Bug#1142659: ITP: northstar -- new web browser with an original engine written in C

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Package: wnpp
Severity: wishlist
Owner: Andreas R=C3=B8sdal <[email protected]>
X-Debbugs-Cc: [email protected]

* Package name    : northstar
  Version         : 1.0.4
  Upstream Author : Andreas R=C3=B8sdal <[email protected]>
* URL             : https://github.com/nordstjernen-web/northstar-browser
* License         : GPL-3+
  Programming Lang: C
  Description     : minimalist GTK 4 web browser with an original engine

Northstar is a web browser written from scratch in C, with a GTK 4
user interface and a libcurl network stack. Its HTML, CSS, and
JavaScript engine is an original implementation -- it is not based on
Gecko, WebKit, or Blink. Pages render in a sandboxed renderer process
(seccomp + Landlock on Linux); the browser supports HTML5, modern CSS,
modern JavaScript (via quickjs-ng).

The engine is deliberately small and intended to be readable and
maintainable
end to end by a single person.

Website: https://nordstjernen.org/

I believe it is useful for Debian because it adds genuine browser
engine diversity: essentially every graphical browser in the archive
today is a Gecko, Blink, or WebKit derivative. Northstar is a fully
independent GPL-3+ implementation with a small footprint (a single
~8 MB binary linking only against libraries already in Debian).

The upstream build vendors two meson subprojects: lexbor (HTML/URL
parsing) and quickjs-ng (JavaScript). Debian's lexbor is at the exact
version Northstar pins (3.0.0) and I plan to support building against
the system library upstream; Debian's quickjs-ng source package
currently ships no shared library or -dev package, so that copy stays
embedded for now, statically linked. Both are documented in
debian/copyright and debian/README.source. The remaining vendored
single-file components (wuffs, pl_mpeg, minimp3, WAMR) are not
packaged in Debian.

The source code is programmed by Claude and ChatGPT Codex,
and tested and architected by me.

I am the upstream author, and the packaging is prepared and
lintian-clean (builds verified in sid and forky chroots). I intend to
maintain the package long-term and will be looking for a sponsor; an
RFS will follow once this ITP has a bug number.


Regards,
Andreas R=C3=B8sdal

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<div dir=3D"ltr">Package: wnpp<br>Severity: wishlist<br>Owner: Andreas R=C3=
=B8sdal &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">andreas.rosdal@gmai=
l.com</a>&gt;<br>X-Debbugs-Cc: <a href=3D"mailto:[email protected].=
org">[email protected]</a><br><br>* Package name =C2=A0 =C2=A0:=
 northstar<br>=C2=A0 Version =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 : 1.0.4<br>=C2=A0 =
Upstream Author : Andreas R=C3=B8sdal &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:andreas.rosdal@=
gmail.com">[email protected]</a>&gt;<br>* URL =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =
=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 : <a href=3D"https://github.com/nordstjernen-web/north=
star-browser">https://github.com/nordstjernen-web/northstar-browser</a><br>=
* License =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 : GPL-3+<br>=C2=A0 Programming Lang: =
C<br>=C2=A0 Description =C2=A0 =C2=A0 : minimalist GTK 4 web browser with a=
n original engine<br><br>Northstar is a web browser written from scratch in=
 C, with a GTK 4<br>user interface and a libcurl network stack. Its HTML, C=
SS, and<br>JavaScript engine is an original implementation -- it is not bas=
ed on<br>Gecko, WebKit, or Blink. Pages render in a sandboxed renderer proc=
ess<br>(seccomp + Landlock on Linux); the browser supports HTML5, modern CS=
S,<br><div>modern JavaScript (via quickjs-ng).</div><div><br></div><div>The=
 engine is deliberately small and intended=C2=A0to be readable and maintain=
able=C2=A0</div><div>end to end by a single person.=C2=A0</div><div><br></d=
iv><div>Website: <a href=3D"https://nordstjernen.org/">https://nordstjernen=
.org/</a></div><div><br></div>I believe it is useful for Debian because it =
adds genuine browser<br>engine diversity: essentially every graphical brows=
er in the archive<br>today is a Gecko, Blink, or WebKit derivative. Northst=
ar is a fully<br>independent GPL-3+ implementation with a small footprint (=
a single<br>~8 MB binary linking only against libraries already in Debian).=
<br><br>The upstream build vendors two meson subprojects: lexbor (HTML/URL<=
br>parsing) and quickjs-ng (JavaScript). Debian&#39;s lexbor is at the exac=
t<br>version Northstar pins (3.0.0) and I plan to support building against<=
br>the system library upstream; Debian&#39;s quickjs-ng source package<br>c=
urrently ships no shared library or -dev package, so that copy stays<br>emb=
edded for now, statically linked. Both are documented in<br>debian/copyrigh=
t and debian/README.source. The remaining vendored<br>single-file component=
s (wuffs, pl_mpeg, minimp3, WAMR) are not<br><div>packaged in Debian.</div>=
<div><br></div><div><div>The source code is programmed by Claude and ChatGP=
T Codex,</div><div>and tested and architected by me.</div></div><br>I am th=
e upstream author, and the packaging is prepared and<br>lintian-clean (buil=
ds verified in sid and forky chroots). I intend to<br>maintain the package =
long-term and will be looking for a sponsor; an<br><div>RFS will follow onc=
e this ITP has a bug number.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Regard=
s,</div><div>Andreas R=C3=B8sdal</div></div>

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