CIB: Getting The Clang Compiler To Run In A Web Browser

[phoronix]

Phoronix: CIB: Getting The Clang Compiler To Run In A Web Browser

CIB is a new hobby project getting the full-blown Clang C/C++ compiler to run within a web browser as a technical feat...

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=CIB-Clang-In-Browser

[PluMGMK]

This is amazing and probably somewhat terrifying…

[dwagner]

This is not the first time a generic compiler was made to work inside a browser - the in-browser VMs available at https://bellard.org/jslinux/ used to come with a functional gcc included - here's an archive.org link to an older version from 2012 that was still containing gcc: http://web.archive.org/web/201202290...d.org/jslinux/

While technically a nice demonstration, I think it is creepy how the common people confuse browsers with operating systems these days, and developers follow suit, emphasizing way too seldom how turning your browser into an operating system will basically lower the safety of your system to that of the browser. It's weird how people think it's safe to automatically execute whatever software they load if only it comes to them via HTTP(S) protocol...

[wizard69]

This is one of those things that you can't help but to ask why yet on the other hand admire the person taking this on. Now given that what the demonstrates more than anything is how far the whole LLVM project has come, effectively a fully fleshed out suite of tools.

[GunpowaderGuy]

Cool , but i would rather prefer web text editors / IDEs such as Monaco to use ( or at least default to ) the stock clang compiler

[chithanh]

Interesting. Maybe this could lead to a browser-based "kill-ryzen" style test, too.

[dragorth]

This is not the first time a generic compiler was made to work inside a browser - the in-browser VMs available at https://bellard.org/jslinux/ used to come with a functional gcc included - here's an archive.org link to an older version from 2012 that was still containing gcc: http://web.archive.org/web/201202290...d.org/jslinux/

While technically a nice demonstration, I think it is creepy how the common people confuse browsers with operating systems these days, and developers follow suit, emphasizing way too seldom how turning your browser into an operating system will basically lower the safety of your system to that of the browser. It's weird how people think it's safe to automatically execute whatever software they load if only it comes to them via HTTP(S) protocol...

I agree with the sentiment, but the reality is the web as an OS has one feature that no other OS has. Write once, run anywhere. (You can debate browser versions, but I would simply respond they are akin to Unix distros, i.e. OS X, BSD, Linux, etc..) And it works across almost all of device types. This is no small feat when you consider how many of the devices sold to third world countries are not the classic three that developers have traditionally compiled for.

This should also stress the WASM system in a new way to help find speed bumps and issues.

[Space Beer]

Yes, it will run everywhere, but it'll run like sh1t. Not to mention stupid GUI optimized for browsing the web and not some serious CAD or development work

[unixfan2001]

Yes, it will run everywhere, but it'll run like sh1t. Not to mention stupid GUI optimized for browsing the web and not some serious CAD or development work

It will run decent if it's being optimised for it and there's no reason you can't have a more traditional GUI in the browser. Immediate mode is a thing, you know.

[starshipeleven]

Jeezus Christ on a pogo stick... this is beautiful and scary at the same time.