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Ghostzilla

Discontinued	1.0.1-free-v1 / November 2002; 9 years ago  (2002-11)[1]
Operating system	Microsoft Windows[2]
Engine	Gecko[2]
Available in	English[3]
Development status	Abandoned
Type	Web browser[4]
License	Mozilla Public License 1.1[5]
Website	www.ghostzilla.com

Ghostzilla was an open source web browser for Microsoft Windows based on Mozilla Application Suite 1.0.1.^[1][4][2] It runs 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 one would expect in an email, leaving any passers-by with the impression the person was reading e-mail.^[6][4][7][8] When moving the mouse out of the window, the browser itself disappears.^[2]

History[link]

Originally launched as a shareware project priced at $19.95, the project subsequently became freeware and then open source.^{[citation needed]} 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 open source, excluding the core proprietary library used to create minimal pages and desaturated colors. It also came with warnings about the potential for misuse. In February 2007, the site was removed.

In March 2006, users of Firefox had the option of installing a free addon called Ghostfox, which aimed to mimic the behavior of Ghostzilla in Firefox,^[9] although from June 2010 this extension was no longer compatible with Firefox 3.5.^[10] An open source project, InstaBrowser, had appeared in July 2007, mimicking the ideas of Ghostzilla,^[11] and by September 2009 this project had been renamed Ninja Browser, but it, again, proved to be short-lived.^[12]

Features[link]

Ghostzilla is a browser which can be used directly of a CD or USB stick.^[13] Ghostzilla changes the layout of the web pages pending on the user preferences categorized into 6 different "stealth modes":^[13][14]

• only as simple text (without any CSS, advertisement, or pop-ups, etc.)^[13]
• images are also hidden or grayed out (and get colorful while moving the mouse over)

The user can change the preferences so that the navigation bar turn of.^[13] If the mouse gets out of the Ghostzilla window, Ghostzilla hides itself and can be again unhidden by a mouse gesture.^[13][3]

Further reading[link]

• Shantaram, Mahesh (27 November 2002). "Undercover Browser!". rediff.com. Archived from the original on 15 June 2006. http://web.archive.org/web/20060615231727/http://www.rediff.com/search/2002/nov/27ghost.htm. Retrieved 9 April 2012. 

References[link]

External links[link]

• Last ever archived version of Ghostzilla site.
• Final release of Ghostzilla.

• The Ghostfox extension at mozdev.org