 OpenBSD desktop running xombrero 1.6.0 | |
| Original author(s) | Marco Peereboom |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Marco Peereboom,Stevan Andjelkovic,Edd Barrett,Todd T. Fries,Raphael Graf,Michal Mazurek,Josh Rickmar,David Hill |
| Initial release | May 30, 2012 (2012-05-30) |
| Final release | 1.6.4[1]  / 17 February 2015 |
| Repository | |
| Written in | C,JavaScript |
| Engine | WebKit |
| Operating system | Unix-like,Windows |
| Platform | Cross-platform |
| Size | 0.2MB |
| Available in | English |
| Type | Web browser |
| License | ISC license |
| Website | github |
xombrero (until 2012 known asxxxterm) is a discontinued[2][3]open-sourceweb browser developed with a goal to be a lightweight and secure replacement for full featured browsers likeFirefox.[4] The browser has found a niche among minimalist browsers for heavy keyboard users by balancing minimalism with usability.
xombrero is based onGTK+ 3.[5]
xombrero is based on theWebKit engine[6] and provides an ability to controlcookies,plug-ins andJavaScript policies on per-website basis. The user can define thewhitelists of trusted websites for each of those security risks.[7][8]
xombrero was designed for experiencedcommand-line interface users, so it includes the features typically requested by such an audience: mouseless browsing, noURL prefetch,vi-likeuser interface and navigation (includingcommand mode),plain text file configuration, and link hinting.[8][9][10]
xombrero provides acommand mode (designed aftervi) for entering commands for the common tasks, including tabs (buffers) switching, enteringURLs, following links and navigating through browser history and bookmarks.[6] The same functionality can be accessed withkeyboard shortcuts.
By default xombrero window contains two panels, providing the ordinary layout of a web browser window. The first one (on the top) – "fancy bar" – provides URL entry,backward,forward,stop andwhite-list toggle buttons and optional search string entry. Another panel (on the bottom) – "status bar" – reports the current URL (or page title), zoom level and position in page. With these panels enabled and amouse attached, the user may operate xombrero likeFirefox orMidori.
The development of the browser began in February 2010 under the name "xxxterm" by severalOpenBSD users specifically for that operating system.[7][11] Initially the releases of the browsers were identified byCVS revision numbers, though more common "X.Y.Z" version numbering scheme was introduced as development moved toGit.[12]
In the release announcement for version 1.11.2, Peereboom revealed the plan to rename xxxterm to xombrero, though an emergency release under the old name happened later the same day.[13][14] Later it was revealed that the version numbers for the browser under the new name would start again from 1.0.[15]
In early 2017, it appeared the project was likely to be discontinued, as xombrero depended on an old version of WebKit which had multiple security vulnerabilities, and a port to a modern version of WebKit would be difficult.[16][2] Due to these issues,[3] OpenBSD removed xombrero from its ports tree on 1 February 2017.[17]
