this post was submitted on 06 Apr 2024
115 points (95.3% liked)
Linux
47958 readers
1479 users here now
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
Rules
- Posts must be relevant to operating systems running the Linux kernel. GNU/Linux or otherwise.
- No misinformation
- No NSFW content
- No hate speech, bigotry, etc
Related Communities
Community icon by Alpár-Etele Méder, licensed under CC BY 3.0
founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
Alternative for what? I never used electron apps and I don't see any reason for that. If you are a developer, try Qt.
Qt and Electron are different technologies that achieve somewhat different goals
Yet the telegram client is written in Qt and has great cross-platform support.
They have like 3 different, official codebases and clients (and so many 3rd party ones) for so many platforms. No other app I know of is like that, not really a great example imo
Yes.
No.
You can't get a website working as a "native" application with Qt, which is exactly what is Electron's goal.
Which is why Electron reminds me of a little kid who's just done some extremely difficult but utterlly pointless thing.
Websites belong in a browser. If it doesn't work in any random standards-compliant browser, then you should be delivering it as a true native application, not some horrific fiji-mermaid-esque hybrid.
You are talking as if all people can make a native app with the same knowledge and amount of effort as it would take to develop a website.
Sometimes, web developers would want to go further with their app and deliever "native" functionality. Sometimes, a person wants to build an app but only happens to know how to build a website.
It's a much more complicated matter than just some idiots deciding "let's build an utterly pointless thing and then let other idiots build horrific fiji-mermaid-esque hybrids!!".
https://asylum.madhouse-project.org/blog/2018/10/26/Walking-in-my-shoes/
Generally, my view is if it's an electron app it's going to be a crap user experience.
No, not all people can't do that, but I think they should learn. It will lead to better results. Or are you saying that web developers are inherently incapable of developing native applications?
Honestly it varies a lot. I’m the kind of user that would rather have self contained apps (even if electron) whenever possible instead of new browser tabs/windows. So unless a electron app is notoriously bad, I’d rather have it avilable than not
Sometimes raising the barrier to entry is a good thing.
Many Electron applications I've run across don't make even a try at loading system settings. For me, that causes accessibility issues related to photosensitivity. For some reason, feeling like I've been stabbed in the eyeball when I try to open a program does not endear me to it or its framework.
No application at all is actually better than something built on Electron, as far as I'm concerned, because then there's a chance that someone, somewhere, might fill in the gap with software I can actually use.
Electron needs to either actually provide the basics of native functionality, or go away.
Then they shouldn't! Just give users website and be done with it.
Now you can even allow websites work offline and install them "like" an app with proper manifest.
There is a browser working natively in any system. I don't see any point in bundling a web app together with a browser and calling it a "native" app. The only difference is that you have no address bar in that case.
I've just tried Qt based matrix client. Compared to Electron based Element.
It's nice, snappy, beautiful, and eats WAY less RAM. But it lacks lot of feature. That's sad.