Am I the only who thinks that @brave feels different on Linux than on Windows? Not only that some icons look different and that some defaults have different settings, why is "Forgetful Browsing" disabled in the flags (brave://flags), while it's already released on Windows and Android? I checked if I'm maybe using a older version, but nope. I use the same version of Brave as on Windows.
I decided to write some thoughts about Brave and Linux.. Linux users use Firefox because it is default, Foss, not Google, private, etc.. But Brave is also Foss and private, but it is both Google and not-Google.
I like Firefox. I used it at dinosaur era when it was Netscape Navigator. It was good. But it is in the past and nowadays Firefox is absolutely different. I use it, as it is good, but I think it dies fast and I am OK if it just dies. Yeah..
Brave? I used it on a mobile and it shines, really fast and cool (but you deal with bloatwared menu). Recently installed it on my desktop and...
Pros:
Uses less ram and is faster
Syncs with mobile without account
No need for uBlock Origin
Forgetful browsing
Looks more native (yes, in Linux)
Cons:
Absolutely bad for web apps (no icons, no PiP)
Firefox color tabs ROCKS, Brave profiles is a shadow alternative.
Community
Community?
I love Firefox community and I hate Brave community.
Let's start with Brave, they are super greedy and stupid, they try to earn a couple of dollars per month using browser and killed entire discussion with rewards and bats not received problems. That's incredibly hard to discuss things, when 95% of topics about rewards and BATs not received.
Firefox community is OK, until things are about alternatives, they isolate themselves into a bubble and are fine with this chamber, they do not need any alternatives at all, things just work, no matter they are old and newer things work better.
Yes I missed one 'BIG' thing.. No. I did not and it is not big at all.
@mintycactus So thanks for writing your thoughs down, before I just write a whole text about with what I agree, I just say I agree with the most things you said, but there are just few things I see a bit different or disgagree with:
-"it is both Google and not-Google"
I have to disgagree with that one, Brave is less Google then default firefox, in fact Brave removes a lot of the trash chromium stuff which Google implemented (they made a article with on github abt it) and make zero connections to Google domains, not even Google safebrowsing.
-"I think it dies fast and I am OK if it just dies"
I totally disagree with that, I don't use Firefox as my main browser, but I like it and also the Firefox Forks which exist like LibreWolf and Waterfox, we definitly need competition in the browser scene and Firefox does a pretty good job so far, just with few major things they are killing themselve which isn't good..
-"Absolutely bad for web apps (no icons, no PiP)"
It's "okay" on Windows, idk how it is on Linux, never tried
-"Firefox color tabs ROCKS, Brave profiles is a shadow alternative."
I think this is personally preference, I actually like Brave profiles more since they fit much better into my workflow, but I would love to have smth like Firefox's isolated tabs feature on Brave. Firefox has also profiles like Chromium, is just hidden in the "about:profiles" tab which is sad, bc I think there are few people out there who actually would love to use this.
-"I love Firefox community and I hate Brave community"
I don't like both very much, except few inviduals.
-"Let’s start with Brave, they are super greedy and stupid"
Not they from the privacy community, but many of them in general, yea.
-"Firefox community is OK, until things are about alternatives, they isolate themselves into a bubble and are fine with this chamber"
The Firefox community is very toxic, if you have a different opinion as them, when you start critizing Mozilla for some bad things they have done or mention that you use Brave as ur Main Browser they start harrassing you. Some of them are also toxic over people who use forks like LibreWolf or Waterfox.
Linux always felt like a second class platform with the brave browser, that's why I don't use it, they don't even have a flatpak version, which mean I can't use it on the SteamDeck either...