabling faster and more efficient testing processes. By selecting the right framework—whether it’s Selenium, Cypress, or Playwright—you can greatly enhance your team’s ability to deliver high-quality software on time. Partnering with quality assurance consulting services can help ensure that you choose the best framework for your specific project needs and gain the support you need for successful implementation.

Call to Action: Are you ready to supercharge your testing efforts? Contact our expert QA consultants today to explore the best automation frameworks for your project and take your testing to the next level. Let’s unlock the power of test automation together!

[testleafsblog]

What Types of Frameworks Can Be Built with Playwright?

The Playwright automation tool is a powerful, open-source framework designed for end-to-end testing of modern web applications. Developed by Microsoft, Playwright supports multiple programming languages, including JavaScript, Python, C#, and Java, and is known for its ability to handle modern web complexities such as shadow DOM, multi-tab testing, and dynamic content. With its versatile features, Playwright allows developers to build various types of testing frameworks, each tailored to meet specific testing requirements. Here, we delve into the most common frameworks that can be constructed using Playwright.

1. End-to-End Testing Framework

An end-to-end (E2E) testing framework is one of the most common implementations of Playwright. This framework enables testing of user workflows from start to finish, ensuring that the application behaves as expected in real-world scenarios. With Playwright’s ability to simulate user interactions like clicking, typing, scrolling, and navigating, developers can validate the complete functionality of their web applications.

Key Features:

Cross-browser support (Chromium, Firefox, WebKit).

Multi-platform testing (Windows, macOS, Linux).

Network interception for API testing.

Visual regression testing.

This framework is ideal for software testers enrolled in a software testing course in Chennai, as it provides hands-on experience with real-world scenarios and builds expertise in handling complex web applications.

2. Component Testing Framework

Playwright can be used to build a component testing framework that focuses on testing individual components in isolation. This approach is particularly useful for validating the behavior of reusable UI elements such as buttons, modals, and dropdowns. By mocking APIs and isolating components, testers can ensure that each piece functions as intended.

Key Features:

Efficient testing of UI components.

Integration with popular front-end libraries like React, Angular, and Vue.

Support for mocking data and API responses.

Component testing frameworks built with Playwright are invaluable for developers and testers aiming to ensure the quality of individual units before integrating them into larger systems.

3. Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) Framework

Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) focuses on collaboration between technical and non-technical stakeholders to define the application's behavior in plain language. Using tools like Cucumber.js or SpecFlow alongside Playwright, you can create a BDD framework that bridges the gap between business and technical teams.

Key Features:

Write test cases in plain English using Gherkin syntax.

Easy integration with Playwright for implementing step definitions.

Automated documentation of business requirements.

This framework is ideal for teams that prioritize collaboration and communication, making it an excellent choice for organizations looking to standardize their testing practices.

4. Performance Testing Framework

Performance testing ensures that your application can handle varying loads without compromising user experience. Playwright’s ability to measure page load times, response times, and resource usage makes it a valuable tool for building performance testing frameworks.

Key Features:

Monitor application performance under different network conditions.

Capture metrics like Time to First Byte (TTFB) and Time to Interactive (TTI).

Simulate multiple concurrent users.

A performance testing framework using Playwright helps developers identify bottlenecks and optimize their applications for better scalability.

5. API Testing Framework

Playwright’s robust network interception capabilities make it a strong contender for API testing frameworks. By capturing and manipulating HTTP requests and responses, testers can validate the behavior of APIs without relying on third-party tools.

Key Features:

Intercept and validate HTTP requests and responses.

Mock API calls for testing edge cases.

Combine API tests with UI workflows.

This framework is especially beneficial for testers who want to integrate API validation seamlessly with UI testing.

6. Cross-Browser Testing Framework

One of Playwright’s standout features is its ability to run tests across multiple browsers and devices. A cross-browser testing framework ensures that your web application functions consistently on different platforms, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge.

Key Features:

Automated parallel testing across browsers.

Support for testing on mobile devices.

Debugging capabilities with trace viewer.

This framework is essential for teams aiming to deliver a flawless user experience, regardless of the browser or device being used.

Why Choose Playwright for Framework Development?

The Playwright automation tool offers several advantages for building testing frameworks:

Comprehensive browser support.

Easy integration with CI/CD pipelines.

Detailed reports and debugging tools.

A thriving community and active development.

For professionals enrolled in a software testing course in Chennai, Playwright serves as a modern and efficient tool to master advanced testing techniques. Its ability to handle diverse testing scenarios makes it an invaluable skill for aspiring testers and developers.

Conclusion

Playwright’s flexibility and robustness make it an ideal choice for building various types of testing frameworks. Whether you are working on end-to-end testing, component validation, or performance optimization, Playwright offers the tools and features needed to ensure quality and reliability. By leveraging the capabilities of the Playwright automation tool, testers can create sophisticated frameworks that meet the demands of modern software development. If you’re looking to upskill in this domain, consider enrolling in a software testing course in Chennai, where you can gain practical knowledge and hands-on experience with Playwright and other cutting-edge tools.

[noticiassincensura]

What is Chrome’s Manifest V3, and Why It’s Making Many Extensions Disappear

Many Chrome extensions are being disabled in the browser, no longer usable or installable. This is due to a transition within Chrome, introducing new standards that developers are now required to meet.

In short, many extensions may suddenly no longer be available in Chrome. Some of them will adapt and reappear, while others will disappear entirely. Here’s an explanation of why this is happening and what these new standards are.

What is Manifest V3 and Why Does It Remove Extensions?

Many extensions are being removed from Chrome because Google has started transitioning its browser to Manifest V3 (MV3). This is a new standard for Chrome extensions designed to improve security and performance when browsing the internet.

The Manifest is the set of rules and technical specifications developers must follow to create extensions for Google Chrome. Essentially, if you want your extension to be listed in the Chrome Web Store and available for installation, you must adhere to these rules.

However, Manifest V3 is controversial because the new rules include technical restrictions that limit the capabilities of many extensions that require advanced control over browser functions.

For instance, many ad blockers will disappear because they were developed under MV2 rules and are now incompatible with MV3. Some developers are launching alternatives like uBlock Origin Lite, which offer reduced functionality for ad filtering.

What Happens to Non-Compliant Extensions?

Google has started enforcing MV3, meaning all extensions that no longer meet these rules are now incompatible. Chrome will automatically disable them, they won’t appear as installable, and their listings will only show an option to remove them.

Unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do as a user. Your only options are to check if the developer offers a new extension that complies or look for alternative extensions that meet the requirements. For certain types of extensions, this can be a significant issue because the limitations of Manifest V3 won’t allow them to function as effectively.

Lastly, another option is to switch to an alternative browser like Brave, Vivaldi, Edge, or Opera. These are often based on Chromium, the same foundation as Chrome, so extensions remain compatible without the same restrictions.

[tyote]

net ramble

every once in a while i download a fresh browser and don't install any addons just to see what the raw internet is like, and whoo boy, it's rough out there.

this time i installed fresh google chrome since i haven't used it in forever. i played their little game and setup their built-in privacy settings, and even flipped on their ad personalization and preference switches. i raw-dogged it like that for a few hours, then installed a manifest v3-compliant ad-blocker to see how those are progressing.

impressions after a few hours:

— chrome's ad privacy options and all that jazz actually do seem to cater a lot of ads to stuff i'd actually want to see. doesn't help the websites that completely fill your screen up with ads and overlays, though.

— on that note, holy shit. banners on top of banners with videos in the corner and newsletter signup requests sliding down from the top of the screen... are there really still people who browse the web like this? when i see a site that has basic little ads in non-intrusive spaces, i almost feel bad because they're trying to do it right, and getting their ad revenue cut by the ad-blockers people always have on to cut out all the insane stuff other sites do.

— youtube is... strange. i get ads on the front page, but haven't gotten a single in-video ad yet. i don't know if there's some sort of grace period on a new install, or if they serve you less ads if you're using chrome. even after installing an ad-blocker, i left it disabled on youtube just to see how long it would be until i got an in-video ad, and still haven't gotten one after hours of auto-play in the background. for comparison, i booted up edge and got an in-video ad about three videos in. strange.

— the manifest v3 version of ublock origin (ubo lite) seems to work pretty well, even on basic settings. using it in edge, it seems to work for youtube as well, though you have to crank the slider all the way to the right and give it the extra permissions. the only thing missing is the element zapper - not sure if that will ever be doable in mv3. there seem to be less filter lists to choose from than in normal ubo, but i haven't noticed anything slipping by lite's filters. i did maybe notice some differences in cosmetic filtering (like when it removes the blank space where an ad would be) but i don't know if that's another mv3 limitation, or was just because i was mostly using the "basic" filtering setting for most sites.

*******

trailing off...

i've been using firefox for a while now and i almost hate how snappy chrome seems in comparison. i had to fiddle with about:config in firefox forever just to get scrolling to feel good, and even more to "soup it up" to the point where it was fully taking advantage of my rig. in chrome i can flip a few flags in chrome://flags and achieve similar results in less than 5 minutes.

the difference in loading times on youtube have been noticeable - i'm not sure if the conspiracy that google is slowing things down for other browsers is true, or if it's a firefox issue, or a little bit of both. i did notice a slight stutter when loading videos in edge, but it's also getting bloated as hell at this point, and still wasn't as noticeable as firefox.

digressing way off the original point of the post... it just makes me clench my fist that the only major alternative browser outside of the chromium-based monopoly still seems behind. i respect the firefox devs but man, i wish there was more real competition besides them, if for no other reason than to foster innovation through competition.

i'll likely keep using firefox on principle for the time being, but i'll be keeping an eye on how things go as the manifest v3 transition keeps going along. it's already tempting to just pick up a de-googled chromium build from woolyss, but i've already put so much time into tweaking firefox that i might as well stick with it for a bit longer.

if the best ad-blocking and privacy extensions are able to keep their efficacy as mv3 settles in... i dunno. right now, it feels like a lot of people have over-estimated the doom and gloom surrounding mv3, but we'll really just have to wait until the dust settles and see how much security and privacy is really lost once the ol' reliable extensions make the migration (or refuse to, or are unable to)