Midori: A Lightweight Open Source Web Browser

Here's a quick review of the lightweight, fast, open-source web browser Midori that has returned from the dead.
Warp Terminal

Midori is an open-source web browser that focuses on being lightweight.

If you have never heard of it, you might think of it being a new application, but, Midori was first released in 2007.

Because it focused on speed, Midori soon gathered a niche following and became the default browser in many lightweight Linux distributions like Bodhi Linux, SliTaz, elementary OS back in the day.

Its development has seen plenty of ups and downs along the years, but, the good news is that Midori back from the dead.

Recently, a new Gecko-based Midori version was released that changed the way Midori looks and feels.

That made me give Midori another chance. Allow me to show you what it features.

Features of Midori Web Browser

a screenshot of the gecko based version of midori

Here are some of the key features of the Midori browser:

  • Support for Workspaces.
  • Tabs, Windows, and Session Management.
  • Uses AstianGO as the default search engine.
  • A very customizable and extensible interface.
πŸ“‹
Trivia: Midori is a Japanese word that means green. The Midori developer is not Japanese, but the browser does have a Japanese connection thanks to Midori browser being based on the Floorp browser.

Experiencing Midori

a screenshot of the midori 11 browser showing a webpage

I have been using Midori for the past few days. The experience is mostly fine, it supports HTML5 and renders the websites quickly. The browsing experience is more or less smooth as you would expect in any standard web browser.

It had a neat little sidebar that housed all the usual browser-related options, but, with an extra WebApp feature that allowed me to use various apps such as Telegram, Mastodon, and even our news portal.

a screenshot of midori sidebar menu running a webapp

As it is a fork of Firefox, it has support for plenty of extensions from the Firefox Browser Add-Ons portal, I was able to install my favorite extensions without a fuss.

a screenshot of midori firefox extensions support

Suggested Read πŸ“–

9 Open Source Add-Ons to Improve Your Firefox Experience
Here are the best open-source add-ons for the Firefox web browser that will help you improve your browsing experience.

I could even sync the content from my Mozilla account into Midori. So, you can continue to use Firefox on mobile and Midori on the desktop.

a screenshot of midori sync support

Furthermore, Midori consumed less memory unlike Chrome, so that’s a big plus here.

Install Midori on Linux

Midori is no longer available in the Ubuntu repositories. However, the newer versions of Midori can be easily installed from the official website.

If you are using Ubuntu, you can opt for the provided DEB package.

For other Linux distributions, you can either opt for the PET package for Puppy Linux or PKG for Arch Linux.

Of course, you always have the option to compile from the source code. You can download the source code of Midori from its GitLab repo.

On a closing note, Midori has the potential to be a solid open-source Chrome alternative for Linux. I look forward to seeing how Midori progresses in the coming years.

7 Open Source Chrome Alternative Web Browsers for Linux
Google Chrome might rule the world of browsers, but you don’t need to keep using it. Here are some free and open-source web browsers for Linux.

πŸ’¬ Do you use Midori or have you ever tried it? How’s your experience with it? What other web browser do you prefer to use? Please share your views in the comment section below.

About the author
Abhishek Prakash

Abhishek Prakash

Created It's FOSS 11 years ago to share my Linux adventures. Have a Master's degree in Engineering and years of IT industry experience. Huge fan of Agatha Christie detective mysteries πŸ•΅οΈβ€β™‚οΈ

Become a Better Linux User

With the FOSS Weekly Newsletter, you learn useful Linux tips, discover applications, explore new distros and stay updated with the latest from Linux world

It's FOSS

Great! You’ve successfully signed up.

Welcome back! You've successfully signed in.

You've successfully subscribed to It's FOSS.

Success! Check your email for magic link to sign-in.

Success! Your billing info has been updated.

Your billing was not updated.