What is chromium.googlesource.com (chromium Git repositories)?

Updated

chromium.googlesource.com is the Git repository hosting and browsing site for Chromium-related source code on Google's googlesource.com infrastructure. It is a code access and reference site, not a product or service page. Its landing page lists repositories by name and description, including ChromiumOS forks of AOSP projects, and marks some entries as MOVED when code has been relocated or merged elsewhere.

What the site is for

The site gives you a directory of Git repositories. Each entry has a name and a short description, so you can locate the source tree you need before cloning or browsing it. Typical uses are:

  • Finding the canonical repository for a Chromium component or a ChromiumOS fork of an Android/AOSP project.
  • Checking whether a repository still lives at its old path or has been moved.
  • Getting the exact repository name to use in a clone URL or code search.

The page itself is a listing, not documentation. It does not explain how to build Chromium or how to contribute; it tells you which repositories exist and what they contain.

How to read the repository list

The list is organized by repository name, with a description column. Names follow path-like conventions, which tells you something about origin:

Name pattern What it usually indicates
aosp/platform/... ChromiumOS forks or mirrors of AOSP projects, often linked back to android.googlesource.com
chromiumos/... ChromiumOS-specific repositories
Plain names such as angle, android_ndk, android_tools Standalone projects or tooling used by Chromium

Descriptions frequently name the upstream source, for example a fork of https://android.googlesource.com/platform/system/core/. That upstream reference is the fastest way to confirm whether you want the ChromiumOS fork or the original AOSP tree.

Handling MOVED entries

Several entries carry a (MOVED) marker. The description then states where the code went, in one of a few forms:

  • Merged into another path, e.g. merged into src/platform2/chromeos-dbus-bindings/.
  • Renamed, e.g. renamed to platform/external/libbrillo/.
  • Moved back to a ChromiumOS host path, e.g. back to chromiumos/platform/minijail.

If you are about to clone a repository and its entry says MOVED, use the destination named in the description instead. Cloning the old path may still work as a redirect or may be stale; the description is the authoritative pointer on this page.

Practical example

Suppose you need the ChromiumOS fork of Android's system/core. On the listing you find aosp/platform/system/core with the description "ChromiumOS fork of https://android.googlesource.com/platform/system/core/". You now know two things: the repository name to use under chromium.googlesource.com, and the upstream project it derives from. If instead you were looking for libchrome, you would see aosp/platform/external/libchrome marked MOVED to chromiumos/platform/libchrome, and you would go to the latter.

Limits to keep in mind

  • The listing is a directory, not a guarantee that every path is current; rely on the MOVED notes and upstream links in the descriptions.
  • The page provides no pricing or access-tier information, so do not assume anonymous browsing or cloning terms from it alone.
  • For build instructions, contribution rules, or code review workflow, this listing is not the source; use the project's own documentation.