What is the status of the QtWeb View in the current Sailfish 3 release?
asked 2018-12-29 12:16:28 +0300
The default web browser uses an outdated rendering engine, that doesn't support most of new web apps any more. For example I can't aceess my proteced emails with Tutanota any more. I also can't install the Android app of Tutanota, because it requires a higher API than 4.4 KitKat.
Jolla announced, that the Qt version will be updated and this might imply a new rendering engine. Tutanota is interested to provide a Sailfish app and aseked me for the status of the technical status of Sailfish, because an up to date web view is a mandatory requirement.
Unfortunately the alternative web browsers in Jolla Harbor or Openrepos aren't using a modern rendering engine either. It's only possible to install Firefox for Android with Fdroid or any other Store or side loading. But I think a second browser is not a satisfying solution.
Qt 5.9 is still not available. There's already a branch for QtWebEngine 5.9 on Mer. No details yet if it will be released.
Dylan Van Assche ( 2018-12-29 12:38:45 +0300 )editthere is also a work in progress to compile QTWebEngine 5.6 on mer. shame that Jolla does not seem to prioritize those efforts
yorambh ( 2018-12-29 13:04:34 +0300 )editIndeed, this should be prioritized! They are working on ESR 45 for the native Browser but it's still way out of date.
Dylan Van Assche ( 2018-12-29 13:27:22 +0300 )editThanks I may ask Jolla for their timeline at the next opportunity. I might be a stupid question: If an app uses Qt Web View in QML and the operation system updates the Qt version and rendering engine, are the capabilities implicitly updated? I think Qt as a high level programming language is a wrapper for the system's rendering engine. I'm afraid, that the default Sailfish browser uses something else than the Qt Web View, but at least the other avialable browsers for Sailfish might work for modern web apps as soon the system is updated.
jsommer ( 2018-12-29 17:44:05 +0300 )editthe qml object for QtWebkit is mot the same as for QtWebEngine, so implicit upgrade will not work... BTW Qt is a framework, not a language.
yorambh ( 2018-12-29 18:57:42 +0300 )edit