Manjaro Linux Cinnamon switches from Firefox to Vivaldi for default web browser

Vivaldi may not be the most popular web browser when compared to Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox, for instance, but it is used by millions of people to surf the web every day -- that is still significant. Many of its users are privacy-focused and tech-savvy too. Best of all, the free Vivaldi web browser is available on all major desktop operating system platforms, including Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Speaking of Linux, today, Vivaldi is making huge news in that community, and the folks over at Mozilla are not going to like it. You see, the developers of the Arch Linux-based Manjaro Cinnamon operating system have decided to ditch Firefox as the default web browser, instead opting for Vivaldi. Wow!

"In our repos, Manjaro always provides the very latest version of Vivaldi, and thanks to direct developer contact we are now also able to include matching default themes for our editions To give Vivaldi more of the attention it deserves, I decided to include it as the default browser in our popular Cinnamon Community Edition. With its remarkable browsing speed, exceptional customizability, and especially the way it values user privacy, Vivaldi for me is a perfect match for Manjaro Linux," says Bernhard Landauer, Co-CEO of Manjaro.

Team Vivaldi explains, "Tightly integrated into the Manjaro Cinnamon desktop, Vivaldi's look and feel have been adapted and developed by Manjaro, making sure they have a browser that fits the desktop and can be trusted by Manjaro's users and community. Working closely together, Vivaldi and Manjaro are keeping a watchful eye for any issue or request with regards to the browser and worked on by the Vivaldi development team. Manjaro also has access to Vivaldi’s advanced configurations so that users get the full Vivaldi experience and speed, right there on their Linux desktop."

Does this mean that Manjaro Linux Cinnamon users are being forced to use Vivaldi? Not at all. It simply means that on a fresh installation of that specific operating system, Vivaldi will be installed by default instead of Firefox. Fans of Mozilla's web browser can still install it and then make it default if they choose.