Ghostzilla
Encyclopedia
Ghostzilla was an open source
web browser
for Microsoft Windows
based on the Gecko
layout engine
used by Mozilla
. It runs the browser inside the window space of another application e.g. in Microsoft Outlook
, where the page was then made to look like the content one would expect in an email, leaving any passers-by with the impression the person was reading e-mail.
Originally launched as a shareware project of price $19.95, the project went freeware and then opensource.
From May 2004 until January 2005, the project was removed from the website, due to a copyright claim from Mozilla
. It later returned with code directly derived from Mozilla open source, excluding the core proprietary library used to create minimal pages and desaturated colors. It also comes with warnings about the potential for misuse. As of February 2007, the site has been suspended and is no longer available.
As of October 2008, users of Mozilla Firefox have the option of installing a free addon called Ghostfox, which aims to mimic the behaviour of Ghostzilla in Firefox, although as of June 2010 this is no longer compatible with the latest versions of Firefox.
In July 2007, an open source project, InstaBrowser, was made as a clone of Ghostzilla. Since September 2009, the project name has been switched to Ninja Browser, itself turned proprietary.
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
web browser
Web browser
A web browser is a software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web. An information resource is identified by a Uniform Resource Identifier and may be a web page, image, video, or other piece of content...
for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
based on the Gecko
Gecko (layout engine)
Gecko is a free and open source layout engine used in many applications developed by Mozilla Foundation and the Mozilla Corporation , as well as in many other open source software projects....
layout engine
Layout engine
A web browser engine, , is a software component that takes marked up content and formatting information and displays the formatted content on the screen. It "paints" on the content area of a window, which is displayed on a monitor or a printer...
used by Mozilla
Mozilla
Mozilla is a term used in a number of ways in relation to the Mozilla.org project and the Mozilla Foundation, their defunct commercial predecessor Netscape Communications Corporation, and their related application software....
. It runs the browser inside the window space of another application e.g. in Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft Outlook is a personal information manager from Microsoft, available both as a separate application as well as a part of the Microsoft Office suite...
, where the page was then made to look like the content one would expect in an email, leaving any passers-by with the impression the person was reading e-mail.
Originally launched as a shareware project of price $19.95, the project went freeware and then opensource.
From May 2004 until January 2005, the project was removed from the website, due to a copyright claim from Mozilla
Mozilla
Mozilla is a term used in a number of ways in relation to the Mozilla.org project and the Mozilla Foundation, their defunct commercial predecessor Netscape Communications Corporation, and their related application software....
. It later returned with code directly derived from Mozilla open source, excluding the core proprietary library used to create minimal pages and desaturated colors. It also comes with warnings about the potential for misuse. As of February 2007, the site has been suspended and is no longer available.
As of October 2008, users of Mozilla Firefox have the option of installing a free addon called Ghostfox, which aims to mimic the behaviour of Ghostzilla in Firefox, although as of June 2010 this is no longer compatible with the latest versions of Firefox.
In July 2007, an open source project, InstaBrowser, was made as a clone of Ghostzilla. Since September 2009, the project name has been switched to Ninja Browser, itself turned proprietary.