Mageia forum

Are there still issues between Linux and Windows
when a website is using JavaScript? I have found
one website where launching a JavaScript routine is
definitely resulting in a difference when launched
on Mageia Linux then on Windows.

I would say that should more be a question about which browser is used. However it's not something I have ever had problems with. Then again I am using firefox in both systems...

Could you give an example of a website where there are issues? What browsers have you used?

Presuming you're using the same browser on both platforms, there should be no difference - for the parts the browser renders. External programs/libraries like plugins are another matter, though if you have the same actual plugins those should be the same as well. Having said that, most browsers do include the platform as part of the user agent, so it is possible for websites to send you different code based on your platform ... if it's an issue with only one or two sites it could be that.

(I work on the user forums for a browser, so I have some experience with these things ...)

Actually each browser has its own Javascript engine, so which browser are you using, which version, Mageia packages or not, and which website?

doktor5000 wrote:Actually each browser has its own Javascript engine, so which browser are you using, which version, Mageia packages or not, and which website?

Many thanks to all for the feedback. I've got a lot
of cross platform testing on this before I make any
kind of assessment.

From what I am finding 98% of all java script works
everywhere. It's that 2% I'm trying to isolate. I don't
have either a WinBlows box nor Apple. Neither
OS have Live-CD's like linux.

You still haven't mentioned which browser and which version you're using, and which site causes problems. Also are you aware of the many automated Javascript testing and performance-measuring frameworks which are run on most browsers by their developers these days, which compares it to other common browsers?

FWIW, there are numerous livecd's for Windows.

sgunhouse wrote:Presuming you're using the same browser on both platforms, there should be no difference.

... as long as the same compiler & optimizations are used on those platforms.

Software on Windows is usually compiled once, by the makers themselves → Lots of effort is put into optimization. Possibilities include:
* Link time optimization, if you have lots of RAM (It was recently impossible to link Firefox on 32-bit windows due to the address space limitation.)
* Profile guided optimization, if you have the manpower and an expensive toolchain, I presume.

FWIW, at least Mozilla does both by default on linux and windows platform, with the former being done as consequence from the results of the latter.

Opera does PGO I know ... but in that sense, optimizations to the program shouldn't really effect what any program does - only how quickly. Unless a program leaves out fallback code and therefore some features are not available on certain systems - other than that (and UI guidelines) programs really should operate the same on Linux, Windows, OSX or whatever. Okay, and presuming the same version on all systems.

Well, you're absolutely right, at least in theory
First big difference is already widely used compilers, mostly Intel/Microsoft ones on Wintel, and gcc on Linux.

sgunhouse wrote:programs ( JavaScript ) really should operate the same on Linux, Windows, OSX or whatever. Okay, and presuming the same version on all systems.

Well taken but I'd like to make the point that there is great competition
between website creators to use the very latest and greatest GeeWiz
stuff. Therefore a lot of websites using the latest and greatest ( JavaScript )
will work differently WinBlows -> OSX -> Linux. Many times
not working at all.

wilcal wrote:Therefore a lot of websites using the latest and greatest ( JavaScript )
will work differently WinBlows -> OSX -> Linux. Many times
not working at all.

Many times not working at all? What browsers are you using there? I've yet to see a website which doesn't work AT ALL in relatively current browsers ...

doktor5000 wrote:

wilcal wrote:Therefore a lot of websites using the latest and greatest ( JavaScript )
will work differently WinBlows -> OSX -> Linux. Many times
not working at all.

Many times not working at all? What browsers are you using there? I've yet to see a website which doesn't work AT ALL in relatively current browsers ...

Windows XP + IE I saw just the other day did poorly.
I suspect because it had not been updated in awhile.