This is just a status update as to what I am working on and what to
expect in the future.
*Embedded browser*. I will be changing from the Chromium Embedded
Framework (CEF) to WebView2 for the embedded browser. Performance is
identical as they are both based on Chromium. The WebView2 component,
however, offers several advantages of embedding CEF,
- Reduces overall application size from about 210MB to 18MB by not
having to deploy CEF browser code.
- Edge Webview2 is managed by the OS and "EverGreen", updated
separately and automatically as part of the Windows OS, so I would not
have to worry about CEF updates and complying with certain rules in
the MS store about CEF currency.
- Edge Webview2 is part of the OS out of the box starting with Windows
11, and a runtime installer is available for Windows 10 and machines
that don't have Edge installed.
- My code could be drastically simplified
Development has gone quite well, better than I expected. I have been
running my own version that uses webview2 for a few weeks now and I'm
quite pleased. The only issue has to do with deployment. Webview2 is
already deployed on the vast majority of Win10 platforms and all Win11
platforms. But there is a chance it might not be there, in which case,
I have to be able to install it. The Windows Store does not support
this as an install package, so I have to do it at run-time. Currently,
the Webview2 runtime installer requires elevation as it is a system
component and that is a near deal breaker for a store app as far as I am
concerned. Fortunately, that is also deal breaker for many corporate
environments, so Microsoft is creating a fix. Microsoft will soon make
available a Webview2 Runtime bootstrap installer that does not require
elevation. I am told it will be available mid-December-ish. Once that
is available, I can deploy the Webview2/Edge based version through the
Microsoft Store and that is my plan.
WMA SUPPORT
SLX currently has an advanced option to use an old version of
Squeezelite, the last version that supported WMA files natively.
Nowadays, with the latest versions of Squeezelite, WMA is supported via
a LMS server plugin. Without objection, I intend to drop this feature
as obsolete.
DOWNLOADS
I am aware that the current version of SLX does not support Material
Skin's download feature. This will be fixed in the new Webview2-based
version when it is delivered.
WINDOWS 11
SLX will run fine on Windows 11, as-is. I know the progress indicator
in the Windows 11 taskbar is very subtle and I intend to explore making
it look more like it does in Windows 10, if I can.
LEGACY (NON-STORE) INSTALLER
I am no longer supporting pre-Windows 10 OS versions. The last version
of the installer that supported Windows 7/Windows 8 will remain on my
download site. I don't see a compelling reason for me to continue
providing a legacy installer going forward. At this point, I consider
it obsolete.
Feedback welcome.
R Greg Dawson
Squeezelite-X
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