WPE for busy people
@briankardell
Especially if this "isn't your thing"
What is WPE?
Webkit (Port) for Embedded
legit.
Thank you for attending my TED Talk.
Some clarification of terminology...
"Embedded Browser"
"The button for the internet"
Web Browser
window
tabs
URL/Search
nav
bookmarks
menus
history
etc
"The Chrome" (app shell)
Safari (iOS/Mac)
Epiphany (Linux)
Popular Webkit-based Browsers
Webkit itself isn't a browser....
It's a big part of the stuff those are made of.
"Webkit-based"
WPE: Webkit-based,
none of that
JavaScript Core
A Primer for Busy People
Webkit
Webkit in 10 Seconds
You can't run this.
Think about it like this...
Web Renderers
(WebViews)
Webkit
OS Implementations
A Primer for Busy People
Webkit in 10 Seconds
This Part
Browser
"Chrome" & Internals
OS Implementations
Webkit
A Primer for Busy People
Webkit in 10 Seconds
Lots of stuff uses those bottom parts that isn't just 'browsers'...
Embedded
...basically, launched from the command line, or a shell script or something
"Embedded Browser Web Renderer Thing"
Backend (Wayland/etc)
Webkit
Launcher (COG)
Not entirely accurate, but close enough for jazz...
Why is WPE?
Open Source, Standards
and
The Commons
Web technologies
are pretty good a lot of hard things...
Shared Investment.
Re-using those solutions means an expanded commons
Things you can build without IP or licensing issues
With an incredibly big pool of people
who can do the work
This work has a phenomenally a stable
'basic' codebase/core
(standards are forever*)
Easier integration with new and bigger ideas!
Online UI can be the same as embedded, it's decoupled:
- The UI used to control your device could, in theory also come from your phone.
- Updating content could be as simple as hitting a URL
- You can share bits of design and implementation
There is a ton of content already available.
But embedded devices are typically
wildy underpowered compared to other uses.
And so...
Used on millions of devices.
Still pretty tricky, tbh.
Here's where it gets a little tricky...
Backend (Wayland/etc)
Webkit Port
.?OS?.
A WPE Image for specific hardware
Launcher (COG)
My experience...
Currently a little unfortunate for our marketing and teams.
Lol.
My computer is a brick.
ehh.. now what?
> sudo something
These are not the things I had
questions about....
Web devs who are curious
Have a Pi
Comfortable
Building WPE/OS
Exceptionally small anecdotal survey...
Can I use?
First implementation in 2011
Landed in Webkit in 2019
Is it in WPE?
URLs?
What does this mean to... uhm.... everything?
https://
Powerful features
Server?
Protocol?
Patterns?
What frameworks work better or worse?
Tips/architectures?
Unlock developers,
let the explore the space,
they will help.
Other successful things excel at this ...
They sell themselves.
The Web, for example.
Or the entire electrical industry...
Basically, everything
is about the adjacent possible.
So, we're working on this...
Boot up a device with content
Communicate with servers when you can
Potentially Update Content
Seems like this would be a common idea?
Also: Google proposal for
'the most basic problem'
WPE for busy people
By Brian Kardell
