1mo ago

Could the Mull browser be continued under the Librewolf project?

codeberg.org Mull is dead, fast LibreWolf Android build possible?

On https://divestos.org/pages/news, Tavi has announced that Mull, the widely used Firefox with Arkenfox fork for Android, is discontinued. If at all possible, it would be of great value for many if LibreWolf were to pick up where Mull left off. Everything concerning the build process and th...

Update: switch to Ironfox, the maintainer is legit and the app is now even on Accrescent.

The DivestOS developer Tavi has stopped his work on the project and all apps.

Thanks a lot for your great efforts! I have used Mull, Mulch, Carrion and Hypatia and they were all great.

Now we are looking for a future of the Mull browser, while the other software projects are also important for sure.

What is absolutely important: Donate!

to codeberg
to Itguillaume
donate your time to fix open issues

22 comments

I don't think it is realistic for other projects to step in and reproduce or take on a project that has closed.
It really needs new people to step up and take over the projects that that have closed. FOSS is stretched as it is. Of course ask the question, but Divest OS has a community of people who used it - is there no one in that community who can step in?
The whole divestos thing shows the problems with single person or small projects - they're great while they last but people are 100% dependent on that one person to continue. That is a lot of pressure to produce on that one person, but also it is concerning if a popular project fails to grow beyond that one person into a sustainable project particularly over 10 years. That suggests either the person is not able to work with other people or unwilling to let go of control, or the community is not stepping up to help, or a mix of all these things?
There may be other factors too, but an entire security focused project dependent on one person is inherently insecure and unstable. When people are making choices around security I'd suggest an important one is who is running a project and his sustainable is it. Because it's a big ask to keep an OS secure.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bus_factor
- Yes totally and I also want to contribute. But it would make a lot of sense to have it as "librewolf android", with one organization.
  They track the same things often, for example hardening/user.js changes.
  The build system is already done, just needs to be automated somewhere. I think they were both built on codeberg, not sure as divestOS also has a Github repo.
  
  If we all donates we could get a full time person to help out. It would take a lot of money but it isn't impossible.
- I could try to take over but the problem is that I know enough to be dangerous. Chances are I would screw something up which would lead to a major security problem.

You can still use Fennec : https://f-droid.org/repo/org.mozilla.fennec_fdroid_1330320.apk
- How do I overwrite the user.js
  
  There's an issue in betterfox on github that explains how to do it over adb, I did it this morning with all of the mull settings
- True that might actually be better than what I did, switching to Firefox Beta.
  I customize the about:config currently, but there is more to it. Fennec is also not a good replacement but a start.

Man, now there's no ungoogled Chromium, AND no mulch :( if anyone has replacement suggestions I'd appreciate it
I used it as my secondary chromium based browser for compatibility when something was broken in fennec. Ungoogled chromium was really ideal for me :/
- There is Cromite, a Bromite fork. Which I am not sure that counts as ungoogled Chromium for you, as I am not currently using any Chrome-based browser.
  
  ~~Kind of unfortunate it doesn't look like its released on f-froid, I guess I need to go set obtainium back up~~
  They have a repo!
  Thank you for the recommendation!
- I was using mulch on one of my old phone . I don't use it that much but mulch was the only browser that it could run.
  
  Thats a real shame :/
- I see no webview anymore, mulch was the last one I am aware of.

What Firefox sync compatible browser are people switching to now? I would use something like Vanadium but i want to sync with my desktop browser with firefox sync.
- I switched to Fennec and flipped some switches in the about:config. It is okay for some time