As of the current nightly build (39852), WebKit — the developmental version of Safari, available for public testing — has added the capability to update to the latest build within Webkit.app itself, obviating the need for third party software like NightShift.
The Rumors team has been a very active part of WebKit development/testing since its very first day — just as we are known throughout the industry for being prolific beta testers of both hardware & software.
(If you are a hardware and/or software developer with a developmental, beta, or pre-release product you’d like us to help test — and with your explicit permission, review for our readers who are very interested in such technology — please contact us as soon as possible: rumors@macosrumors.com to make arrangements!)
We do of course use other browsers, notably Mozilla Firefox, for various purposes….but have always been passionate supporters of Safari/Webkit and its underlying technology.
Since WebKit nightly builds have been available to the public, we have always used (and recommended to other advanced Mac users) the third-party utility NightShift.app to scan for and download the latest build on a daily basis.
Now, through what appears to be the popular “Sparkle” auto-update framework (or something very similar), Webkit is able to scan for and update to the latest nightly build either manually or automatically; no need to launch a separate application or even think about it. Approximately every 24 hours, Webkit will grab the latest nightly on its own and this makes participating in the bug-squashing process much easier.
After all, if you are running an out of date build and report a bug which has already been fixed, you’re wasting your time as well as that of the amazing people who work on Webkit in Cupertino — and in some cases, even that of third parties who also contribute changes, patches & fixes to the powerful web browser.
If you frequently use Safari and don’t mind living on the cutting edge — Webkit is actually remarkably stable and reliable for most things, plus you have the opportunity to play an important role in making it even better! — we strongly recommend you start using Webkit.app. We can’t say enough good things about it, and the role it plays in our day to day work can’t possibly be overstated.
Latest WebKit nightly build includes built-in update functionality
As of the current nightly build (39852), WebKit — the developmental version of Safari, available for public testing — has added the capability to update to the latest build within Webkit.app itself, obviating the need for third party software like NightShift.
The Rumors team has been a very active part of WebKit development/testing since its very first day — just as we are known throughout the industry for being prolific beta testers of both hardware & software.
(If you are a hardware and/or software developer with a developmental, beta, or pre-release product you’d like us to help test — and with your explicit permission, review for our readers who are very interested in such technology — please contact us as soon as possible: rumors@macosrumors.com to make arrangements!)
We do of course use other browsers, notably Mozilla Firefox, for various purposes….but have always been passionate supporters of Safari/Webkit and its underlying technology.
Since WebKit nightly builds have been available to the public, we have always used (and recommended to other advanced Mac users) the third-party utility NightShift.app to scan for and download the latest build on a daily basis.
Now, through what appears to be the popular “Sparkle” auto-update framework (or something very similar), Webkit is able to scan for and update to the latest nightly build either manually or automatically; no need to launch a separate application or even think about it. Approximately every 24 hours, Webkit will grab the latest nightly on its own and this makes participating in the bug-squashing process much easier.
After all, if you are running an out of date build and report a bug which has already been fixed, you’re wasting your time as well as that of the amazing people who work on Webkit in Cupertino — and in some cases, even that of third parties who also contribute changes, patches & fixes to the powerful web browser.
If you frequently use Safari and don’t mind living on the cutting edge — Webkit is actually remarkably stable and reliable for most things, plus you have the opportunity to play an important role in making it even better! — we strongly recommend you start using Webkit.app. We can’t say enough good things about it, and the role it plays in our day to day work can’t possibly be overstated.