feat(browser): replace Chromium with Helium - #83
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Helium/Chromium on native Wayland ignores --class for --app windows and exposes chrome-<host>__<path>-Default (e.g. youtube -> chrome-www.youtube.com__-Default). ndrop -c exact-matches app_id, so webapp never matched and spawned a duplicate on every invocation. Derive the id from the URL for ndrop matching, drop the ineffective --class (it would also mislabel later normal windows when the webapp starts the first browser process), and point the Niri YouTube rule at the derived id so it still opens on HDMI-A-1.
Helium's user-data-dir on Linux is ~/.config/net.imput.helium (live Default/, SingletonSocket and crashpad database all live there), so the External Extensions descriptors and the NativeMessagingHosts manifest under ~/.config/helium were never seen: none of the 7 extension IDs appear in Preferences. Verified live that a descriptor placed under <profile>/External Extensions/ triggers an update-server fetch, and that platform policies are read from /etc/chromium (dropping the dead /etc/helium copy).
Helium strips update-ping parameters (sends os=win with no prodversion or lang), so the update server answers noupdate and external_update_url descriptors never install anything: only uBlock Origin (bundled) showed up after the descriptor fix. Vendor the 7 CRXs with pinned versions and hashes and install them via external_crx + external_version instead. Verified in a fresh profile: all 7 install on first launch.
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Summary
webapphelper launch-or-focus app windows throughndrop -Fyoutube,chatgpt, etc.) rather than browser-prefixed nameswebapp youtube https://www.youtube.comyoutubeapp IDWebapp interface
The helper runs Helium in
--appmode with--class=<app-id>and usesndrop -F -c <app-id>so repeated launches focus the existing app window instead of opening duplicates.Runtime checks
Before merging, verify:
nixos-rebuild build --flake .#alphawebapp youtube https://www.youtube.comopens a standalone Helium app windowyoutubewindowMod+Yfocuses/launches YouTube and theyoutubewindow still opens onHDMI-A-1helium://extensions