Tangram, is a browser based on the concept of anchored tabs
It is true that there are a large number of browsers web of which, as we will already know, almost all of them are built on the basis of chrome/chromium or Firefox (being the first with more browsers based on it), but we must not forget that there are other web browsers such as Safari, for example.
The point of touching the subject is that today let's talk about a web browser called Tangram, which is built on top of GNOME technologies and specializes in organizing access to frequently used web applications.
About Tangrams
Tangram is a new type of web browser that is designed to host and run web applications, in which each tab is persistent and independent and you can set multiple tabs with different accounts for the same application.
The browser interface contains a sidebar where you can pin tabs to run your apps and web services that you use constantly.
Web apps load immediately after launch and they work constantly, which, for example, allows the user to keep several instant messaging programs active in an application for which there are web interfaces (WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, SteamChat, etc.), without installing separate programs, and also having at hand the open pages of the social networks and discussion platforms used (Instargam, Mastodon, Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, YouTube, etc.).
Each pinned tab is completely isolated from the rest and runs in a separate sandbox environment that does not overlap at the browser and cookie storage level.
Isolation makes it possible to open several identical web applications linked to different accounts, for example, you can place several tabs with Gmail, the first of which is linked to personal mail, and the second to a work account.
On the part of the most important browser features the following stand out:
- Tools for configuring and managing web applications.
- Permanently active independent tabs.
- The ability to assign an arbitrary title to the page (not matching the original).
- Support for rearranging tabs and repositioning tabs.
- Navigation.
- The ability to change the browser's identifier (User-agent) and the priority of displaying notifications in relation to tabs.
- Keyboard shortcuts for quick navigation.
- Download manager.
- Support for gesture control on the touchpad or touchscreen.
It is worth mentioning that the browser recently updated to version 2.0 and in this new version stands out for switching to the GTK4 library and the inclusion of the libadwaita library, which offers ready-to-use widgets and objects for creating applications that comply with the new GNOME HIG (Human Interface Guidelines), in addition to a proposed new adaptive user interface that adapts to screens. of any size and has a mode for mobile devices.
Finally, if you are interested in being able to learn more about the browser, you can check the details on its website. The link is this.
The browser code It is written in JavaScript and is released under the GPLv3 license. The browser engine is the WebKitGTK component, also used in the Epiphany (GNOME Web) browser, in addition to the fact that the finished packages for installation are generally in flatpak format.
How to install Tangram in Ubuntu and derivatives?
For interested in being able to install this web browser on your system, as we mentioned, the browser is offered in Flatpak format for installation in general on Linux, so to install Tangram on your system, you only have to have the support to install this type of package.
If you already have support, all you have to do is open a terminal and in it you will type the following command:
flatpak install flathub re.sonny.Tangram
And ready with that you can start using this web browser. In case you can't find the launcher or you prefer execution by command, you can do this by typing:
flatpak run re.sonny.Tangram