WOW! - Leopard Webkit

[FBz]

Finally found a good use for my 5,5 / 17” PowerBook G4… installed OS 10.5.1 (Leopard) on an eMac 1.5 GHz via FireWire Disk Mode and then updated to OS 10.5.8. Haven’t attempted the OS 9 install on the eMac yet - but the lackluster performance of Leopard’s version of Safari led me to try TenFourFox browser. Better… but no cigar.

Now, for you G4 PPC dual-boot fiends… I then installed Leopard WebKit (604.5.6_2) from https://sourceforge.net/projects/leopard-webkit/ and what a difference - even via a measley WiFi connection! Some of the downstairs dual-boot MDDs and Quicksilvers in the “OS 9 Lair” will undergo this Leopard OS upgrade… along with the Leopard WebKit transformation and this newer (upstairs) iMac will get a little rest. Might not be as quick as this newer iMac - but no longer will I need to run up and down the stairs when attempting to remember or troubleshoot OS 9 hardware / software issues.



For an alternative browser solution on Leopard-capable machines - and especially as an adjunct for OS 9 & OS X dual-booters... I am definitely impressed.

[IIO]

and safari 5 for PPC please

[FBz]

and safari 5 for PPC please

You bet!
By the time one gets Leopard (not Snow Leopard) fully updated to OS 10.5.8…
                                                                    Safari (for Leopard) is version 5.0.3.

OSX and windows are utilities to me,
utilities which can extend the functionality of OS9,
...but never replace it.

Also owe a nod to Greystash for his report on testing of Leopard WebKit last year.
(I do eventually get around to things.) Thanks!

[Greystash]

Well thanks for finding it in the first place FBz! It's better than any other browser I've used on Leopard. Still in use on the QuickSilver 

[macarone]

>By the time one gets Leopard (not Snow Leopard) fully updated to OS 10.5.8…
              Safari (for Leopard) is version 5.0.3.

Not sure if a version 5.0.4 ever existed for PPC, but

Safari versions 5.0.5 and 5.0.6 were released as Universal Binary (PPC and Intel) for Leopard.

WebKit updates both of these, so they are no longer worth bothering with.

[FBz]

“…so they are no longer worth bothering with.”

Well actually, Leopard WebKit requires some resident version of Apple Safari in order to *function and it might as well be the latest / last version of Safari offered by Apple for Leopard. In this case, Safari 5.0.6 (which is still available from Apple via Leopard software updates). I did perform the last updates for 10.5.8 this morning - which included Safari 5.0.6 and to test the above *fact, I placed Safari 5.0.6 in the trash and attempted to open WebKit.

No dice. Dialog box noted no necessary Safari app resident. So back out of the trash it came.

Table of Safari 5 - Versions History / from Wikipedia (image below).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safari_version_history#Safari_5

I did compare performance of Safari 5.0.6 alone, against Leopard WebKit and found it to again be severely lacking. YouTube wouldn’t load or very limited slow-load, compared to WebKit. AND there were other shortcomings as well. Suffice it to say, WebKit beats Safari hands-down. (Und no more TenFourFox here.)

Safari 5.0.6 (6-20-2011) vs. Leopard WebKit (10-08-2018).

In the meantime, I again strongly suggest, that those who might have simply accepted (or those that have completely avoided browsing altogether - using the later G4’s with the much “lesser-performing” available browser options)… NOW try Leopard WebKit with OS 10.5.8. (Especially in dual boot Quicksilvers and MDD’s.)

•Do all of the Apple OS 10.5.8 updates first and then download Leopard WebKit from the SourceForge link provided above. Follow the simple install instructions and once again, quite surprisingly... enjoy browsing with Quicksilvers and MDD’s.

No more searching, downloading and then transferring needed files from a newer machine to the G4 - when I can simply boot into Leopard and easily then transfer files to OS 9... on the same machine.

...and then there's also the dual-boot Mac Mini to consider!
¡Ay, caramba!