Connections

Your web browser is one of your most important tools. Set yours up as a high performance portal, into the global cloud of artificial intelligence.

I’ve been using Brave for the last few months. It has been working flawlessly. Brave does not record your search history, it blocks a lot of advertising and dissents against unwarranted censorship of the Internet. They probably do a better job of interdicting criminal behavior than the companies that have been violating our universal human right to intellectual freedom.

The whole point of free and open source software is to allow for intellectual freedom and free enterprise. Our human consciousness and artificial intelligence are under assault by a satanic, criminal mafia, who thinks it ought to be able to control the thoughts, words and deeds of the people of earth. I want to live long and prosper. I dissent against tyranny of any kind.

Falkon

KDE’s Falkon is another fairly light weight browser. It’s pretty bare bones. Not a lot of bells and whistles. It seems like KDE just wants to add a browser to their suite of tools and got started and have not refined it much beyond an entry level browser, yet.

I still want to see Kontact, Kate, Kile, Knotes, Calligra, Kexi and Falkon developed into a very high performance personal information management and communications system. KDE tried to do that with the Konquerer Browser, but, when I tried it, it took control of my computer. A lot of websites would not allow it to open the website because it was based on the KDEWebkit, rather than the Chromium Webkit. Konquerer is also a terrible name. I’m interested in liberating people, not conquering anyone.

KDE Falkon is a free and open-source web browser developed by the KDE community. It is built using the QtWebEngine rendering engine, which is essentially a Chromium-based engine stripped of Google’s services, providing a de-Googled browsing experience.

Falkon offers a user interface that integrates well with KDE Plasma, providing a native look and feel. It supports themes that match the user’s system settings, making it visually consistent across different KDE environments. Falkon includes standard browser features like bookmarks, history and tabs, with the added convenience of having these options available in a sidebar.

Falkon comes with a built-in AdBlock plugin, which is active by default and includes a whitelist for DuckDuckGo. Users can manage RSS feeds directly within the browser via an included RSS reader. It offers an SSL manager for handling local CA Certificates and a Click2Flash plugin to block Flash content for security. While Falkon does not support the extension APIs of Chrome or Firefox, it has some built-in features like KWallet integration for password management and there’s support for custom extensions written in Python or QML, particularly from version 3.1 onwards.

Falkon aims to be lightweight, which means it’s less resource-intensive than browsers like Chrome or Firefox. It uses the QtWebEngine, ensuring good compatibility with modern websites due to its Chromium base. However, the version of QtWebEngine might lag behind the latest Chromium release, potentially affecting very new web standards or features. Despite this, it’s noted for its performance and browser compatibility.

Users can customize aspects like font settings for websites, manage cookies and even use custom CSS or JavaScript to modify how websites are displayed.

Falkon is available on multiple platforms including Linux (where it can be installed via package managers like Discover, Snap, or Flatpak), Windows and even has a portable version. This extends its reach beyond traditional KDE environments.

As part of KDE, Falkon benefits from community involvement, with ongoing updates and bug fixes. Recent versions have introduced features like screen capturing, an internal PDF viewer and better plugin support, reflecting active development.

KDE Falkon functions as a fast, lightweight browser with a focus on integration with KDE environments, offering privacy features, ad-blocking and basic but essential browsing capabilities, supported by an active community of developers.

Qutebrowser

QuteBrowser is another very interesting browser. It uses the Vim key bindings. Learn how to use Neovim, with NvimTree and Qutebrowser. Explore and set up your home made Integrated Development Environment with WezTerm, Zsh, Neovim and QuteBrowser all running as a set of tools you run in your terminal. WezTerm has multiplexor features built into it, so there is no need to use Tmux.

When you open Qutebrowser from the terminal, it opens a new window with Qutebrowser in it, rather than opening it in the shell. I haven’t really used it a lot, so I’ll have to start experimenting with it to get more information about how it works. I remember, from when I first tried it out a year or two ago, that it is an entirely different interface than any other browser I’ve used.

Qutebrowser feels exactly like Vim, when I first started using it. I have no idea what to do. It is controlled by the keyboard, not the mouse. Get your C, C++, Rust, Lua, QML and JavaScript libraries installed. Clone one of these KDE applications into your local development environment and start using WezTerm, Zsh, Neovim, fzf, telescope and Qutebrowser to work on improving it.

Qutebrowser is an open-source, keyboard-centric web browser that draws its inspiration from the philosophy of minimalism and the efficiency of Vim-style keybindings. Developed by Florian Bruhin, qutebrowser aims to offer a fast, lightweight, and distraction-free browsing experience. It’s built with Python and uses QtWebEngine (based on Chromium) for rendering web content, making it compatible with modern web standards while maintaining a unique interface.

At its core, qutebrowser is designed for keyboard navigation. Almost every action, from opening new tabs to navigating through pages, can be performed with key combinations, reducing the need for mouse interaction.

It adopts Vim-like keybindings, where ‘h’, ‘j’, ‘k’, ‘l’ move the cursor (or scroll) left, down, up, and right respectively. Commands start with ‘:’ similar to Vim’s command mode, providing a familiar environment for Vim users.

Qutebrowser supports ad blocking natively through a configuration file where users can specify adblock lists to use, like those from EasyList, enhancing both privacy and loading speed.

Users can extensively customize qutebrowser via its configuration file, .qutebrowser/config.py. This includes setting up keybindings, configuring the appearance, managing scripts and more.

The interface is extremely minimal, focusing on content rather than chrome. There’s no toolbar by default, and even the tab bar can be hidden, making for a very uncluttered view.

While not as privacy-focused as some browsers built from the ground up for privacy, qutebrowser does offer features like private browsing, ad blocking and the ability to manually manage cookies and scripts.

Qutebrowser supports userscripts, which are JavaScript files that run in the browser context, allowing for automation or additional functionality similar to browser extensions but with less overhead.

How Qutebrowser Works:

Qutebrowser leverages QtWebEngine, which is essentially Chromium’s Blink engine wrapped in Qt, ensuring compatibility with modern websites while maintaining a lightweight footprint due to efficient Python bindings.

Users interact with qutebrowser primarily through a command line at the bottom of the screen, where commands like :open google.com or :tab-next are entered. This command system is extensible, allowing users to define their own shortcuts or scripts.

Tabs are managed through commands or keybindings. Users can quickly switch tabs, close them or open new ones with predefined shortcuts, enhancing productivity.

All settings are managed in a Python configuration file, enabling users to tweak every aspect of the browser’s behavior. This includes setting up custom key mappings, modifying the look with stylesheets or defining how external applications should handle links.

One of the standout features is ‘hint mode’, where elements on a webpage (like links or input fields) are overlaid with unique labels. Typing the label focuses or opens the corresponding element, providing a non-mouse navigation method.

Users can write or use community-developed scripts to automate tasks, manipulate page content or integrate with external services, all done through the browser’s command interface.

While qutebrowser benefits from Chromium’s security features via QtWebEngine, its security model also includes user-defined rules for scripts, cookies and network requests, offering a layer of user control over privacy and security.

Qutebrowser is ideal for users who prefer keyboard-driven interfaces, those who value productivity through minimalism or anyone looking to customize their browsing experience deeply. It’s particularly popular among developers, power users or anyone familiar with Vim, who can leverage their existing knowledge for efficient browsing.

Qutebrowser represents a significant departure from conventional browsers by offering a highly customizable, efficient and focused browsing experience. Its emphasis on keyboard control and minimalism might not appeal to everyone, but for those who align with its philosophy, it provides an unparalleled level of control over one’s web experience.

Browsing

Brave is a browser and a search engine. It is designed to ensure your privacy and your freedom to search for whatever you want to search for. Brave blocks a lot of advertising and censorship. I don’t mind advertising. I abhor advertising popping up in the middle of a story I’m reading.

Using KatePart to build a state of the art communication system, based on Kontact, Kate, Falkon and Calligra is another big project. I suppose that is what KDE Plasma is. Its an adventure. A complicated puzzle of complicated puzzles. Start working on making each application, such as Kontact, Falkon and Kate, really high performance tools. Then, work on assembling them all into one powerful desktop super computer.

You decide whether you want to use the Alacritty/Zsh/Tmux/Vim strategy or the Konsole, KDevelop, Kate, Falkon strategy or WezTerm, Zsh, Neovim, NvimTree. You work on the Alacritty system in your terminal. You work on the Konsole strategy in the graphical tools that KDE is building. The Alacritty strategy is going to take longer to learn, but will run a lot faster, because of Alacritty running in the GPU. Using the Konsole strategy will end up in a much more end user friendly, graphical user interface. Wezterm is my latest favorite terminal.

I’m switching to the Wezterm, Zsh, Neovim, TeXstudio/LuaTeX set of tools. Installing the vimtex plugin for Neovim will enable me to write LaTeX in Neovim. KDE Plasma’s multiple work spaces makes it easy to switch back and forth between the terminal and my graphical tools.

They are all good projects. Select your favorite tools and focus on learning one system very well. Once you do get a good start learning one system, you can look at other options. These tools are like modules that you can plug in to your local development environment to help make you a high performance computer programmer.

Brave Browser and Search Engine

I’ve been using Brave for at least a year or two now and it is working great. It was involved in interfering with updating KDE Neon. I recently switched to Pop!_OS because, I like the made in the USA concept. The first thing I noticed is that Firefox is jammed full of advertising. I could barely find the information I was searching for. Advertisements often pop-up right in the middle of the content I am viewing. It is insanely irritating. I quickly installed Brave and am enjoying mostly add-free searching.

Brave is a free, open-source web browser developed by Brave Software, Inc., with a focus on privacy, security and speed. Launched in 2016 under the direction of Brendan Eich, the creator of JavaScript and co-founder of Mozilla, Brave aims to redefine the web experience by prioritizing user privacy while offering innovative features.

Brave includes built-in ad and tracker blocking features, known as Brave Shields, which are active by default. This significantly speeds up page loading times, reduces data usage and protects user privacy by preventing third-party tracking.

The browser does not track users, utilizing HTTPS Everywhere for secure connections, and offers a private browsing mode with Tor integration, enhancing anonymity.

Brave introduces a unique ad system where users can opt into seeing privacy-respecting ads to earn Basic Attention Tokens (BAT), which can be used to support content creators or converted into other cryptocurrencies or gift cards. Integrated crypto wallet for managing digital assets like Ethereum, Solana, and more, directly within the browser, without the need for extensions.

By blocking ads and trackers, Brave claims to offer up to 3x faster browsing compared to other browsers. While Brave is based on Chromium, it supports Chrome extensions, offering a familiar environment for users transitioning from Chrome, but with enhanced privacy controls.

How Brave Browser Works:

Brave uses Chromium’s Blink rendering engine for desktop and WebKit for iOS, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of web technologies while adding its own privacy layers.

Brave’s ad platform replaces blocked ads with its own ads, sharing revenue with users and content creators, which is a significant departure from traditional ad models.

The interface is user-friendly, with easy access to privacy settings through a shield icon in the URL bar, allowing users to adjust how aggressive the blocking should be for each site.

Users can sync bookmarks, history, and settings across devices, but Brave emphasizes that this is done in a privacy-preserving manner, with data encryption.

Brave Search is a privacy-focused search engine developed by Brave Software, introduced as a public beta in March 2021. It aims to provide search results independent of Big Tech while prioritizing user privacy.

Brave Search uses its own index for results but can optionally fallback to Google for queries it can’t serve well, with user consent. This independence is shown via a “search results independence” metric.

No tracking or profiling of users; searches are anonymous, and no personal data is collected. Goggles are a unique feature allowing users or communities to apply custom filters or rules to search results, providing personalized or unbiased search experiences.

Brave integrates discussions from platforms like Reddit into search results, offering community insights on topics. An ad-free option where users can support Brave Search directly, which doesn’t collect user data by default.

How Brave Search Works

The search engine builds its index through the Web Discovery Project, where users can opt-in to contribute anonymous data to improve results without compromising privacy.

Brave uses its own algorithms to rank results but also incorporates community feedback through Goggles to mitigate bias in search results. When Brave Search can’t provide sufficient results from its index, it can check Google anonymously, blending in these results but always aiming to increase its independence.

Unlike traditional search engines, Brave Search ads are privacy-preserving; they don’t track users. The engine is also looking to expand its ad ecosystem to reward users for viewing ads, similar to the Brave browser’s model.

Brave Search is the default search engine for new users in several countries when using the Brave Browser, completely replacing Google, Bing or other engines in some regions. Users can easily switch or set their preferred search engine in Brave’s settings.

Both Brave Browser and Brave Search Engine work in tandem to offer a comprehensive, privacy-first web experience. By redefining how ads, data and search results are handled, Brave challenges the status quo, providing users with control over their digital footprint while still delivering a robust, high-quality browsing and searching experience.