Lobo [download] is an open source web browser that is written completely in Java.
Lobo is being actively developed with the aim to fully support HTML 4, Javascript and CSS2. Lobo also supports direct JavaFX rendering.
The general goal of the Lobo browser effort is to produce a browser that is fast, complete, easy to extend, feature-rich and secure.
Download
Please visit our download page to obtain the recommended version of Lobo installer, or the SourceForge download area of this project to obtain other released versions of the browser, and ZIP-packaged distributions.Why a Pure Java Browser?
There are a number of advantages to be derived from a browser that is written in Java as opposed to a language compiled into native code, namely:- Security.- In principle, a Java program is less suceptible to certain types of vulnerabilities such as a buffer overflow attack. Java's security model can also allow web content to have access to a complex set of APIs, except in a controlled sandbox.
- Extensibility.- A Java-based application can be extended via powerful cross-platform plugins. Consider the difference this has made for Java software such as jEdit and Eclipse. (Lobo already has a plugin API).
- New paradigms.- With the help of Java we can implement new powerful cross-platform and secure mechanisms to represent web content. As of version 0.98, JavaFX and Java are first-class citizens in Lobo, on par with HTML.
- Portability.- This is the obvious advantage of a pure Java application.
