On Thursday, the Linux Foundation announced a new fund aimed at supporting and organizing open projects focused on building Chromium-based browsers. They’re welcoming new members to the Supporters of Chromium-Based Browsers group.
Jim Zemlin, executive director of the Linux Foundation, stated, “With the launch of the Supporters of Chromium-Based Browsers, we are taking another step forward in empowering the open source community.” He emphasized that this initiative will provide essential funding and development support for various projects in the Chromium ecosystem.
Browsers like Arc, Microsoft Edge, and Opera utilize Google’s Chromium as their core infrastructure. If you’re interested in collaborating, the Linux Foundation is open to applications from potential partners.
So, what exactly is the Supporters of Chromium-Based Browsers group? Its main goal is to create a neutral environment where industry leaders, academics, developers, and the wider open source community can collaborate to support Chromium-related projects. The Linux Foundation wants to break down barriers that hinder innovation and ensure resources flow to projects that need them.
Big names like Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Opera back this initiative. They envision it as a “neutral space” for collaboration among various stakeholders in the tech community.
The Linux Foundation clarified that this announcement won’t change any existing Chromium products. Instead, the Supporters of Chromium-Based Browsers will be a new entity under the foundation, governed transparently and openly. A dedicated technical advisory committee will guide the group’s efforts, aligning them with the broader needs of the Chromium community.
Meghan Perez, vice president of Microsoft Edge, expressed that this initiative resonates with their commitment to improving the web through collaborative engineering and community partnerships.
Parisa Tabriz, vice president of Chrome, highlighted the importance of this initiative for creating a sustainable platform that fosters growth and innovation within the Chromium ecosystem.
Chromium debuted in 2008 alongside Google’s proprietary Chrome browser as an open-source framework. This new initiative comes shortly after the U.S. government directed Google to divest from Chrome to avoid monopolistic practices. While not directly linked to that order, this initiative provides some framework for the future of Chromium.
Google remains a major contributor to Chromium, accounting for about 94% of contributions. Other contributors, like the cooperative Igalia, are far behind. Google has no plans to lessen its investment in Chromium but welcomes increased contributions from others. Their ongoing support includes managing extensive server operations and addressing numerous bugs daily.
