Editing K-Meleon (section)

== History ==

Christophe Thibault started the K-Meleon project in the 2000s,<ref name="Mook2000">{{cite news |url=http://www.betanews.com/article/KMeleon_Browser_Showcases_Gecko/966933295 |title=K-Meleon Browser Showcases Gecko |work=BetaNews |publisher=BetaNews, Inc. |date=22 August 2000 |access-date=8 November 2011 |last=Mook |first=Nate |archive-date=9 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090209060714/http://www.betanews.com/article/KMeleon_Browser_Showcases_Gecko/966933295 |url-status=live}}</ref> when many new browsers were launched.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=McCracken |first=Harry |title=For Browsers, the Best of Times is Now |magazine=[[PC World]] |publisher=[[International Data Group]] |pages=15 |date=March 2007}}</ref> To open-source their once-dominant [[Netscape Communicator]] Internet suite, [[Netscape]] founded the [[Mozilla]] project.<ref name="Dunsdon2000">{{cite news |title=Rebel Web browsers worth considering |last=Dunsdon |first=Nicole |date=11 October 2000 |page=TB4 |newspaper=Calgary Herald}}</ref> K-Meleon was one of several browsers to use Mozilla's browser engine [[Gecko (software)|Gecko]].<ref name="Boswell2002">{{cite book |title=Creating Applications with Mozilla |chapter-url=https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/creating-applications-with/9780596000523/05_chapter-01.html |access-date=2 February 2023 |chapter=Mozilla as Platform |publisher=[[O'Reilly Media]] |date=24 September 2002 |editor=Boswell, David |last1=Boswell |first1=David |last2=King |first2=Brian |last3=Oeschger |first3=Ian |last4=Collins |first4=Pete |last5=Murhpy |first5=Eric |page=7 |archive-date=February 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230202062215/https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/creating-applications-with/9780596000523/05_chapter-01.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Thibault designed K-Meleon to combine Gecko with native Windows interface elements, an approach that was less resource-intensive and allowed the browser to blend into its environment.<ref name="Blanco2005">{{cite web |first=Elena |last=Blanco |url=http://www.oss-watch.ac.uk/resources/webbrowser.xml#body.1_div.5 |title=Open source and the web browser |work=[[OSS Watch]] |publisher=[[University of Oxford]] |access-date=8 November 2011 |date=1 March 2005 |archive-date=29 May 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100529224825/http://www.oss-watch.ac.uk/resources/webbrowser.xml#body.1_div.5 |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Embedding Gecko ===
[[File:KM 0 2 Manual.png|alt=Screenshot of K-Meleon with a right-click menu|thumb|left|K-Meleon 0.2]]

Christophe Thibault released K-Meleon 0.1 on August 21, 2000.<ref name = "Foley2000" /> While working at [[Nullsoft]],<ref name="Billet2000">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.01net.com/actualites/k-meleon-un-internet-explorer-en-code-libre-117663.html |title=K-Meleon, un Internet Explorer en code libre |language=fr |trans-title=K-Meleon, an open-source Internet Explorer |date=24 August 2000 |last=Antonin |first=Billet |magazine=01net |access-date=23 August 2023}}</ref> Thibault said he created the first simple release to attract attention, during a day off.<ref name="Jark2001">{{cite news |url=http://www.dmusic.com/news/news.php?id=2985 |title=K-Meleon Owns Netscape's Gecko |work=Dimension Music |publisher=Lynx Technology Group |date=22 August 2000 |access-date=9 September 2022 |last=Jarkoff |first=Scott |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010108021200/http://www.dmusic.com/news/news.php?id=2985 |archive-date=8 January 2001 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Mook2000"/> For the 0.2 release, he implemented features like [[context menu]]s and moved development to [[SourceForge]] to welcome contributions from [[Open-source software development|open-source developers]].<ref>{{cite news |title=K-Meleon Makes Second Appearance |last=Mook |first=Nate |year=2001 |url=https://betanews.com/2000/11/26/k-meleon-makes-second-appearance/ |publisher=BetaNews, Inc. |work=BetaNews |access-date=14 March 2023 |archive-date=March 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230315040423/https://betanews.com/2000/11/26/k-meleon-makes-second-appearance/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

Thibault handed the project over to new developers,<ref><!-- K-Meleon developer -->{{cite web |last=Spaeth |first=Sebastian |date=13 February 2001 |title=Release Notes |url=http://sourceforge.net/project/shownotes.php?release_id=23692 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010816124523/http://sourceforge.net/project/shownotes.php?release_id=23692 |archive-date=16 August 2001 |access-date=14 January 2023 |website=[[SourceForge]]}}</ref> including Brian Harris, Sebastian Spaeth, Jeff Doozan, and Ulf Erikson,<ref name="Erikson2000s8">{{cite book |title=K-Meleon User's Guide and Reference Manual |last1=Erikson |first1=Ulf |last2=Holman |last3=Mutch |last4=Moses |last5=Sachner |last6=Zarneth |publisher=K-Meleon Documentation Project |access-date=22 December 2022 |archive-date=25 August 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070825203611/http://kmeleon.sourceforge.net/manual/miscellany.html#ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS |url-status=live |date=2002 |chapter=§ 8.1 Acknowledgements |chapter-url=https://kmeleon.sourceforge.net/manual/miscellany.html#ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS}}</ref> who began implementing browser functions through modular [[Library (computing)|Kplugins]].<ref><!-- K-Meleon developer -->{{cite mailing list |mailing-list=kmeleon-dev@lists.sourceforge.net |date=31 January 2001 |last=Harris |first=Brian |title=Re:News |url=http://sourceforge.net/mailarchive/forum.php?forum_id=2617&max_rows=25&style=nested&viewmonth=200101 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021127145428/http://sourceforge.net/mailarchive/forum.php?forum_id=2617&max_rows=25&style=nested&viewmonth=200101 |archive-date=27 November 2002}}</ref> The K-Meleon team released new versions with [[Pop-up blocker|pop-up blocking]] and [[Cookie (software)|cookie]] management.<ref name="Blasko2001">{{cite news |last1=Blasko |first1=Larry |title=K-Meleon: Lean, mean Web browser |work=[[USA Today]] |url=https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/review/2001/12/06/spotlight.htm |access-date=14 March 2022 |date=6 December 2001 |archive-date=18 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221118124114/https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/review/2001/12/06/spotlight.htm |url-status=live}}</ref> These releases introduced text-based configuration files called configs that allowed users to customize the browser or hide interface elements,<ref>{{cite book |title=K-Meleon User's Guide and Reference Manual |last1=Erikson |first1=Ulf |last2=Holman |last3=Mutch |last4=Moses |last5=Sachner |last6=Zarneth |publisher=K-Meleon Documentation Project |access-date=22 December 2022 |archive-date=21 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180521041310/http://kmeleon.sourceforge.net/manual/configs.html |url-status=live |date=2002 |chapter=§ 4.6 Configs |chapter-url=https://kmeleon.sourceforge.net/manual/configs.html}}</ref><ref name="Ventura2002" /> and a macro language to extend the browser.<ref><!-- K-Meleon developer -->{{cite mailing list |last=Doozan |first=Jeff |title=New plugin allows users to define macros |date=31 March 2001 |mailing-list=kmeleon-dev@lists.sourceforge.net |url=http://sourceforge.net/mailarchive/forum.php?forum_id=2617&max_rows=25&style=nested&viewmonth=200103 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021127150218/http://sourceforge.net/mailarchive/forum.php?forum_id=2617&max_rows=25&style=nested&viewmonth=200103 |archive-date=27 November 2002}}</ref><ref name="Shareef2022" /> Early reviews described K-Meleon as small, fast, limited, and visually similar to Internet Explorer.<ref name="Mook2000"/><ref name="Foley2000"/><ref name="Billet2000"/>

K-Meleon was built with open-source code from Mozilla but its narrower focus offered advantages over the Mozilla Application Suite,<ref name="Blasko2001" /> which bundled the browser with applications for [[Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups|email]], [[Newsreader (Usenet)|news]], [[online chat|chat]], and [[Mozilla Composer|webpage editing]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Mozilla Milestone 1.0: the Review |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021217021534/http://arstechnica.com/reviews/02q3/mozilla.1/moz-5.html |work=[[Ars Technica]] |publisher=[[Condé Nast]] |archive-date=17 December 2002 |url=http://arstechnica.com/reviews/02q3/mozilla.1/moz-5.html |last1=Mackey |first1=Kurt |last2=Aeirould |access-date=21 December 2022 |date=31 July 2002}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.seamonkey-project.org/ |title=The SeaMonkey Project |author=SeaMonkey Council |work=Seamonkey-project.org |access-date=17 July 2013 |archive-date=December 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201206172203/http://www.seamonkey-project.org/ |url-status=live}}</ref> To create a stand-alone browser, the [[Galeon (web browser)|Galeon]] project embedded Mozilla's rendering engine. Galeon was released for Linux using [[GNOME]]'s widget toolkit [[GTK]].<ref>{{cite news |work=[[The Register]] |url=https://www.theregister.com/2001/11/26/galeon_zips_while_mozilla_slips/ |publisher=Situation Publishing |last=Orlowski |first=Andrew |title=Galeon zips while Mozilla slips |date=26 November 2001 |access-date=9 September 2022 |archive-date=10 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220910203007/https://www.theregister.com/2001/11/26/galeon_zips_while_mozilla_slips/ |url-status=live}}</ref> K-Meleon brought a similar approach to Windows<ref>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140607171836/http://www.oreillynet.com/mozilla/2002/09/12/mozilla_browsers.html |archive-date=7 June 2014 |url=http://www.oreillynet.com/mozilla/2002/09/12/mozilla_browsers.html |title=Mozilla Browsers |publisher=[[O'Reilly Media]] |access-date=22 December 2022 |last1=Boswell |first1=David}}</ref> using the operating system's [[Windows API#Versions|native]] [[application programming interface]] (API) to create a lightweight [[user interface]] (UI).<ref name="Blanco2005" /> The K-Meleon developers released a stand-alone web browser for Windows two years before the Firefox [[alpha release]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/mozilla-browser-gets-some-bite/ |title=Mozilla browser gets some bite |website=[[CNET]] |publisher=CNET Networks |last=Olsen |first=Stephanie |date=25 September 2002 |access-date=9 September 2022 |archive-date=10 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220910203003/https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/mozilla-browser-gets-some-bite/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Mozilla created user interfaces via their cross-platform [[XML]] User Interface Language ([[XUL]]) layer.<ref>{{cite interview |last=Collins |first=Scott |title=Ars Technica sits down with Scott Collins from Mozilla.org |url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2004/06/collins-interview/2/ |work=Ars Technica |interviewer=Jorge O. Castro |page=2 |access-date=March 21, 2023 |archive-date=February 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210203152509/https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2004/06/collins-interview/2/ |url-status=live}}</ref> This technology used Gecko to lay out application interfaces.<ref name="Boswell2002" /> XUL allowed Mozilla to build one application for multiple operating systems but generated [[Graphical widget|graphical controls]] that did not match the rest of the system.<ref name="Mackey2002">{{cite news |title=Mozilla Milestone 1.0: the Review |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021208093815/http://arstechnica.com/reviews/02q3/mozilla.1/moz-1.html |work=[[Ars Technica]] |publisher=[[Condé Nast]] |archive-date=8 December 2002 |url=http://arstechnica.com/reviews/02q3/mozilla.1/moz-1.html |last1=Mackey |first1=Kurt |last2=Aeirould |access-date=21 December 2022 |date=31 July 2002}}</ref> K-Meleon was smaller and more closely integrated into the Windows desktop than Mozilla's browser, and could use the native [[Bookmark (digital)|bookmarking]] system to access [[Internet Explorer]]'s favorites.<ref name = "Foley2000" >{{cite news |first=Mary Jo |last=Foley |work=[[ZDNet]] |date=22 August 2000 |url=https://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2618357,00.html |title=K-Meleon browser part Mozilla, part IE |publisher=ZDNet News |access-date=5 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011108120218/https://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2618357,00.html |archive-date=8 November 2001 |url-status=dead}}</ref>{{efn|This approach of embedding Gecko into a native interface was also used by [[Camino (web browser)|Camino]] on [[macOS]].<ref name="Boswell2002" />}}

[[File:KM 0 7.png|thumb|alt=Screenshot of K-Meleon with a popup box that reads Hello World|K-Meleon 0.7 with a simple [["Hello, World!" program|"Hello World"]] macro, the optional [[Tango Desktop Project|Tango]] theme, and several [[NPAPI]] plugins installed]]

K-Meleon 0.7 was released with the Mozilla 1.0 engine in October 2002.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://mozillazine.org/articles/article2309.html |last=Boswell |first=David |title=Independent Status Reports |website=[[MozillaZine]] |access-date=10 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030105080930/http://mozillazine.org/articles/article2309.html |archive-date=5 January 2003 |url-status=live}}</ref> Despite [[AOL]] disbanding [[Upstream (software development)|upstream]] parent company [[Netscape]] in 2003, the development of K-Meleon continued. Mozilla continued work on Gecko, and K-Meleon was updated with [[service pack]]s and version 0.8.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.mozillazine.org/articles/article4138.html |title=MozillaZine Review of the Year 2003 |date=31 December 2003 |work=[[MozillaZine]] |access-date=1 January 2023 |archive-date=1 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230101080915/http://www.mozillazine.org/articles/article4138.html |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2005, Ulf Erikson announced version 0.9 would be the final version of K-Meleon he would build. He was the project's developer but stated he was no longer using K-Meleon as his primary browser after moving to [[Linux]].<ref>{{cite mailing list |title=K-Meleon: Dead or Alive? |date=8 January 2005 |access-date=17 September 2022 |url=http://kmeleonbrowser.org/forum/read.php?1,31321,31338#msg-31338 |last=Erikson |first=Ulf |mailing-list=kmeleon-dev@lists.sourceforge.net |archive-date=18 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221218170123/http://kmeleonbrowser.org/forum/read.php?1,31321,31338#msg-31338 |url-status=live}}</ref> In January 2006, Dorian Boissonnade became the lead developer and began working towards a 1.0 release.<ref><!-- K-Meleon developer -->{{cite mailing list |title=Future K-Meleon 1.0 |date=16 January 2006 |access-date=17 September 2022 |url=https://sourceforge.net/mailarchive/forum.php?forum_id=2617 |last=Boissonnade |first=Dorian |mailing-list=kmeleon-dev@lists.sourceforge.net |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060610233306/https://sourceforge.net/mailarchive/forum.php?forum_id=2617 |archive-date=10 June 2006 |url-status=dead}} Quoted by co-developer Hao Jiang: {{cite web |title=[Kmeleon-dev] Future K-Meleon 1.0 |url=http://kmeleonbrowser.org/forum/read.php?1,35235,35235#msg-35235 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221229030213/http://kmeleonbrowser.org/forum/read.php?1,35235,35235#msg-35235 |archive-date=29 December 2022}}</ref><ref name="Asian2014">{{cite news |url=https://www.muypymes.com/2014/06/09/cinco-navegadores-web-alternativos |title=Cinco navegadores web alternativos que deberías probar alguna vez |language=es |date=9 June 2014 |last=Asián |first=Arantxa |publisher=Total Publishing Network S.A. |access-date=18 March 2023 |trans-title=Five alternative web browsers that you should try out sometime |archive-date=March 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230318073025/https://www.muypymes.com/2014/06/09/cinco-navegadores-web-alternativos |url-status=live}}</ref>

K-Meleon 1.0 was released in July 2006 and made the browser fully translatable.{{efn|Previous versions could be translated because they were [[open-source]]. The [[source code]] could be downloaded, the source files translated, the browser code recompiled, and the resulting application distributed under an open-source license.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=Multilingual Computing & Technology |volume=16 |date=28 December 2004 |last=Pogson |first=Geoff |title=Computing in Welsh |publisher=MultiLingual Media LLC |issue=69 |pages=37–40}}</ref>}} It stored localizations in separate library-and-config files within existing K-Meleon installations. Parts of the browser could be translated in a text editor.<ref name="Kohler2007menus"><!-- K-Meleon developer -->{{cite book |title=K-Meleon 1.x Reference |chapter-url=http://freenet-homepage.de/CoolMcKluus/software/kmeleon/project/reference/localization/menus.html |access-date=9 February 2023 |date=14 May 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070528032553/http://freenet-homepage.de/CoolMcKluus/software/kmeleon/project/reference/localization/menus.html |archive-date=28 May 2007 |last=Kohler |first=Klaus |chapter=How to localize K-Meleon's menus, macros and toolbars}}</ref> K-Meleon 1.0 maintained support for its existing system of text-based configuration files and introduced a new graphical interface to change [[Computer configuration|preferences]] from within the browser.<ref>{{cite news |title=K-Meleon – инсталация и настройки |last=Karaboychev |first=Kalin |date=14 July 2008 |work=Kaldata |access-date=31 December 2022 |language=bg |publisher=Kaldeita Kom EOOD |url=https://www.kaldata.com/%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B2%D1%8E%D1%82%D0%B0/%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%84%D1%82%D1%83%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%B8-%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B2%D1%8E%D1%82%D0%B0/k-meleon-%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D0%B8-%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%82%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B9%D0%BA%D0%B8-244.html |archive-date=31 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221231073600/https://www.kaldata.com/%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B2%D1%8E%D1%82%D0%B0/%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%84%D1%82%D1%83%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%B8-%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B2%D1%8E%D1%82%D0%B0/k-meleon-%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D0%B8-%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%82%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B9%D0%BA%D0%B8-244.html |url-status=live}} (Refer to the visual tour of the "Advanced Preferences" panel.)</ref><ref name="Asian2014" />

Version 1.1 expanded the macro system. Earlier versions placed all of the macros into a single config file. Initial releases came with fewer than 50 lines of macro code and instructions for end users to create their own macros.<ref name="Kohler2007news"><!-- K-Meleon developer -->{{cite book |title=K-Meleon 1.x Reference |chapter-url=http://kmeleon.sourceforge.net/manual/index.html |access-date=9 February 2023 |date=9 May 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090924024425/http://freenet-homepage.de/CoolMcKluus/software/kmeleon/project/reference/ |archive-date=24 September 2009 |last=Kohler |first=Klaus |chapter=What's new?}}</ref> Later versions came with over 1,000 lines of macro code, and the macros users wrote and shared online. In response, K-Meleon developers separated macros into modules.<ref name="FileInfo">{{cite web |title=K-Meleon Macro Module |date=12 August 2009 |publisher=Sharpened Productions |work=FileInfo – The File Extensions Database |url=https://fileinfo.com/extension/kmm |access-date=March 18, 2023 |archive-date=March 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230318040020/https://fileinfo.com/extension/kmm |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Kohler2007news" /> Version 1.5 introduced a true tabbed interface.<ref name="Asian2014" />{{efn|Previously used in unofficial builds, true tabs supported [[drag and drop]], could have individual close [[Icon (computing)|icons]], and could be placed on the bottom of the window.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.mydrivers.com/1/130/130662.htm |work=MyDrivers.com |publisher=驱动之家 |title=快速网页浏览器K-MeleonCCF ME 0.094版 |last1=Wang |first1=Mao |trans-quote=K-MeleonCCF is an unofficial K-Meleon version that comes from the K-Meleon 1.0 branch. The biggest difference between the latest CCF version and the latest K-Meleon official version is that the CCF version supports "true tab structure" (developed by Dorian). [...] K-MeleonCCF ME version 0.09 can display a close button on each tab, and the tab bar can be placed at the bottom of the window. |quote=K-MeleonCCF是一个非官方K-Meleon版本，源自K-Meleon 1.0 branch。最新CCF版与最新K-Meleon 官方版间最大的不同在于CCF版支持"real tab structure"（由Dorian开发）。[...]  K-MeleonCCF ME 0.09版本的标签上可以显示关闭按钮, 标签栏可以置于窗口的下方。 |date=23 August 2009 |access-date=23 December 2022 |archive-date=23 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221223235316/https://news.mydrivers.com/1/130/130662.htm |url-status=live}}</ref>}}

In Europe, version 1.5 was an optional default Windows browser through Microsoft's [[BrowserChoice.eu|browser ballot]]. Due to accusations of abusing its market position to promote Internet Explorer, Microsoft introduced a browser ballot in the [[European Economic Area]] (EEA).<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2009/dec/16/microsoft-eu-browser-settlement |title=EU drops Microsoft browser charges with agreement on 'ballot screen' |work=[[The Guardian]] |last=Schofield |first=Jack |date=16 December 2009 |access-date=9 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091219205212/http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2009/dec/16/microsoft-eu-browser-settlement |archive-date=19 December 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> By 2010, it offered Windows users a choice of the 12 most popular web browsers, including K-Meleon.<ref>{{cite news |publisher=BBC |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8537763.stm |title=Microsoft offers browser choices to Europeans |date=1 March 2010 |last=Cellan-Jones |first=Rory |access-date=9 September 2022 |archive-date=30 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180830030629/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8537763.stm |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== 7x releases ===

In 2011, Mozilla ended support for embedding the Gecko layout engine; because K-Meleon had previously relied on this API, the browser's future became uncertain.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.h-online.com/open/news/item/Mozilla-kills-embedding-support-for-Gecko-layout-engine-Update-1218990.html |title=Mozilla kills embedding support for Gecko layout engine |work=The H Open: News and Features |access-date=10 September 2016 |date=31 March 2011 |publisher=[[Heinz Heise|Heise Media]] |last=Walker-Morgan |first=DJ |archive-date=13 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121113144301/http://www.h-online.com/open/news/item/Mozilla-kills-embedding-support-for-Gecko-layout-engine-Update-1218990.html |url-status=live}}</ref>{{efn|The situation also left the future of other embedded Gecko browsers unclear. Camino's developers initially explored transitioning to the [[WebKit]] rendering engine.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2011/04/webkit-best-option-for-camino-as-mozilla-drops-gecko-embedding/ |work=[[Ars Technica]] |publisher=[[Condé Nast]] |last=Foresman |first=Chris |date=1 April 2011 |title=WebKit best option for Camino as Mozilla drops Gecko embedding |access-date=21 December 2022 |archive-date=22 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221222005204/https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2011/04/webkit-best-option-for-camino-as-mozilla-drops-gecko-embedding/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Mozilla later discontinued the Mac-only browser.<ref name="Murphy2013">{{cite news |title=Mac 'Camino' Web Browser Gets Put Out to Pasture |last=Murphy |first=David |date=1 June 2013 |website=[[PCMag|PC Magazine]] |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |access-date=22 December 2022 |url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/mac-camino-web-browser-gets-put-out-to-pasture |archive-date=December 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221222164053/https://www.pcmag.com/news/mac-camino-web-browser-gets-put-out-to-pasture |url-status=live}}</ref> Marco Gritti, the lead developer of Galeon, had already forked that project to create [[GNOME Web]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.linux.com/news/galeon-epiphany-ready-reunion/ |title=Galeon, Epiphany ready for a reunion |last=Feller |first=Stephen |date=7 December 2005 |publisher=The Linux Foundation |work=Linux.com |access-date=20 March 2023 |archive-date=March 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230320075949/https://www.linux.com/news/galeon-epiphany-ready-reunion/ |url-status=live}}</ref> which was switched to a [[WebKit]] [[Back end (computing)|backend]]. GNOME Web developer Christian Persch described Mozilla's support for embedding of Gecko on Linux as "unmaintained and stagnant".<ref>{{cite mailing list |url=https://mail.gnome.org/archives/epiphany-list/2008-April/msg00000.html |date=1 April 2008 |title=ANNOUNCEMENT: The Future of Epiphany |last=Persch |first=Chris |access-date=28 August 2022 |publisher=GNOME Project |mailing-list=Gnome Development Announcements List |archive-date=22 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220822212738/https://mail.gnome.org/archives/epiphany-list/2008-April/msg00000.html |url-status=live}}</ref>}} In 2013, after years without an official, stable release, the K-Meleon group began developing version 74.<ref name="Asian2014" /> While Mozilla had ended support for embedding of Gecko, it maintained a technology called [[XULRunner]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Learning HTML5 Game Programming |last=Williams |first=James Lamar |page=217 |date=2012 |isbn=9780321767363 |publisher=[[Addison-Wesley]]}}</ref> XULRunner was a stand-alone implementation of the Gecko engine designed to launch applications.<ref>{{cite book |page=374 |quote=XULRunner is a deployment method that uses the stand-alone Gecko runtime engine (also known as XULRunner) to launch XUL applications. |title=Programming Firefox |last=Feldt |first=Kenneth |date=9 February 2009 |publisher=[[O'Reilly Media]]}}</ref> K-Meleon 74 used XULRunner instead of Mozilla's deprecated embedding software.<ref><!-- K-Meleon developer -->{{cite web |url=http://kmeleonbrowser.org/forum/read.php?1,125632 |title=Anyone still using kmeleon? |access-date=10 September 2016 |last=Boissonnade |first=Dorian |date=3 November 2013 |archive-date=13 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220913030429/http://kmeleonbrowser.org/forum/read.php?1,125632 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Asian2014" /> Outside the new engine, version 74 brought small improvements, including better CPU use and minor bug fixes.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.pcworld.pl/ftp/pc_114420/K-Meleon-74-beta-4.html |title=K-Meleon 74 beta 4 |last=Tur |first=Henryk |work=[[PC World]] |publisher=[[International Data Group]] |date=6 March 2014 |access-date=30 December 2022 |language=pl |archive-date=31 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221231054057/https://www.pcworld.pl/ftp/pc_114420/K-Meleon-74-beta-4.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

K-Meleon 75 included a [[spelling checker]], form auto-completion, and a new skin system.<ref name="Razvan2014">{{cite news |url=https://www.neowin.net/software/k-meleon-75-beta-1/ |title=K-Meleon 75 Beta 1 |last=Serea |first=Razvan |website=[[Neowin]] |publisher=Neowin LLC |date=26 November 2014 |access-date=21 December 2022 |archive-date=22 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221222030404/https://www.neowin.net/software/k-meleon-75-beta-1/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Boissonnade751"><!-- K-Meleon developer -->{{cite web |url=http://kmeleonbrowser.org/changelog.txt |title=K-Meleon Changelog |last=Boissonnade |first=Dorian |access-date=29 August 2022 |archive-date=13 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220913034453/http://kmeleonbrowser.org/changelog.txt |url-status=live}}</ref> Boissonnade began work on version 76 but suffered a [[hard disk drive failure]] during beta testing.<ref><!-- K-Meleon developer -->{{cite web |url=http://kmeleonbrowser.org/forum/read.php?8,138447,140501#msg-140501 |last=Boissonnade |first=Dorian |title=K-Meleon 76 RC |access-date=22 December 2022 |date=20 December 2016 |archive-date=22 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221222173419/http://kmeleonbrowser.org/forum/read.php?8,138447,140501#msg-140501 |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Goanna branch ===
[[File:K-MeleonThemeComparison.png|thumb|alt=Two screenshots of K-Meleon with different appearances drawn from the windows theme|Two screenshots of K-Meleon 76 with the same K-Meleon theme but different system themes]]

Active development on K-Meleon takes place using [[Goanna (software)|Goanna]],<ref>{{cite news |last=López |first=José María |work=hipertextual |publisher=Hipertextual SL |url=https://hipertextual.com/2022/03/navegadores-ligeros-ordenadores-viejos |title=Navegadores web minimalistas y ligeros para ordenadores viejos |language=es |trans-title=Minimalist and Lightweight Web Browsers for Old Computers |date=10 March 2022 |access-date=29 August 2022 |archive-date=29 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220829051836/https://hipertextual.com/2022/03/navegadores-ligeros-ordenadores-viejos |url-status=live}}</ref> a fork of Gecko created for the browser [[Pale Moon]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://betanews.com/2016/01/26/pale-moon-adopts-new-goanna-browser-engine-fine-tunes-interface/ |title=Pale Moon adopts new Goanna browser engine, fine-tunes interface |last=Peers |first=Nick |date=2016 |work=BetaNews |publisher=BetaNews, Inc. |access-date=17 March 2023 |archive-date=March 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230318040020/https://betanews.com/2016/01/26/pale-moon-adopts-new-goanna-browser-engine-fine-tunes-interface/ |url-status=live}}</ref> With [[Gecko (software)#Quantum|Firefox Quantum]], Mozilla rewrote large parts of its browser engine.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/1/25/14376710/walt-mossberg-mozilla-firefox-browser-revived |website=[[The Verge]] |last=Mossberg |first=Walt |title=What's up with Firefox, the browser that time forgot? |date=26 January 2017 |access-date=19 December 2022 |archive-date=19 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221219074006/https://www.theverge.com/2017/1/25/14376710/walt-mossberg-mozilla-firefox-browser-revived |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2017, Roy Tam forked K-Meleon 76 to run on Goanna.<ref name="Roytam2017"><!-- K-Meleon developer -->{{cite web |url=http://kmeleonbrowser.org/forum/read.php?19,143253 |title=K-Meleon 76 on Goanna 3.4.2 |author=Roy Tam |date=28 November 2017 |access-date=19 March 2023 |archive-date=March 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230303033127/http://kmeleonbrowser.org/forum/read.php?19,143253 |url-status=live}}</ref> The project's former lead developer Boissonnade wrote; "Thanks for taking care of that little lizard [after I] left it".<ref><!-- K-Meleon developer -->{{cite web |url=http://kmeleonbrowser.org/forum/read.php?19,143253,143702#msg-143702 |last=Boissonnade |first=Dorian |title=[TEST BUILD] K-Meleon 76 on Goanna 3.4.1 |date=10 December 2017 |access-date=10 September 2022 |archive-date=10 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220910203008/http://kmeleonbrowser.org/forum/read.php?19,143253,143702#msg-143702 |url-status=live}}</ref> K-Meleon on Goanna remains compatible with deprecated versions of Windows and can run with smaller amounts of RAM than those required by mainstream web browsers.<ref name="Shareef2022">{{cite news |last=Shareef |first=Tashreef |date=30 March 2022 |title=The 7 Best Browsers for Old and Low-End Computers |url=https://www.makeuseof.com/best-browsers-old-low-end-computers/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220813070712/https://www.makeuseof.com/best-browsers-old-low-end-computers/ |archive-date=13 August 2022 |access-date=13 August 2022 |publisher=MUO |work=MakeUseOf.com}}</ref> K-Meleon has lower memory requirements than other low-resource browsers.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://windowsreport.com/best-browser-low-memory/ |title=Which Browser Uses the Least RAM? |last=Stanojevic |first=Milan |date=1 November 2022 |access-date=30 January 2023 |archive-date=January 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230130085707/https://windowsreport.com/best-browser-low-memory/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

K-Meleon is updated on a [[rolling release]] schedule.<ref name="Roytam2023"><!-- K-Meleon developer -->{{cite web |url=http://kmeleonbrowser.org/forum/read.php?19,154431 |title=K-Meleon 76.4.7 on Goanna 3.5.0 |author=Roy Tam |access-date=5 January 2023 |date=2023 |archive-date=17 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220517084951/http://kmeleonbrowser.org/forum/read.php?19,154431 |url-status=live}}</ref> By default, the browser is a multi-lingual portable application that can directly run from the host computer or removable media.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.adslzone.net/listas/mejores-programas/programas-portables-sin-instalacion/ |language=es |title=Sin instalación y para llevar: Los mejores programas portables |first=Rocío |last=García |date=9 March 2022 |access-date=3 September 2022 |archive-date=4 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220904051605/https://www.adslzone.net/listas/mejores-programas/programas-portables-sin-instalacion/ |url-status=live}}</ref> It is also included in the [[PortableApps.com]] repository.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://portableapps.com/news/2022-08-08--k-meleon-portable-76.4.6-2022-08-06-released |title=K-Meleon Portable 76.4.6-2022-08-06 (lightweight, customizable browser) Released |last=Haller |first=John |date=8 August 2022 |access-date=19 December 2022 |archive-date=19 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221219074012/https://portableapps.com/news/2022-08-08--k-meleon-portable-76.4.6-2022-08-06-released |url-status=live}}</ref> By 2023, K-Meleon was not compatible with major web apps and social media sites.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.makeuseof.com/lightweight-windows-browsers/ |title=7 Lightweight Windows Browsers Tested for RAM Usage: Which Is the Best? |last=Abdul |first=Shan |website=MakeUseOf |date=13 November 2023}}</ref> As of October 2024, the final planned is release is version 76.5.5.<ref name="Roytam-2024"/>