Show HN: Creating Custom Ubuntu Web Link App

JepZ · on Feb 25, 2018

Well, I don't know the Ubuntu specific part, but in Chrome with KDE you can simply click (probably works with other desktop environments too):

  Menu -> Tools -> Add to desktop

Et voilà, you have an app with a separate profile in your KDE menu. For example, that is the way I use https://draw.io

Didn't know through that it was so easy to get it working with FF too. Thanks :-)

vackosar · on Feb 25, 2018

That doesn't give you the sandboxing i.e. if you were signed to Google you will be able to still access it from the new app.

update: But thanks anyways, I added a note and thanks on this.

Jaruzel · on Feb 25, 2018

I run WhatsApp, Messenger, and and couple of Slack channels, as separate 'applications' by using the '--app=<url>' when launching Chrome. However they are not sandboxed.

Chromium can be run in portable mode, so I guess you could sandbox apps by having separate side-by-side Chromium installs. That said, this tool is probably easier to use.

mikewhy · on Feb 25, 2018

Do the --profile-directory / --user-data-dir flags help here?

JepZ · on Feb 25, 2018

I am wondering whats the difference. So far I was able to find this explaining the flags:

  profile-directory: // Selects directory of profile to associate with the first browser launched. [1]

  user-data-dir: // Specifies the user data directory, which is where the browser will look for all of its state. [2]

But to be honest I am not sure I understand that completely. I mean there is also some documentation stating that the user-data-dir contains profile data[3]. Does anybody what the actual difference is?

[1]: https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromium/src/+/lkgr/chrome...

[2]: https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromium/src/+/lkgr/chrome...

[3]: https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromium/src/+/master/docs...

vackosar · on Feb 25, 2018

Yes, the page suggests to sandbox using -user-data-dir.

roryisok · on Feb 25, 2018

This reminds me of Mozilla prism, which I think is discontinued now. I always liked having a separate window and process for gmail that wouldn't close if my browser crashed