Google Chrome Dumps WinHTTP, Linux Version Inevitable

The preview (alpha) version of Google’s browser, Chrome, was released last week with a number of new features including an update to the V8 Javascript engine, form autocomplete, and experimental user script support that they are calling “similar to Greasemonkey.”¹ But probably the most interesting item of note is that the development team has rolled their own HTTP stack.

New network code. Google Chrome now has its own implementation of the HTTP network protocol (we were using the WinHTTP library on Windows, but need common code for Mac and Linux). We fixed a few bugs in HTTP authentication and made Google Chrome more compatible with servers that reply with invalid HTTP responses. We need feedback on anything that’s currently broken, particularly with proxy servers, secure (https) sites, and sites that require log in.

WinHTTP was the last item binding Chrome to Windows. With that gone, so go any barriers to Google releasing a version of Chrome for Mac and Linux.² While a working version of the browser is not yet available for either operating system, it’s only a matter of time now. You can check out the source for the Linux version Google Code

Read the release notes for version 2.0.

¹ From the little that I’ve used Chrome, I’ve found it to be pretty slick but, honestly, I can’t imagine using a browser on a daily basis without Greasemonkey (and the slew of scripts I rely on). So even when Chrome is released for Linux, I’m still going to probably be sticking with Firefox for anything I would consider “work.”

² If you can’t wait that long, the truly brave can run the current stable version of Chrome under Wine.