/url2app

Primary LanguageJavaScriptMozilla Public License 2.0MPL-2.0

url2app

Browser extension to open any page or link in any external app. No running native client required.

How does it work

Browser extension redirects page or link you choose to custom x-url2app:// protocol URL, which is then handled by user-defined protocol handler script (e.g. url2app.sh).

Video demo

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Installation

  1. Install browser extension

  2. Create x-url2app:// protocol handler script and register it with your host OS, see Host-side installation section for Linux / *BSD or Windows.

  3. Right-click on any page or link → Open in app. Or click on the extension icon in the toolbar.

    On the first time, browser will ask for confirmation, you can check "Always allow..." to open links without confimation in future.

    'Good news! x-url2app:// protocol handler is working fine!' message should appear.

  4. By default, 'Open in app' menu entry shows on all pages and for all links. You can change this in extension options, providing your own list of host match patterns.

Host-side installation

Linux / *BSD

  • Automatic

    • Review install script

    • Download and run it:

      wget -O- https://github.com/shvchk/url2app/raw/main/host/nix/install.sh | bash

    This will do everything described in Manual subsection below, automatically.

    Example script ~/.local/bin/url2app.sh has several handlers, which are disabled by default. Uncomment, change or add handlers as you like.

  • Manual

    Show

    • Create a script (e.g. ~/.local/bin/url2app.sh) to redirect incoming links to actual apps, see example url2app.sh

    • Make it executable

      chmod +x ~/.local/bin/url2app.sh

    • Create a .desktop file (e.g. ~/.local/share/applications/url2app.desktop) to run that script, see example url2app.desktop

    • Register that .desktop file as a x-url2app:// protocol handler:

      xdg-mime default ~/.local/share/applications/url2app.desktop x-scheme-handler/x-url2app

    • Rebuild database of MIME types handlers:

      update-desktop-database ~/.local/share/applications

Windows

  • Automatic

    • Review install script

    • Download and run it: right click → Run with PowerShell

      The same can be done with one command from the terminal:

      irm https://github.com/shvchk/url2app/raw/main/host/windows/install.ps1 | iex

    Example script %LocalAppData%/url2app/url2app.js has several handlers, which are disabled by default. Uncomment, change or add handlers as you like.