WebKit2
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| WebKit2 | |
|---|---|
| Name | WebKit2 |
| Title | WebKit2 |
| Developer | Apple Inc., contributors from KDE, GNUstep, Samsung Electronics, Google |
| Released | 2010 |
| Programming language | C++, Objective-C |
| Operating system | macOS, iOS, Linux, Windows, Android |
| License | BSD license |
WebKit2 WebKit2 is a multi-process web rendering engine split into a web content process and a UI process that originated from development at Apple Inc. and contributions from projects including KDE, GNOME, Samsung Electronics and Google. It provides an alternative architecture to single-process engines used in projects like Mozilla Firefox and influenced later designs in Chromium and Blink. The project intersects with technologies and organizations such as WebKit, Darwin, Cocoa, GTK, and standards work at World Wide Web Consortium.
Overview
WebKit2 reorganizes the original WebKit codebase into separate processes to isolate web content from UI components and system services supplied by Apple Inc. frameworks like Cocoa, CoreAnimation, and CoreGraphics. The division mirrors architectural trends in Chromium and Opera Software while addressing issues raised in contexts like the Great Firewall of China and security reviews by entities such as US-CERT and researchers from Google Project Zero. WebKit2’s goals align with platform teams at Microsoft Corporation and embedded groups at Samsung Electronics and Intel Corporation aiming to balance performance, stability, and compatibility with standards from WHATWG.
Architecture
The architecture separates a privileged UI process, which interacts with system services like Audio Units, Core Animation, and WindowServer, from one or more unprivileged web content processes that run rendering and scripting engines. Inter-process communication (IPC) uses patterns comparable to Mach messaging on Darwin and socket-based IPC on Linux and Windows NT. The split enables crash containment similar to designs in Google Chrome and informed by research from University of California, Berkeley and Carnegie Mellon University on process isolation. The model influences porting efforts to platforms supported by Wayland, X.Org, and Android.
API and Programming Model
WebKit2 exposes APIs to application developers in languages and frameworks including Objective-C for Cocoa apps, C++ for cross-platform ports such as GTK and Qt, and bridging layers for Java on Android. The API includes objects that represent web views, page configuration, and navigation, mapping to system services like NSRunLoop, Core Foundation, and Grand Central Dispatch. Integration patterns echo those from Cocoa Touch, Win32, and Qt Project while interoperability with standards bodies such as ECMA International for ECMAScript remains important. Developers from Apple Inc., KDE, Samsung Electronics, and Google coordinate through mailing lists and repositories hosted by organizations resembling Freedesktop.org.
Platforms and Ports
WebKit2 has been ported to numerous platforms and ports maintained by teams at Apple Inc. (for macOS and iOS), the GNOME community for GTK, the KDE community for Qt, and vendors such as Samsung Electronics and Intel Corporation for embedded Tizen and MeeGo. Community ports target Linux, Windows NT, Android, and experimental ports work with Wayland and legacy X.Org stacks. Contributors collaborate across projects including Chromium, Mozilla Foundation, and vendor-specific SDKs used by Sony Corporation and LG Electronics.
Security and Process Separation
By putting page rendering and JavaScript execution into sandboxed web content processes, WebKit2 helps mitigate vulnerabilities exploited in contexts like Cross-site scripting and drive-by download attacks studied by teams at Google Project Zero, CERT Coordination Center, and academics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University. The design supports platform security frameworks such as App Sandbox, SEAndroid, and Windows Defender features, and it interacts with mitigations like Address Space Layout Randomization and Control Flow Integrity used by Microsoft Research and Intel Corporation. Security incidents investigated by vendors like Apple Inc. and Google have driven hardening of IPC, sandbox profiles, and memory management.
History and Development
Work on the multi-process split began within teams at Apple Inc. around 2010, influenced by architectural trends from Google Chrome development and prior research published by labs at University of Cambridge and Princeton University. Contributors from projects such as KDE, GNOME, Samsung Electronics, and Google expanded ports and APIs. Over time, governance and contributions have involved interactions with organizations like W3C, WHATWG, and collaborative platforms used by Open Source Initiative-aligned projects. Development milestones intersect with releases of macOS, iOS, and major browser updates from Apple Inc. and partner vendors.
Adoption and Usage Examples
WebKit2 underpins browsers and embedded web views shipped by Apple Inc. in Safari for macOS and iOS, and is used in third-party applications that embed web content on platforms by Apple Inc. and others. Port maintainers in KDE and GNOME leverage WebKit2 in projects like Konqueror and Epiphany, while vendors such as Samsung Electronics, Intel Corporation, LG Electronics, and Sony Corporation integrate it into smart TV and embedded device UIs. Academic and industry research from Carnegie Mellon University and MIT often uses WebKit2 as a testbed for studies in browser security, performance, and standards compliance.