/connection-forwarder

Chromebook app for forwarding connections from/to different ports and interfaces (or to internal android IP)

Primary LanguageJavaScript

Connection Forwarder

(TCP Socket forwarder app)

Available in webstore: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/connection-forwarder/ahaijnonphgkgnkbklchdhclailflinn

I made this app so that I could ssh into termux running on a chromebook without developer mode. Maybe you find it useful for something else.

  • Update 3: Updated the build system

  • Update 2: It's useful again as ports are not automatically forwarded for crostini (linux) containers

  • Update 1: Android container apps automatically forward listening ports to the LAN since Chrome 63.

  • Use case 1: make termux sshd available on the LAN, not just on the local chromebook.

  • Use case 2: make crostini container service available on LAN or localhost

  • Use case 3: make an android-based development server (such as apache or php etc) available on the local network

  • Use case 4: (??) Let me know kyle@graehlarts.com or create an issue

Background info: android runs on a chromebook on a NAT interface that is not exposed directly on the LAN. Certain services are forwarded (such as mDNS). Everything else, not. This app lets you setup simple forwarding rules to have certain ports get forwarded to the internal android interface.

Build / development setup notes

The nice react auto reload tools don't work very well in the chrome app context (which disallow eval, inline scripts, external resources (loaded via URL). Basically all app code must be statically present in the app directory at launch time.

  • git clone (this repository)
  • cd connection-forwarder/react-ui; npm install; npm run watch ( or npm run build)
  • Go to chrome://extensions, check the developer mode box, click load unpacked extension, select the "app" folder in this repository.

Packaging

  • cd connection-forwarder/app
  • ../scripts/package.sh (you may need to apt install zip)

Release History

  • 2017-11-4 - created react based UI
  • 2017-10-26 - Initial version used to get access to the SSH server running on tmux

TODO

  • UDP packet forwarding
  • cleanup/close sockets ✔️
  • create a UI to create/remove rules ✔️
  • add options such as autostart, backgrounding, etc ✔️
  • localhost listening API to list/add/remove forwards.

LICENSE

MIT