Midori Web browser

🧬 Origins and Early Development (2007–2015)

Launch: Midori was first released on December 16, 2007, by Christian Dywan.

Technology Stack: Initially built using C and GTK2, Midori utilized the WebKitGTK rendering engine.

Integration with Desktop Environments: It became a default browser in several Linux distributions, including elementary OS (versions “Freya” and “Luna”), Bodhi Linux, and SliTaz Linux.

Design Philosophy: Emphasized speed, minimalism, and low resource consumption, aligning with the Xfce desktop environment’s principles.

Performance: Achieved a score of 405/555 on the HTML5 test in March 2014.

🔄 Transition to Chromium and Astian Foundation Acquisition (2015–2019)

Shift to Chromium: In 2015, Midori transitioned to using the Chromium engine, leading to a more modern browsing experience.

Astian Foundation Acquisition: In 2019, the Midori project was acquired by the Astian Foundation, which further developed the browser under the Astian brand.

Electron Framework: During this period, Midori was restructured using the Electron framework, incorporating Blink as the rendering engine.

🔄 Rebirth with Gecko Engine (2023–Present)

Rebased on Gecko: In 2023, Midori underwent a significant transformation by adopting the Gecko engine, aligning it more closely with Firefox’s architecture.

Version 11.0: The first major release under this new architecture was Midori 11.0, introduced in November 2023.

Cross-Platform Availability: Midori is now available on Windows, Linux, macOS, and Android platforms.

Privacy Features: The browser includes integrated privacy tools, such as AstianVPN, a built-in VPN service launched in February 2025.

Apple Ecosystem Integration: In March 2025, Midori 11.5.1 was released for macOS, with plans to extend support to iPhone and iPad.

🔧 Key Features

Web Standards Compliance: Supports modern web standards, including HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript.

User Interface: Offers a clean and customizable interface with features like tab management, session restoration, and a sidebar for quick access to bookmarks and history.

Privacy and Security: Built-in tools like AstianVPN and ad-blocking capabilities enhance user privacy.

Synchronization: Allows synchronization of bookmarks, history, and settings across devices.

Web Applications: Supports integration with web applications, enabling users to add them to the desktop environment.

📈 Reception

Performance: Midori has been praised for its speed and low resource consumption, making it suitable for older hardware.

User Experience: The browser’s minimalist design and user-friendly interface have garnered positive feedback from users seeking a straightforward browsing experience.

Privacy Focus: The inclusion of privacy tools like AstianVPN reflects a growing emphasis on user privacy and data protection.

🔮 Future Directions

Mobile Platform Expansion: Plans are underway to extend Midori’s availability to iOS devices, broadening its reach in the mobile ecosystem.

Feature Enhancements: Ongoing development aims to introduce new features and improvements, ensuring Midori remains a competitive option in the browser market.

Midori’s journey from a lightweight WebKitGTK browser to its current Gecko-based incarnation under the Astian Foundation showcases its adaptability and commitment to providing a fast, secure, and privacy-focused browsing experience across multiple platforms.

Midori’s history is one of innovation and idealism, closely tied to the GNOME desktop environment, but it also highlights the difficulties of maintaining an independent browser engine.

Phase 1: Origins and Ideals - The Early Years (2004-2009)

Initial Development (2004): Midori was originally developed by Christian Dywan (aka “kappa”) as a personal project. The name “Midori” (緑) is Japanese for “green,” reflecting its goal of being lightweight and environmentally clean in terms of resource usage.

The “Why”: It was created to be a fast, lightweight, and standards-compliant web browser that integrated seamlessly with the GNOME desktop and its technologies. It was designed as an alternative to the heavier, more monolithic browsers like Firefox and the then-dominant Internet Explorer.

Foundation: From the start, Midori was built using the WebKit rendering engine (the same engine that powered Apple’s Safari and, later, Google Chrome). This was a strategic choice to avoid the bloat of older engines and to ensure good standards compliance.

Adoption by the GNOME Community: Midori’s philosophy aligned perfectly with the GNOME project’s goals of simplicity and integration. It quickly became the default web browser in several lightweight Linux distributions, such as Bodhi Linux and Elementary OS, which helped build its initial user base.

Phase 2: The Access Group Era and Peak Development (2009-2013)

Corporate Backing (2009): In a significant turn of events, the German company Access Co., Ltd. (known for its NetFront browser on embedded devices) acquired the rights to Midori and hired its lead developer, Christian Dywan.

The Goal: Access saw potential in using Midori’s lightweight WebKit core for its own products and invested in its development. This period saw the most active and feature-complete development of Midori.

Key Features: During this time, Midori was praised for its modern features, many of which were ahead of their time:

Excellent GNOME Integration: Native support for GTK+, bookmarks syncing with Zeitgeist.

Lightweight Design: Very low memory and CPU footprint.

User-Friendly Innovations: A smart and minimalist user interface, session saving, and a versatile extensions system.

Privacy-Conscious: Features like private browsing and cookie management were central.

Phase 3: Stagnation and Decline (2014-2018)

Loss of Momentum: Despite the corporate backing, Midori began to stagnate. The reasons were multifaceted:

The Fork: Astian & Midori Next (2018): By 2018, the original Midori was essentially abandoned. The community group Astian Foundation forked the last available code to create Midori Next, hoping to revive it. However, this project also struggled with the immense challenge of maintaining a browser engine and failed to gain significant traction.

Phase 4: The Rebirth as a Cross-Platform Browser (2019-Present)

A New Direction (2019): In a surprising move, the original Midori name was revived, but for a completely different product. The new Midori browser, developed by a different team, abandoned the independent WebKit engine.

Chromium-Based: The new Midori is built on the Chromium engine, a pragmatic decision that eliminates the burden of maintaining a rendering engine and guarantees compatibility with the modern web.

Focus on Privacy and Features: This modern Midori positions itself as a privacy-focused browser with built-in features like an ad blocker, data collection controls, and a customizable interface, competing in the same space as Vivaldi or Brave, but with less market share.

Cross-Platform: It is now available for Windows, macOS, and Linux, a significant expansion from its Linux-centric origins.

Summary: Legacy and Current Status

The history of Midori is essentially two distinct stories:

The Original Midori (2004-2018): The legacy of the original Midori is that of a pioneering, lightweight, and elegant browser for the GNOME/Linux ecosystem. It is remembered fondly as a symbol of the potential of open-source software and a casualty of the overwhelming dominance of the Chromium/Blink engine. Its failure underscores the near-impossibility of maintaining an independent browser engine today.

The Modern Midori (2019-Present): The current Midori is a Chromium-based browser for a general audience, using the brand’s name recognition to offer a feature-rich, privacy-conscious alternative to Chrome. It has no direct code connection to its namesake but carries forward the spirit of being a user-friendly alternative.

In conclusion, the original Midori was a beloved, innovative project that ultimately fell victim to the immense technical and financial challenges of the modern web, while the new Midori represents a pragmatic reboot in an already crowded Chromium-based market.