# Dumber, fully unfeatured unbloated browser for tiling WMs

<p align="center">
  <img src="assets/logo.svg" alt="Dumber Logo" width="256" height="256" />
</p>


https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/394f5f7e-a475-42da-b483-5a58b2ea2f51



A dumb browser that works like your favorite terminal multiplexer.

## Features
- **Wayland native**: No X11/XWayland dependency, works with Sway, Hyprland, River, Niri, etc.
- **Tabs and workspaces**: Each tab holds a workspace with split or stacked panes.
- **Keyboard-driven**: Complete keyboard workflow inspired by Zellij.
- **Smart popup handling**: OAuth flows, window.open(), and popup deduplication for tiling WMs.
- **GPU rendering**: Hardware video acceleration with automatic VA-API/VDPAU detection.
- **Built-in ad blocking**: UBlock-based network filtering (cosmetic filtering in progress).
- **Launcher integration**: dmenu-style with rofi/fuzzel support, shows favicons and history.
- **Search shortcuts**: Quick search via aliases (e.g., `g:golang` for Google).
- **Customizable themes**: Light and dark palettes with semantic color tokens.
- **Persistent storage**: SQLite for history, zoom levels, and settings.
- **Live configuration**: Single config file with hot reload when possible.

## Status
Early development with regular releases. Core features work well for daily use but expect some rough edges.

## Controls & Shortcuts

### Keyboard Shortcuts

#### Browser Controls
| Shortcut | Action | Notes |
|----------|--------|-------|
| **F12** | Open Developer Tools | WebKit inspector |
| **Ctrl+L** | Open Omnibox | URL/search input with history |
| **Ctrl+F** | Find in Page | Search text within current page |
| **Ctrl+=** | Zoom In | Firefox-compatible zoom levels |
| **Ctrl++** | Zoom In | Alternative plus key |
| **Ctrl+-** | Zoom Out | Works across keyboard layouts |
| **Ctrl+0** | Reset Zoom | Return to 100% zoom |
| **Ctrl+Shift+C** | Copy URL | Copy current URL to clipboard with toast |
| **Ctrl+Shift+P** | Print Page | Open native print dialog |
| **Ctrl+R** / **F5** | Reload Page | Refresh current page |
| **Ctrl+Shift+R** | Hard Reload | Refresh ignoring cache |
| **Ctrl+←** / **Ctrl+→** | Navigate Back/Forward | Browser history navigation |

#### Tab Management
| Shortcut | Action | Notes |
|----------|--------|-------|
| **Ctrl+T** | Enter Tab Mode | Modal mode for tab operations |
| **Ctrl+Tab** | Next Tab | Quick tab switching |
| **Ctrl+Shift+Tab** | Previous Tab | Quick tab switching |
| **Ctrl+W** | Close Tab | Close current tab |
| **N** / **C** (in tab mode) | New Tab | Create new tab |
| **X** (in tab mode) | Close Tab | Close current tab |
| **L** / **Tab** (in tab mode) | Next Tab | Navigate to next tab |
| **H** / **Shift+Tab** (in tab mode) | Previous Tab | Navigate to previous tab |
| **R** (in tab mode) | Rename Tab | Rename current tab |
| **Escape** (in tab mode) | Exit Tab Mode | Return to normal navigation |

#### Pane Management
| Shortcut | Action | Notes |
|----------|--------|-------|
| **Ctrl+P** | Enter Pane Mode | Modal mode for pane operations |
| **→** / **R** (in pane mode) | Split Right | Create new pane to the right |
| **←** / **L** (in pane mode) | Split Left | Create new pane to the left |
| **↑** / **U** (in pane mode) | Split Up | Create new pane above |
| **↓** / **D** (in pane mode) | Split Down | Create new pane below |
| **S** (in pane mode) | Stack Pane | Create stacked pane (Zellij-style) |
| **X** (in pane mode) | Close Pane | Close current pane |
| **Enter** (in pane mode) | Confirm Action | Confirm pane operation |
| **Escape** (in pane mode) | Exit Pane Mode | Return to normal navigation |
| **Alt+Arrow Keys** | Navigate Panes | Move focus between panes |
| **Alt+Up/Down** | Navigate Stack | Navigate between stacked panes |

### Mouse Controls
| Action | Result | Notes |
|--------|---------|-------|
| **Ctrl+Scroll Up** | Zoom In | Smooth zoom control |
| **Ctrl+Scroll Down** | Zoom Out | Smooth zoom control |
| **Mouse Button 8** | Navigate Back | Side button (back) |
| **Mouse Button 9** | Navigate Forward | Side button (forward) |
| **Two-finger Swipe** | Back/Forward | When supported by touchpad |

### Omnibox/Find Mode (when active)
| Shortcut | Action | Notes |
|----------|--------|-------|
| **Escape** | Close/Clear | Clear input if text present, close if empty |
| **Enter** | Execute/Navigate | Navigate to URL or jump to match |
| **Shift+Enter** | Previous Match | Find mode: go to previous match |
| **Alt+Enter** | Center Match | Find mode: center on match, keep open |
| **Tab** | Toggle View | Omnibox mode: switch between history and favorites |
| **Space** | Toggle Favorite | Omnibox mode: favorite/unfavorite selected item |
| **Ctrl+1-9, 0** | Quick Navigate | Jump to result by number (1-10) |
| **↑/↓ Arrow** | Navigate Results | Browse suggestions/matches |

All zoom changes are automatically persisted per-domain and restored on next visit.

## Quick Start

**Option 1: Use Pre-built Binaries (Recommended)**

Download the latest release from the [releases page](https://github.com/bnema/dumber/releases):
```bash
wget https://github.com/bnema/dumber/releases/latest/download/dumber_<version>_linux_x86_64.tar.gz
tar -xzf dumber_<version>_linux_x86_64.tar.gz
sudo install -m 755 dumber /usr/local/bin/
```

Then install runtime dependencies (see [Install](#install) section for details).

**Option 2: Build From Source**

Prerequisites:
- Go 1.25+
- Node.js 20+ and npm (for building the embedded TypeScript frontend)
- For GUI build: WebKitGTK 6 and GTK4 dev packages (examples)
  - Debian/Ubuntu: `libwebkitgtk-6.0-dev libgtk-4-dev build-essential`
  - Arch: `webkitgtk-6.0 gtk4 base-devel`

Build options:
- GUI (default, recommended):
  - `make build`          # builds frontend + Go with `-tags=webkit_cgo`
  - Run: `./dist/dumber`  # to see all available commands.
- CLI‑only (no GUI, CGO disabled):
  - `make build-no-gui`
  - Run: `./dist/dumber-no-gui version`

Development:
- `make dev` runs `go run .` (non‑CGO; GUI stubs log to console)
- `make test` runs tests; `make lint` runs golangci‑lint

## Install

### Pre-built Binaries (Recommended)

Pre-built binaries are available for Linux (x86_64/amd64) in the [releases page](https://github.com/bnema/dumber/releases). These include all frontend assets and are ready to use:

```bash
# Download and install latest release
wget https://github.com/bnema/dumber/releases/latest/download/dumber_<version>_linux_x86_64.tar.gz
tar -xzf dumber_<version>_linux_x86_64.tar.gz
sudo install -m 755 dumber /usr/local/bin/
```

Replace `<version>` with the desired version (e.g., `0.14.1`), or use the direct link from the releases page.

**Dependencies** (required for both pre-built binaries and source builds):

**Arch Linux:**
```bash
# Core WebKitGTK 6.0 and GTK4
sudo pacman -S webkitgtk-6.0 gtk4

# GStreamer for media playback
sudo pacman -S gst-plugins-base gst-plugins-good gst-plugins-bad gst-plugins-ugly gst-libav gst-plugin-pipewire pipewire pipewire-pulse

# Hardware acceleration (choose based on your GPU)
# AMD: sudo pacman -S gstreamer-vaapi mesa
# NVIDIA: sudo pacman -S gstreamer-vaapi libva-nvidia-driver
# Intel: sudo pacman -S gstreamer-vaapi libva-intel-driver intel-media-driver
```

**Debian/Ubuntu:**
```bash
# Core WebKitGTK and GTK4
sudo apt install libwebkitgtk-6.0-4 libgtk-4-1

# GStreamer for media playback
sudo apt install gstreamer1.0-tools gstreamer1.0-plugins-base gstreamer1.0-plugins-good gstreamer1.0-plugins-bad gstreamer1.0-plugins-ugly gstreamer1.0-libav gstreamer1.0-pipewire

# Hardware acceleration
sudo apt install gstreamer1.0-vaapi va-driver-all
```

### Build From Source

**Note**: `go install` will not work for this project because the frontend assets must be built first and embedded into the binary.

**Prerequisites:**
- Go 1.25+
- Node.js 20+ and npm (for building the embedded TypeScript frontend)
- WebKitGTK 6 and GTK4 dev packages:
  - Debian/Ubuntu: `libwebkitgtk-6.0-dev libgtk-4-dev build-essential`
  - Arch: `webkitgtk-6.0 gtk4 base-devel`

**Build options:**
- GUI build (default, recommended):
  - Clone the repo and run `make build` (builds frontend first, then Go with GUI support)
  - The resulting `./dist/dumber` binary includes the native GUI window
- CLI‑only (no native window):
  - Clone the repo and run `make build-no-gui`
  - The resulting `./dist/dumber-no-gui` binary runs CLI flows with GUI code stubbed

## Usage
- Open a URL or search:
  - `dumber browse https://example.com`
  - `dumber browse example.com`        # scheme auto‑added
  - `dumber browse dumb://home`        # built-in homepage with stats
  - `dumber browse g:golang`           # Google search via shortcut
- Show version information:
  - `dumber version`                   # display version, commit, and build date
- Launcher integration (dmenu‑style examples):
  - rofi:   `dumber dmenu | rofi -dmenu -p "🔍 " | dumber dmenu --select`
  - fuzzel: `dumber dmenu | fuzzel --dmenu -p "🔍 " | dumber dmenu --select`
- Manage browsing history:
  - `dumber history`                  # list recent history (default: 20 entries)
  - `dumber history list -n 50`       # list 50 recent entries
  - `dumber history search golang`    # search history for "golang"
  - `dumber history stats`            # show history statistics
  - `dumber history clear`            # clear all history (with confirmation)
  - `dumber history clear --force`    # clear all history (no confirmation)
- Clean up data and cache:
  - `dumber purge`                        # purge all data (with confirmation)
  - `dumber purge --force`                # purge all data (no confirmation)
  - `dumber purge -d -H -c`               # purge database and both caches
  - `dumber purge --browser-data`         # purge WebKit data (cookies, etc.)
- Manage logs:
  - `dumber logs list`                    # list available log files
  - `dumber logs tail`                    # tail current log file
  - `dumber logs clean`                   # clean up old log files

### Dmenu mode invocation
You can invoke dmenu mode in two ways:
- Subcommand (recommended): `dumber dmenu` … and `dumber dmenu --select`
- Root flag (generate options only): `dumber --dmenu`

Note: The root flag path only generates options; for processing a selection (`--select`), use the `dmenu` subcommand as the receiving command.

In GUI mode the app serves an embedded homepage via `dumb://homepage`, and frontend assets under `dumb://app/...`.

## Tab Management

Each tab holds its own workspace. Each workspace can contain multiple panes (split or stacked). Switch between tabs to switch between independent workspaces.

### How it Works
1. **Enter Tab Mode**: Press `Ctrl+T` to enter tab mode (modal interface with timeout)
2. **Create/Close Tabs**: Use keyboard shortcuts:
   - `N` or `C` - New tab
   - `X` - Close current tab
   - `R` - Rename tab
3. **Navigate**: Use `Ctrl+Tab` / `Ctrl+Shift+Tab` for quick tab switching, or `L`/`H` in tab mode
4. **Exit**: Press `Escape` to exit tab mode or wait for timeout

Tab mode provides visual feedback with an orange border indicator.

## Pane Management

Split your browser window into multiple panes, each running independent web sessions.

### How it Works
1. **Enter Pane Mode**: Press `Ctrl+P` to enter pane mode (modal interface with timeout)
2. **Split or Stack Panes**: Use arrow keys or letter shortcuts:
   - `→` or `R` - Split right
   - `←` or `L` - Split left
   - `↑` or `U` - Split up
   - `↓` or `D` - Split down
   - `S` - Stack panes (Zellij-style, shows title bars for collapsed panes)
3. **Navigate**: Use `Alt+Arrow Keys` to move focus between split panes, or `Alt+Up/Down` to navigate within stacked panes
4. **Close**: Press `X` in pane mode to close the current pane

## Configuration

Configuration file: `~/.config/dumber/config.toml` (supports TOML, JSON, YAML)

A default config is created on first run. Changes are applied automatically (hot reload). Override any setting with `DUMB_BROWSER_*` or `DUMBER_*` environment variables.

**Full documentation**: [docs/CONFIG.md](docs/CONFIG.md) - Complete reference for all settings, workspace controls, shortcuts, styling, and more.


## Building With WebKitGTK 6 (GTK4)
- The GUI requires building with `-tags=webkit_cgo` and CGO enabled.
- Ensure WebKitGTK 6 and GTK4 dev headers are installed (see prerequisites).
- Make targets handle both frontend and Go build steps:
  - `make build-gui` (CGO enabled)
  - `make build` (CGO enabled by default in the Makefile’s main build)

Without the native tag, a stub backend is used: you can still run CLI flows and see logs, but no native window is displayed.

## Media (GStreamer) & Hardware Acceleration

WebKitGTK uses GStreamer for media playback. Dumber includes automatic hardware video acceleration support that detects your GPU and configures the appropriate drivers.

**Hardware Acceleration Features:**
- Automatic GPU detection (AMD, NVIDIA, Intel)
- VA-API and VDPAU driver configuration
- Support for H.264, HEVC, VP9, and AV1 codecs
- Significantly reduced CPU usage during video streaming

**Required packages:**
- Arch Linux:
  - `sudo pacman -S gst-plugins-base gst-plugins-good gst-plugins-bad gst-plugins-ugly gst-libav gst-plugin-pipewire pipewire pipewire-pulse`
  - Hardware accel: `gstreamer-vaapi mesa` (AMD), `libva-nvidia-driver` (NVIDIA), `libva-intel-driver intel-media-driver` (Intel)
- Debian/Ubuntu:
  - `sudo apt install gstreamer1.0-tools gstreamer1.0-plugins-base gstreamer1.0-plugins-good gstreamer1.0-plugins-bad gstreamer1.0-plugins-ugly gstreamer1.0-libav gstreamer1.0-pipewire`
  - Hardware accel: `gstreamer1.0-vaapi va-driver-all` (covers most GPUs)

## Contribute
I will gladly accept contributions, especially related to UI/UX enhancements. Feel free to open an issue and let's discuss it!

## Security & Privacy
- History and zoom settings are stored locally in SQLite under XDG state.
- The `tmp/` directory is ignored by Git and kept out of history.

## Roadmap
- ✅ WebKitGTK 6 (GTK4) migration (GPU/Vulkan path complete)
- ✅ GPU rendering (Vulkan via GTK4 renderer) with graceful CPU fallback
- ✅ Modal pane management with binary tree layout and keyboard-driven workflow
- ✅ Tab management system with modal controls
- 🚧 UBlock-based content filtering (early stage - network blocking works, cosmetic filtering needs work)
- Full Vim-style motion and keyboard navigation across pages and UI
- Performance work: faster startup, lower memory, snappier UI
- Other shiny things I'm not yet aware of

## License
This project is licensed under the MIT License. See `LICENSE` for details.