14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is laying out plans for a Linux version of its new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser, and the company is calling for Linux users to fill out a survey to help it determine how such an app would be used on a Linux system.
Microsoft is moving its browser to Chromium, and thanks to this new engine, the software giant can bring the app to the non-Windows world, including here rival platforms like macOS and Linux.
While preview builds for macOS are already available, the company has never confirmed a Linux version of Microsoft Edge, albeit the Edge team did say that at some point in the future such a project might be started.
Edge for Linux
Sean Larkin, member of the Microsoft Edge development team, announced the survey on Twitter, asking for interested Linux users to fill it out and send their feedback on how they use browsers on their operating system.
“We on the @MSEdgeDev team are fleshing out requirements to bring Edge to Linux, and we need your help w/ some assumptions! If you're a dev who depends on Linux for dev, testing, personal browsing, please take a second to fill out this survey!” he posted.
“We'd love to learn more about your requirements and expectations for Linux web browsers for your web development, testing, and personal browsing,” Microsoft adds in the description of the survey.
The questions included in the survey concern the Linux distros used for web development, the preferred installation method for browsers, and the purpose of a browser on Linux. Everything shouldn’t take more than just a couple of minutes, as there are only 5 questions in the survey.
Microsoft hasn’t yet confirmed Edge for Linux, but this is pretty much the first big step towards such a release.
As for the Windows versions of the Chromium Edge, it’s expected to be finalized in early 2020, so there’s a chance the work on the Linux sibling would start after this one ships.