From 9ba6bb7cf6a7bbad8b7264a0285102034ed48d38 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Omar Rizwan Date: Sat, 12 Dec 2020 02:36:16 -0800 Subject: README additions --- README.md | 43 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++--------------- 1 file changed, 28 insertions(+), 15 deletions(-) (limited to 'README.md') diff --git a/README.md b/README.md index c855795..74260be 100644 --- a/README.md +++ b/README.md @@ -1,11 +1,18 @@ # TabFS -Mount your browser tabs as a filesystem! +TabFS is a browser extension that mounts your browser tabs as a +filesystem on your computer. + +Out of the box, it supports Chrome and (to a lesser extent) Firefox, +on macOS and Linux; it could probably be made to work on other +browsers like Safari and Opera that support the WebExtensions API, but +I haven't looked into it. -Each of your open tabs is mapped to a folder with a bunch of control -and live-updating content files inside it. (TODO: update as I add more) +Each of your open tabs is mapped to a folder with a bunch of files +inside it. These files directly reflect (and can control) the state of +that tab. (TODO: update as I add more) @@ -13,7 +20,7 @@ This gives you a _ton_ of power, because now you can apply [all the existing tools](https://twitter.com/rsnous/status/1018570020324962305) on your computer that already know how to deal with files -- terminal commands, scripting languages, etc -- and use them to control and draw -information from your browser. You don't need to write a browser +information out of your browser. You don't need to code up a browser extension from scratch every time you want to do anything. ## Examples of stuff you can do! @@ -43,15 +50,16 @@ $ echo remove | tee -a mnt/tabs/by-title/*Stack_Overflow*/control ### Save text of all tabs to a file -(wip, FIXME) - ``` $ cat mnt/tabs/by-id/*/text > text.txt ``` ## Setup -**disclaimer**: security, functionality +**disclaimer**: security, functionality. In some sense, the whole +point of this extension is to create a gigantic new surface area of +communication between stuff inside your browser and the rest of your +computer. First, install the browser extension. @@ -59,9 +67,10 @@ Then, install the C filesystem. ### 1. Install the browser extension -(I think it will work on Edge or Opera or whatever, too. You'll need -to change the native messaging path in install.sh in those cases. Not -sure about Safari.) +(I think for Opera or whatever other Chromium-based browser, you could +get it to work, but you'd need to change the native messaging path in +install.sh. Not sure about Safari. maybe Edge too? if you also got +everything to compile for Windows) #### in Chrome @@ -103,7 +112,8 @@ extension can launch and talk to the filesystem: #### Chrome and Chromium -Use the extension ID you copied earlier. +Substitute the extension ID you copied earlier for +`jimpolemfaeckpjijgapgkmolankohgj` in the command below. ``` $ ./install.sh chrome jimpolemfaeckpjijgapgkmolankohgj @@ -178,15 +188,18 @@ GPLv3 processes as files. the real process is the browser. -browser and Unix +browser and Unix; the two operating systems -it's way too hard to make an extension. even 'make an extension' is -a bad framing. lightness +it's way too hard to make an extension. even 'make an extension' is a +bad framing; it suggests making an extension is a whole Thing, a whole +Project. like, why can't I just take a minute to ask my browser a +question or tell it to automate something? lightness open input space -- filesystem now you have this whole 'language', this whole toolset, to control and -automate your browser +automate your browser. there's this built-up existing capital where +lots of people already know the operations to work with files OSQuery -- cgit v1.2.3