Browser Tamer

Why

Sometimes we like to isolate our web profiles. Some install different browsers for different purposes (home, work, etc.), some set up multiple Chrome or Edge profiles. And some do both.

But clicking a link from email, chat program etc. opens an unexpected browser. Chrome based browsers simply open the last profile you were using. In case of other browsers it’s just default browser that opens.

This application allows to change that.

In addition to that, Browser Tamer is:

Tiny. Only around ~800 kb .exe. Takes ~2mb RAM.
No external dependencies. It just works. Otherwise I could make it even smaller!
No electron bullshit. Written in Modern C++20, no frameworks.
No bloat.
No Ads. Never!
BLAZING FAST.
Good for the people (and maybe planet)! 🌍 It never uses more than 0% CPU. Uses virtually no CO2.

Installing

Just download the latest version, unpack, start. There is no installation process whatsoever.

If you are using scoop.sh - scoop install bt.

Once launched, simply press the “Install” button - that will instruct Windows that Browser Tamer is a browser application. Of course, it’s a fake browser, but we are registering as a browser. How it works is when you open a link and BT is your default browser application, it decides which real browser should actually open it. And to know that, you as a user need to tell Browser Tamer which browser is designed to open which links.

Configuring

Configuration can be as simple as you want it to be. The most trivial case is trivial:

Select the browser you’re interested in.
Type which links you want to open it this browser.
Press the “Apply” button.

Rules

A rule is a single line in the Rules section. It simply says that if an URL contains text you’ve typed in, open the specified browser. It is not case sensitive.

Supported Browsers

Mozilla Firefox.
Latest Microsoft Edge (Windows 10 default). Including profiles.
Incognito modes are on the roadmap.
Google Chrome is on the roadmap.

Let’s Get Technical

Platform

The application is written in Modern C++. Specifically C++20. Why do I say Modern? Because C++ is traditionally is associated with amazing performance, but some think it’s also unsafe. Well, they are wrong!!!!. Especially these days, C++ has evolved, and it’s as safe (or maybe safer) as Java, C#, Go or Rust, without losing it’s cool runtime features.

How It Became a Browser?

It’s not a browser, but when you press “Install” button it registers itself as a browser. That involves writing values to the registry, which are completely removed when you press “Uninstall” button. Here are the locations written to:

HKCU\SOFTWARE\Clients\StartMenuInternet\Browser Tamer - app registration as a browser.
HKCU\SOFTWARE\Browser Tamer - app settings.
HKCU\SOFTWARE\RegisteredApplications\Browser Tamer.
HKCU\SOFTWARE\Classes\BrowserTamerHTM - protocol handler.

More details to follow.

Command Line Arguments

`status`

Displays full status i.e. whether it’s installed, default browser, what profiles are available, and rules configured, for instance:

> bt.exe status

Installed: YES!
Default: Microsoft Edge (aloneguid@outlook.com)

Browsers:
1. Mozilla Firefox
   Rules:
    - firefoxy
2. Microsoft Edge (aloneguid@outlook.com)
   Rules:
    - .pdf
3. Microsoft Edge (Work Databricks)
   Rules:
    - portal.office.com
    - hrsystem
    - .azuredatabricks.net
4. Microsoft Edge (ivan@company.com)
   Rules:
    - myoffice
5. Microsoft Edge (Just For Teams)
   Rules:
    - teams.microsoft.com

`install`

Installs as browser system-wide.

`uninstall`

Uninstalls from the system.

`shutdown`

Makes sure there are no instances running anywhere on the system.

Version History

2.1. Oh Dear!

Released 16/11/2021.

Still called Oh Dear! due to the fact I love ImGui so much. New features:

Has URL Tester available from the Help menu allowing you to test what’s going to happen when you open a URL.
On profile hover, you’ll see system information about that profile.
Nothing else (🖲).

[download]

2.0. Oh Dear!

Released 13/11/2021.

Complete UI rewrite and new features. Due to the fact Microsoft cannot decide on what is the UI framework for programming on Windows, I’ve decided to use a completely independent third-party framework ImGui which is usually used in game development but also good for small utilities like this. It’s super small and super fast.

[download]

1.0. Butterfly.

Released 06/09/2021.

Sort of a first release. Why butterfly? It’s not related to anything, just sounds cool. Big Sur. Jaguar. Show Leopard. What the hell?

[download]