This FAQ will become more comprehensive as the first beta versions of LittleBrowse are released.

Q: Will LittleBrowse support Linux?
A: No. LittleBrowse is developed using the .NET Framework and uses Internet Explorer controls, therefore it cannot be ported to Linux unless someone would like to step in and make it possible, but for now we recommend using Mozilla Firefox on Linux.

Q: Will LittleBrowse fully support Windows Vista?
A: Currently, LittleBrowse Beta 2 does support Windows Vista, however we do not have a Vista machine to test it. We ask if you do find an issue using Vista you report it to us through our Support page.

Q: What are the system requirements?
A: The current operating systems supported are Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista 32-bit and Windows Server 2003. Internet Explorer 5.01 or later is also required for the web browser to function properly.

Q: Can I freely edit the source code?
A: Yes! You are free to download and edit our source code through our download services OR through our CVS repository. That said, you cannot copy and paste code from LittleBrowse into another application.

Q: How effective is the Parental Control filters shipped with the first beta?
A: Very effective. In our testing the parental control filter was able to filter out almost all inappropriate websites. We also designed it to be effective against advertisements that promoted inappropriate material. However, our testing can only go so far, so if a website that is inappropriate is not blocked, please make a bug submission with a link to the website so we can analyze it and add filters for that website and others like it.

Q: How stable is this first beta?
A: In our testing, we found it to be very stable. However, we found that McAfee Personal Firewall 2006 had trouble creating a rule for LittleBrowse (it repeatedly asked permission to access the internet). This shouldn't be a problem for most users, however.

Q: How does CPU load compare against Internet Explorer/Firefox?
A: On our benchmarks using an AMD Athlon 64 x2 3800+ Dual Core processor (2GHz) we found that peak CPU usage loading a website was 24%. Peak Internet Explorer usage while loading the same website was 36% - a noticeable difference. Also, Internet Explorer uses twice to three times the memory that LittleBrowse uses.

Q: Does LittleBrowse support technologies like Flash, or new technologies such as Microsoft Silverlight?
A: Yes. LittleBrowse uses the Internet Explorer engine so whatever is compatible with Internet Explorer will be compatible with LittleBrowse. No additional add-ons from us are required.

Q: Say I want to update my Flash plugin. What browser should I download for?
A: Download all plugins and add-ons for Internet Explorer.

Q: How secure am I with LittleBrowse?
A: Since LittleBrowse uses the Internet Explorer engine, you are only as secure as Internet Explorer is. We recommend often checking for updates using Windows Update (http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com) and by running an up-to-date anti-virus and firewall.

Q: Can I still be affected by spyware and adware?
A: It is still possible to be infected with these unwanted programs, however functions like advertisements based on web surfing and toolbars will not affect your browsing, however functions like homepage hijacking can still occur. We recommend you run at least one spyware prevention and removal utility and scan at least once a day to make sure you're not infected.

Q: I go to open the View Source dialog and I get an exception error. What does this mean?
A: That error means that something happened and we didn't write code to handle it. We are working to correct this issue for LittleBrowse Beta 2. In the meantime, we ask that you ignore this error. It will not affect your browsing.

Update: LittleBrowse Beta 2 has corrected this issue. Should you continue to experience this issue, please open a support ticket through us and we will help you resolve the issue.

Q: When I open LittleBrowse, it takes awhile to load. Is this okay?
A: Yes. This is uncommon, but it is normal. Unfortuately we don't have the ability to beta test our software on a wide range of machines, so we don't know how the software reacts with specific processors, etc. However we are aware of this issue and we are working to resolve it for LittleBrowse Beta 2.

Update: We believe we have resolved this issue.

Q: Can I use Internet Explorer toolbars in LittleBrowse?
A: No. At this time LittleBrowse does not support third party toolbars. However this feature is planned to be included sometime when the final version is released, but we cannot provide guarantees that it will be included.

Q: Does LittleBrowse work with my anti-virus to protect me from trojans and viruses on webpages?
A: Yes! We have designed LittleBrowse to work with anti-virus products. LittleBrowse has been tested with the latest version of McAfee VirusScan (2007, or 11.0) and has been proven to work.