Forum Discussion
could you make a version of edge for debian and also manjaro could it be compiled as tar file and is
paulstechtips I tried to post this as an update to my prior comment, but it isn't posting for some reason, so I'll post it as an independent reply:
UPDATE 2020.09.23 2:24 CST:
The Top Feedback Summary for 2020.09.23 now lists Edge for Linux as "Planned for October" and also has the following information:
"As you may have heard yesterday https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2020/09/22/whats-new-in-web-experiences-ignite-2020-need-to-secure-your-remote-workers-choose-microsoft-edge-as-your-browser-for-business/, we’re excited to announce that the Dev channel for Edge on Linux will be available next month! We are updating Make Edge available on Linux from Planned to Planned for October.
"We’ve had questions about the distribution for Linux once it’s available. For the initial launch, we are supporting Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, and OpenSUSE. Starting next month, you will be able to download and install both .deb and .rpm packages from our https://microsoftedgeinsider.com/.
"We’re sure you’re curious about what is available with this version of Edge! While we are working to ensure that every feature in our Windows and Mac Dev channels is available in our Linux version, there are a few features that will not be available at launch. Sync (and its related services), read aloud, and differential updates will not be available immediately with Edge on Linux. We are working hard to bring these to users as quickly as possible, while also ensuring it’s done right. Once we know these changes are implemented, you will see them mentioned in Josh’s summary posts. Additionally, if any of this changes before we launch, we will work to ensure y’all are notified."
Note that the Edge Linux version released for testing will not sync and that only Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, and OpenSUSE distros (deb and rpm) will be initially supported. No word on whether or not Microsoft plans to support eopkg, Snap or Flatpak at any point in the future.
I will not be able to test the browser until the browser is released in one of eopkg, Snap or Flatpak, but if and when one or more of those packages are supported, I'll install and test.
Good luck with your testing, paulstechtips . I hope that we'll hear from you and others in the Linux community who are able to test.
HotCakeX "Everyone is able to test, just grab a Linux distro and install it on a VM."
It isn't that simple. According to Microsoft's messaging about the pending release, quoted above, Edge installation will be supported at this time only for a small number of major commercial distros (Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, and OpenSUSE) and other distros that support either deb (Debian/Ubuntu) or rpm (RedHat) package managers. Quite a few distros do, others (e.g. Arch-based distros, Solus, Clear Linux and so on) don't.
I guess if anyone wants to install a distro in a VM just to test Edge (I don't see the point of doing that, myself), I'd suggest Ubuntu, which is directly supported for Edge testing, doesn't require much if any configuration to use otherwise, and is backed up by extensive, accessible support forums.
- I didn't talk about simplicity. those distros are popular and VM hypervisors built in and also free from 3rd party. so again, Everyone is able to test, just grab a Linux distro and install it on a VM.
no need for a certain community to do the testing.HotCakeX "I didn't talk about simplicity. those distros are popular and VM hypervisors built in and also free from 3rd party. so again, Everyone is able to test, just grab a Linux distro and install it on a VM. [N]o need for a certain community to do the testing."
It is certainly the case that anyone can toss up a VM with a supported Linux distro installed and test Edge on that distro. Testers who elect that route need to be aware that a number of popular distros (e.g. Manjaro, Solus and so on) are neither directly supported nor directly compatible with deb or rpm, and should avoid trying to test on those distros.
But what is the point of encouraging people who don't use Linux to test Edge in a VM using a distro with which they aren't familiar and (probably) know little about? It seems to me that little will be learned except what Microsoft must (should, anyway) already know -- Edge can be installed on this-or-that distro, functions acceptably in a general sense, and is missing this-or-that feature/function. The point of having Edge tested by Linux users (rather than casual VM testing by non-users) is to move beyond superficial testing into actual use cases in actual, real-world Linux installations.
It looks like Microsoft is working with Canonical, RedHat, SUSE Software Solutions and others to test Edge within the commercial segment of the Linux market, which seems to be Microsoft's target for Edge and Linux support in general (e.g. WSL2, which works off a Microsoft-developed version of the Linux kernel, and a limited array of WSL2-supported distros -- Debian, Kali, Ubuntu, SUSE). Microsoft support for Linux seems to be clearly focused on Enterprise customers and developers rather than end users. Whether or not that is the case, Edge is probably getting sufficient testing from within the commercial Linux community to obviate the need for casual testing by Linux non-users.
Looking beyond speculation/theory and into the real world for a moment, the answer to paulstechtips questions seem to be, at this point, (1) Microsoft will be directly supporting Debian in October, (2) Microsoft will not be supporting Manjaro (an Arch-based distro using pamac) at that time, and (3) Edge, like Chrome, is built on open source Chromium Project code but is not itself open source.
I think that I've said about all I have to say on the subject. I hope that you will enjoy your testing.