Editing Ghostzilla

{{short description|Web browser}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox software
| name                    = Ghostzilla
| logo                    = Ghostzilla-logo.PNG
| logo_size               = 180px
| genre                   = [[Web browser]]<ref name="golem" />
| operating system        = [[Microsoft Windows]]<ref name="lifehacker" />
| latest release version  = 1.0.1-free-v1
| latest release date     = {{Start date and age|2002|11}}<ref name="mainpage" />
| license                 = [[Mozilla Public License]] 1.1<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060613105810/http://www.ghostzilla.com/source/index.html|access-date=8 April 2012|archive-date=13 June 2006 |url=http://www.ghostzilla.com/source/index.html|title=Ghostzilla Source|publisher=ghostzilla.com}}</ref>
| language                = English<ref name="pctipp" />
| engine                  = [[Gecko (layout engine)|Gecko]]<ref name="lifehacker" />
| discontinued            = yes
}}
'''Ghostzilla''' is a discontinued [[Open-source software|open source]] [[web browser]] for [[Microsoft Windows]] based on [[Mozilla Application Suite]] 1.0.1.<ref name="golem">{{Cite web|url=http://www.golem.de/0606/45887.html|language=de|title=Surfen unter dem Radar: Ghostzilla macht Browser unsichtbar|publisher=Golem.de|access-date=5 April 2012|date=14 June 2006|first=Andreas|last=Donath}}</ref><ref name="lifehacker">{{Cite web|url=http://lifehacker.com/179674/download-of-the-day-ghostzilla|access-date=8 April 2012|date=6 June 2006|publisher=[[Lifehacker]]|first=Adam|last=Pash|title=Download of the Day: Ghostzilla}}</ref><ref name="mainpage">{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060529002108/http://www.ghostzilla.com/|access-date=8 April 2012|archive-date=29 May 2006|url=http://www.ghostzilla.com/|title=Ghostzilla the invisible browser|publisher=ghostzilla.com}}</ref> It ran the browser inside the window space of another application (e.g. in [[Microsoft Outlook]]), where the page was then made to look like the content in an email.<ref name="golem" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ghostzilla.com/ghostzilla-large.gif |title=Archived copy |website=www.ghostzilla.com |access-date=13 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060529002302/http://www.ghostzilla.com/ghostzilla-large.gif |archive-date=29 May 2006 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=SLOAN|first=WANDA|title=Is that a browser in your pocket?|newspaper=Bangkok Post|date=11 October 2006|location=Thailand}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Ramesh|first=C.|title=Beyond browsing|newspaper=Business Line|date=2 July 2003|agency=Kasturi & Sons LTD}}</ref> When moving the cursor out of the window, the browser subsequently disappeared.<ref name="lifehacker" />

==History==
Ghostzilla was originally launched as a [[shareware]] project priced at US$19.95. The project then became [[freeware]] and later open source.{{citation needed|date=April 2012}} From May 2004 until January 2005, the project was removed from public view due to a copyright claim from [[Mozilla]]. It later returned with code directly derived from Mozilla's open source, excluding the core proprietary library used to create minimal pages and [[Colorfulness|desaturated]] colors. It also came with warnings about the potential for misuse. In February 2007, the site was removed.

In March 2006,<!--bad ref, but http://www.mirrorservice.org/sites/downloads.mozdev.org/ghostfox/ shows that date --> users of [[Firefox]] had the option of installing a free [[Add-on (Mozilla)|add-on]] called ''Ghostfox'', which aimed to mimic Ghostzilla's behavior in Firefox,<ref>{{Cite web|language=de|access-date=9 April 2012|url=http://www.netzwelt.de/news/75988-freeware-woche-ghostfox.html|title=Freeware der Woche: GhostFox|first=Moritz|last=Zielenkewitz|date=16 August 2007|publisher=Netzwelt}}</ref> although from June 2010 this extension was no longer compatible with Firefox 3.5.<ref>{{Cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100106084348/https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2278|archive-date=6 January 2010|date=30 December 2008|publisher=Mozilla|url=https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2278|access-date=8 April 2012|title=Ghostfox 0.2.2.1}}</ref> An open source project, ''InstaBrowser'', appeared in July 2007 mimicking Ghostzilla's ideas.<ref>{{Cite web|title=instabrowser|url=http://code.google.com/p/instabrowser/|access-date=9 April 2012|date=24 September 2009}}</ref> By September 2009 this project was renamed ''Ninja Browser'' but was again short-lived.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://pr.ojectblue.com/ninja-browser |access-date=9 April 2012 |title=Ninja Browser |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120607055725/http://pr.ojectblue.com/ninja-browser |archive-date=7 June 2012}}</ref>

==Features==
{{Quote box
 |quote  = Now you can hide what you're up to in full view of prying eyes as this web browser does its thing, mocking up your desktop furniture, files and trash bin while you're checking out the latest downloadable tunes.
 |source = --"Tech Heads", ''[[Daily Record (Scotland)|Daily Record]]'' (2002)<ref>{{cite news |last=Townley |first=Piers |title=Tech heads |url=https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-94705443 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807073324/https://questia.com/read/1G1-94705443/tech-heads |archive-date=7 August 2020 |access-date=8 August 2024 |newspaper=Daily Record (Scotland) |date=28 November 2002}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
 |width = 30%
 |align= right
 |bgcolor= #c6dbf7
}}
Ghostzilla is a browser which can be used directly from a CD or USB stick.<ref name="netzwelt" />
Ghostzilla changes the layout of the [[web page]]s pending on the user's preferences as categorized into 6 different "stealth modes":<ref name="netzwelt">{{Cite web|url=http://www.netzwelt.de/news/74236-ghostzilla-surfen-ohne-neugierige-blicke.html|language=de|title=Ghostzilla: Surfen ohne neugierige Blicke|access-date=8 April 2012|first=Christian|last=Rentrop|date=14 June 2006|publisher=[[Netzwelt]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www004.upp.so-net.ne.jp/kedo/dataroom/ghostzilla/ghostzilla.html|access-date=8 April 2012|title=Ghostzilla|author=Shigecky|language=ja|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120430105910/http://www004.upp.so-net.ne.jp/kedo/dataroom/ghostzilla/ghostzilla.html|archive-date=30 April 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*As simple text (without any [[Cascading Style Sheets|CSS]], advertisement, or [[pop-up ad|pop-ups]]).<ref name="netzwelt" />
*Images are hidden or grayed out.

Users can change their preferences so that the navigation bar turns off.<ref name="netzwelt" />
If the cursor is placed outside the Ghostzilla window, Ghostzilla hides itself and can be viewed again by a [[mouse gesture]].<ref name="pctipp">{{Cite web |url=http://www.pctipp.ch/news/betriebssysteme/33498/ghostzilla_der_unsichtbare_browser.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131111210250/http://www.pctipp.ch/news/betriebssysteme/artikel/ghostzilla-der-unsichtbare-browser-33498/ |archive-date=11 November 2013 |access-date=8 August 2024 |title=Ghostzilla der unsichtbare |trans-title=Ghostzilla the Invisible Browser |language=de |first=Sascha |last=Zäch |date=16 June 2006 |publisher={{interlanguage link|PCtipp|de}}}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name="netzwelt" />

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{Cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060615231727/http://www.rediff.com/search/2002/nov/27ghost.htm|archive-date=15 June 2006|url=http://www.rediff.com/search/2002/nov/27ghost.htm|work=[[rediff.com]]|first=Mahesh|last=Shantaram|date=27 November 2002|access-date=9 April 2012|title=Undercover Browser!}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060529002108/http://www.ghostzilla.com/ Last archived version of Ghostzilla site.]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070322014818/http://www.sachsreport.com/GhostzillaCD-1.0.1-free-v1.zip Final release of Ghostzilla.]
*[http://ghostfox.mozdev.org The Ghostfox extension] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081014170756/http://ghostfox.mozdev.org/ |date=14 October 2008 }} at [[mozdev.org]]

{{Web browsers|desktop}}

[[Category:2002 software]]
[[Category:Discontinued web browsers]]
[[Category:Free web browsers]]
[[Category:Mozilla]]
[[Category:Portable software]]