New: Iron Portable 9.0.600.2 (web browser) Released

computerfreaker's picture
Submitted by computerfreaker on March 7, 2011 - 10:52pm

logoIron Portable 9.0.600.2 has been released. SRWare Iron is 'The browser of the future' - based on the free Sourcecode "Chromium" - but without some features that privacy advocates object to. It's packaged in PortableApps.com Format so it can easily integrate with the PortableApps.com Suite. And it's open source and completely free. Read on for more details...

Iron is packaged for portable use with permission from SRWare.

PortableApps.com Platform 2.0 Beta 5 users who already have this app installed, simply click 'Check for Updates' in your PA.c Menu to update to the new version.

Features

ScreenshotIron is based on the open source Chromium source code that the Google Chrome browser is based on. Iron does not include the unique ids, timestamps, custom error pages and other information present in some Google Chrome packages.

Learn more about Iron...

PortableApps.com Installer / PortableApps.com Format

Iron Portable is packaged in a PortableApps.com Installer so it will automatically detect an existing PortableApps.com installation when your drive is plugged in. It supports upgrades by installing right over an existing copy, preserving all settings. And it's in PortableApps.com Format, so it automatically works with the PortableApps.com Suite including the Menu and Backup Utility.

Download

Iron Portable is available for immediate download from the Iron Portable homepage. Get it today!

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Comments

gmbudwrench's picture

gmbudwrench

March 8, 2011 - 1:43am

File access error upon trying to download from server. Tried it 3 times, error on all tries.

Works here. Try a different mirror?

Too many lonely hearts in the real world
Too many bridges you can burn
Too many tables you can't turn
Don't wanna live my life in the real world

gmbudwrench's picture

gmbudwrench

March 8, 2011 - 2:09am

Same error on iWeb, CDNetwork and Superb mirrors.

John T. Haller's picture

John T. Haller

March 10, 2011 - 5:51pm

As with most newer apps, and all major Webkit-based browsers (Chrome, Chromium, Iron, Chrome Plus, Safari, Flock, etc), it will not run on Windows 2000. I've updated the supported OS list to remove 2k from it (it was inadvertently included).

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

The source code to Iron comes in three parts according to the homepage, only part 1 of the 7-Zip archive is on the PortableApps link. From the Iron page:
src.7z.001
src.7z.002
src.7z.003

From the PortableApps link:
Iron9.0.600.2src.7z.001

So .002 and .003 are missing, unless PortableApps has combined the 3 part archive into one and given it the wrong extension (the Iron page does not say how big each archive file is sadly, so I can't compare to the 300MB PortableApps version).

I used to have a sig...until one of the mods ate it

Nope, 300MB is correct. And the PortableApps source code folder is missing parts 2 and 3, I've been able to confirm that. From the RapidShare download site for the source code, part 1 is 314572KB (which is what is on PortableApps), part 2 is 314572KB and part 3 is 257718KB (both 2 and 3 are missing from PortableApps). So, total source code size would be about 800-900MB. I think I will give this one a miss.

Edit: Have just checked the PortableApps source folder again, and someone must have noticed - as all three parts are now there. 886.9 MB in total. Man alive, I hope something that big is made of solid gold - that's the only way it would be worth the download.

I used to have a sig...until one of the mods ate it

depp.jones

March 9, 2011 - 3:07am

I don't know, when you last checked, but in the source folder on sourceforge, all three are present since some hours (with same sizes). Maybe it was some kind of upload timing issue...
-edit-
parallel posting Wink

I'm guessing it was just a slow upload, probably due (at least in part) to it's relatively large file sizes, because when I first checked (shortly after the release) there was nothing there (just an empty folder), and I typed out a whole post to point it out politely, and then my system froze up and i figured I could wait to rewrite it till the next day, and when I got back to it, there it was, no polite post to point it out necessary. Wink

~3D1T0R

Hello,

I can`t change the languages. After restart Iron the languages is evry Time english.

depp.jones

March 8, 2011 - 12:34pm

In addition to what AlexWolf said - Iron Portable should automatically switch to the language of the platform if that is used. If used standalone it defaults to english as the language variable of the launcher is not set.
You could comment out the language switch entirely if you wish to use your OS setting instead:

File: IronPortable\App\AppInfo\Launcher\IronPortable.ini

...
CommandLineArguments=--user-data-dir="%PAL:DataDir%\IronPortableData" 
;--lang=%PAL:LanguageCustom%
...

That would break automatic language switching with the platform, though...

Although Srware have been providing their own portable (non-exe) version, I am very glad it was released here because this will certainly increase the user base! For me, Iron is the "browser of the present" because I am using it daily for the following reasons:

a) It's a German product and I do trust their sensitivity in privacy matters
b) It's small, fast, efficient and the first "true" portable browser app in the sense that it allows multiple instances out of the box - good luck doing that with Firefox!
c) It can be easily configured to use proxies using a .bat file, as follows:

1. Make a new empty text file with Notepad

2. Type in a singe line

"c:\PortableApps\IronPortable\IronPortable.exe" --proxy-server="proxyserver:port"

including the "" as quoted above, where proxyserver:port is the IP and port of a proxy in the country you are interested in.

3. Save the file in the IronPortable dir as called e.g. IronProxy.bat and use that instead of IronPortable.exe

4. You can configure several .bat files for different proxies you regularly use, and each of them will properly call an Iron instance running from the same installation dir. For example, I have one .bat for USA and another for UK - restricted content.

I hope soon there will be an upgrade mechanism built in so that Iron gets automatically updated when new versions appear.

computerfreaker's picture

computerfreaker

March 8, 2011 - 7:23pm

If there's enough interest, I could also include ProxyServer and ProxyPort settings in IronPortable.ini for the next release. It wouldn't be difficult to do, although it would require you to keep (and rename, since Iron Portable only looks in the file named IronPortable.ini for settings) multiple copies of IronPortable.ini if you use multiple proxies.

"The question I would like to know, is the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything. All we know about it is that the Answer is Forty-two, which is a little aggravating."

John T. Haller's picture

John T. Haller

March 8, 2011 - 7:40pm

Hold off on that as we'll be handling this at the platform level. I'll need to do a Revision to fix the language issue. Future testing note: ensure language selection remains on restart when not using the PA.c Platform. This trumps automatic language switching.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

computerfreaker's picture

computerfreaker

March 9, 2011 - 6:25am

We'll be handling this at the platform level

You do mean proxy support, right? Just out of curiosity, how will that work? (My guess is that, since each app has its own "proxy override" set up in a different way, we'll probably replace and later restore the system proxy server. Wouldn't that require admin privs, though?)

What did I do wrong with the languages? A missing [LanguageFile] section?

"The question I would like to know, is the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything. All we know about it is that the Answer is Forty-two, which is a little aggravating."

John T. Haller's picture

John T. Haller

March 9, 2011 - 11:24am

Without writing the setting to a file that the GUI reads (FileWriteN) and also reading it from that file (LanguageFile), the whole thing falls down and the user is stuck in English every single time. I may have the installer refuse to compile apps like that.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

computerfreaker's picture

computerfreaker

March 9, 2011 - 9:26pm

I'll add a [LanguageFile] section to the next Iron release. Don't bother with a Revision build - Iron V10.0.650.0 is out, so I'll just add the fix to that release when I get a chance to build it.

With regard to proxies, I found an extension called Proxy Switchy that appears to do exactly what people are looking for (disclaimer: I haven't used it, so I don't know how its portability, security, etc. hold up).

"The question I would like to know, is the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything. All we know about it is that the Answer is Forty-two, which is a little aggravating."

@bobboo
Open the file 'IronPortable\App\AppInfo\Launcher\IronPortable.ini'.
Change the value '--lang=%PAL:LanguageCustom%' to '--lang=de' (the name of the file language.dll in the folder 'IronPortable\App\Iron\locales' you need) in the setting "CommandLineArguments=--user-data-dir="%PAL:DataDir%\IronPortableData" --lang=%PAL:LanguageCustom%".

This is great. I'd never even heard of this before.

Question:
Chrome Portable has the "Passwords Not Saved Between PCs By Default" and "Certificates Not Portable" issues that are well documented on the Chrome Portable page.

Does Iron have the same issues?

It would be great to have a truly free, truly portable browser to use along side (or possibly in place) of FF (especially a WebKit based one). Is Midori next on the list?

P.S. the icon looks great!

John T. Haller's picture

John T. Haller

March 8, 2011 - 11:12am

Every Chromium browser (Chrome, Chromium, Chrome Plus, Iron, etc) works the same way. None include proxy functionality, encryption, etc. They all rely on Windows (Internet Explorer) components for that.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

Thanks for the reply. To the layman (like me) all the browsers look like they are separate (unless listed like beta as with FF and Chrome pages). It is hard to tell where the similarities end and the differences begin sometimes.

But that is the perspective of someone who doesn't code. Of course we are all free to check these things out due to the open nature of the code, but not all of us have the ability to decipher it regrettably lol.
Anyway, thank you for the answer.

So you didn't say no to Midori... is that a yes then? Wink

Chrome can use a socks5 proxy, buts its funky to get at.

To use a proxy with Google Chrome, start Chrome.exe with the commandline option --proxy-server="socks5://proxyaddres:port"

Too many lonely hearts in the real world
Too many bridges you can burn
Too many tables you can't turn
Don't wanna live my life in the real world

scant_regard

March 8, 2011 - 10:29am

Good to see more choices out there in browser world.

First there was Opera (still some problems, mainly turbo related) then.. maxthon opened a whole world on efficient browsing of the web now iron.

Will be keen to try this as there is nothing I like more than using many browsers since it means no long lists of favorites, just a bar along the top.

Thanks PA.com

"Iron is based on the open source Chromium source code that..." Would sound better as "Iron is based on the open Chromium source code that".
Mentioning 2 times source within 3 words sounds... odd. Wink

ZachHudock's picture

ZachHudock

March 8, 2011 - 11:55am

or
"open source Chromium code"

but you're right, it doesn't sound good repeating source like that.

The developer formerly known as ZGitRDun8705

megabyte24

January 21, 2012 - 12:05am

For those who choose Iron over Chrome, there is no need to be without the built in PDF reader. If all you desire is simple PDF reading, and not things that other PDF readers (SumatraPDF, etc) afford you, then find yourself a copy of pdf.dll (I got it from D/L and “installing” Chrome Portable – https://portableapps.com/apps/internet/google_chrome_portable) and put it in the same directory as iron.exe. A restart may be in order, also a visit to chrome://plugins may be required to enable it after chrome restart.

Thanks for this guys, between this and Texter, it looks like you're integrating all of my daily use non-portableapps.com portable apps. Smile

Grammatical issue aside, being that PA.c offers Chrome as well, I'm not sure the jab at Chrome should be carried over (unless you're dropping Chrome). Although, if that's the only thing that differentiates Iron/Chromium from Chrome, the lack of some Google thing, I wouldn't know how to word it.

If I didn't know better, I would think I'd made a mistake by installing Chrome Portable and be wary of future PA.c releases.

Between Iron and Chrome the tinfoil hat stuff works great, but for a neutral software vendor offering both... I don't see the advantage.

Just saying.

John T. Haller's picture

John T. Haller

March 9, 2011 - 3:46pm

I reworded the description to make it make more sense (and be less hostile). Personally, I don't really have issues with Chrome anymore now that I understand how it uses that information (and that it can be disabled in Options). But, yes, I think this is the sole distinguishing feature of Iron. Lots of users have asked for it, though, so we have added it.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

NathanJ79's picture

NathanJ79

March 9, 2011 - 10:36pm

Well, except for the "free Sourcecode" bit, but please understand, I'm not trying to hound you on grammar. Y'all have been real busy up here these past few months, and I'd rather see more apps than perfect grammar. Though, the longer "the days of app-ness" continue, the less the argument against categories (which, I know, are coming in the future) holds water, but that's another matter.

I do know Iron was highly requested... back from when I was more active.

computerfreaker's picture

computerfreaker

March 9, 2011 - 9:20pm

Yeah, the privacy stuff is the main difference between Iron and Chrome. AFAIK, Iron and Chrome are both based on Chromium, so they should have a high percentage of their code in common (although, of course, both Google and SRWare make their own changes and tweaks to the Chromium base code). SRWare may want to differentiate Iron from Chrome a little more, although I haven't seen them make much of an attempt so far.

"The question I would like to know, is the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything. All we know about it is that the Answer is Forty-two, which is a little aggravating."

williamjcm

March 10, 2011 - 3:48pm

Chromium is an open-source project, while Iron is not.
Chromium supports Chrome extensions, Iron doesn't.

Long Live Chromium.

John T. Haller's picture

John T. Haller

March 10, 2011 - 4:10pm

Iron is also open source and the source code is available. It is licensed under the BSD just as the Chromium source code is as it is based on it. Most Chrome extensions work under Iron.

Chromium does not have any stable or official releases and is unsupported by its own developers. Its sole purpose is to serve as the build process for Google Chrome.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

  1. Iron is open-source (download it from HERE, or HERE [@ bottom of page])
  2. Iron supports most Chrome extensions fine
  3. Chromium is basically the nightly builds of Google Chrome, and literally has everything that Google Chrome does (or will shortly) and nothing more.

Edit: That post by John T Haller that's right above this one was SO not there when I wrote this one.
(I guess I really do type slow)

~3D1T0R

There is a listing on the Development page for the Outdated Official Apps thread, in the future please use that to inform the PortableApps.com Developers that an Official PortableApps.com app needs updating.

When looking at the list maintained there you may notice, that the Developers already know that SRWare Iron 10.0.650.0 is out, as it is already on the list, and there are multiple comments regarding it below the list, including one in which ComputerFreaker (The PortableApps.com Developer who currently maintains the Iron Portable release) saying "I'm working on it".

Thank You for your interest in PortableApps.com apps being kept up-to-date. Smile

~3D1T0R