Again.. with the O/T theme....
LinksBoks sucks like a Dyson vacuum cleaner... if you want a REAL browser on your xbox then look at XDSL (Xbox Damn Small Linux) which comes with an early version of Firefox installed... not great and doesn't play flash files or anything but along with XDSL's virtual keyboard is a more than satisfactory way of browsing the internet with your Xbox.
Hope this helps!
Is there a web browser for XBMC. I have not been successful in finding one. If yes can you please provide a link to the program.
Thanks
no there isn't any. If you are on xbox, then there is linksbox (very basic browser) or the possibility to install linux and use the browser there.
xbmc pimped has linksbox built into xbmc
but I warn you, it is not userfriendly, at all
you'll try it, and then realise that it was a silly feature to ask for in the first place
Skindred Wrote:xbmc pimped has linksbox built into xbmc
but I warn you, it is not userfriendly, at all
you'll try it, and then realise that it was a silly feature to ask for in the first place
indeed linksbox is not very usable. But I don't agree on it being a silly feature to ask for at all. A webbrowser in a modern media center application makes perfect sense imo. As all the web is basically one huge collection of media. At least as much sense as having a weather forecast
Take a look at Songbird for instance. Now, as an app I don't like it at all, but it does offer a pretty nice way of browsing and combining that with finding media to discover and play.
I understand the difficulties of building a webbrowser into xbmc but I still hope one day on Win/Nix/Mac xbmc could use the engine of an installed webbrowser and "simply" provide it with a frontend to operate it from within XBMC (think Opera Mobile style for example in terms of GUI)
Is there one? If so how do you get to it?
Not built in.
there is an xbox app to do it, cant' remember the name, but it's not very easy to use, and not very good.
ok I search the thread and I have linksbox I just thought there was a built in app. cool thanks..
Couldnt Firefox be integrated into XBMC? Not the xbox version, but the other 3?
Gamester17 Wrote:Mozilla/Firefox has too many dependencies. WebKit or KHTML are the best options currently available for integration, see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Webkit
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KHTML
....and yes it would be simpler to only look at the Linux, Mac, and Windows platforms, at least to start.
From a functionality standpoint wouldn't it be more logical to devise a way to launch external apps inside xbmc, with esc or whatever key taking you back to programs menu? It seems like there is no reason to reinvent the wheel and make a browser specifically for xbmc that might have limitations. This would kill two birds with one stone as it would also open up the possibility to launch other apps like games etc. Just my thoughts.
Rand Al Thor Wrote:From a functionality standpoint wouldn't it be more logical to devise a way to launch external apps inside xbmc, with esc or whatever key taking you back to programs menu? It seems like there is no reason to reinvent the wheel and make a browser specifically for xbmc that might have limitations. This would kill two birds with one stone as it would also open up the possibility to launch other apps like games etc. Just my thoughts.
Agreed. Once 'programs' starts working for non-xbox builds simply launching a browser would be enough. I have no idea why people want a browser built into xbmc, it makes absolutely no sense to me. Yes, I KNOOOOW the web is the future of media blah blah blah, but that's why we have scripts/plugins for REAL integration.
In my opinion, the maximum "integration" that should take place is to use a skinable, cross-platform browser that supports plugins/extensions (firefox, opera, a more mature version of chrome). Then make a PM3 skin for it & a
orbit-type plugin that a)sends the URL to XBMC for playback or b) creates a .strm file for it or c)downloads the file. Other skinners could choose to make more skins for said browser, or not.
There are already very good programs designed specifically for surfing the web, I see no reason to make another.
Rand Al Thor Wrote:From a functionality standpoint wouldn't it be more logical to devise a way to launch external apps inside xbmc, with esc or whatever key taking you back to programs menu? It seems like there is no reason to reinvent the wheel and make a browser specifically for xbmc that might have limitations. This would kill two birds with one stone as it would also open up the possibility to launch other apps like games etc. Just my thoughts.
True. Wasnt there something for XBMC released not to long ago that could launch executables for windows and linux? I remember seeing a thread about it.
CASHMON3Y Wrote:True. Wasnt there something for XBMC released not to long ago that could launch executables for windows and linux? I remember seeing a thread about it.
Yes there was. It was a plugin and it actually works quite well. This, in my opinion anyway, is only a temporary solution. Basically what happens is you click on a program to launch and xbmc looses focus when your new program starts running. Then when you are done with your new program you kill it the same way you normally would and then xbmc be regain focus and go back to fullscreen. It works but on linux box for example there is definitely some lag time between killing a program and xbmc gaining focus so you see the desktop around the xbmc window until it switches back to fullscreen. It is not a huge deal but it takes away from the beauty and fluidity of xbmc. It kind of breaks the "illusion."
What I was referring to earlier would be the ablity to add .exe's under my programs. Then when you click on a program it would start "inside" xbmc, ie it would not launch in a seperate window so xbmc would not lose focus. Since it is functioning inside xbmc the program would still be subject to xbmc's controls. That way you could still hit esc to exit the program to seamlessly return to the home menu. Or you could hit tab and keep your program running while you start some music then hit tab again to return to what you where doing. For programs that use some of the same controls as xbmc, tab for example a workaround could be set up. So in a web browser just hitting tab works the way it normally would in your web browser but tab+ctrl would execute the normal xbmc tab function. That is kind of the way I see it. Xbmc "displaying" what the external programs are doing instead of just moving out of the way when you launch a new app. Anyone else got some thoughts on this?