https://github.com/cumulus13/dummybrowser
A lightweight .NET console application that registers as a browser alternative in Windows, allowing users to copy links to clipboard instead of opening them in a web browser.
https://github.com/cumulus13/dummybrowser
browser clipboard copy dotnet dummy
Last synced: 10 months ago
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A lightweight .NET console application that registers as a browser alternative in Windows, allowing users to copy links to clipboard instead of opening them in a web browser.
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/cumulus13/dummybrowser
- Owner: cumulus13
- License: lgpl-3.0
- Created: 2025-08-02T20:14:25.000Z (11 months ago)
- Default Branch: master
- Last Pushed: 2025-08-03T08:02:15.000Z (11 months ago)
- Last Synced: 2025-08-03T10:06:22.969Z (11 months ago)
- Topics: browser, clipboard, copy, dotnet, dummy
- Language: Inno Setup
- Homepage: https://github.com/cumulus13/DummyBrowser
- Size: 104 KB
- Stars: 0
- Watchers: 0
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- Changelog: CHANGELOG.md
- License: LICENSE
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
# Dummy Browser - Link Clipboard Manager
A lightweight .NET console application that registers as a browser alternative in Windows, allowing users to copy links to clipboard instead of opening them in a web browser.
## Features
- 🔗 **Copy links to clipboard** instead of opening in browser
- ⚙️ **Configurable behavior** via JSON/TXT config file
- 🖥️ **Windows integration** - appears in "Open with" dialog
- 🚀 **Silent mode** - direct copy without confirmation prompt
- 📋 **Multiple protocol support** - HTTP, HTTPS, FTP
- 📄 **File association support** - HTML, HTM, URL files
## Installation
### Prerequisites
- .NET 6.0+ or .NET Framework 4.8
- Windows OS
- Administrator privileges (for registry setup)
### Build and Setup
1. **Clone or download the project**
```bash
git clone https://github.com/cumulus13/DummyBrowser
cd DummyBrowser
```
2. **Build the application**
```bash
dotnet build -c Release
```
3. **Navigate to output directory**
```bash
cd bin\Release\net6.0-windows\
```
4. **Copy configuration file**
```bash
copy ..\..\..\config.json .
```
5. **Run registry setup as Administrator**
```bash
setup_registry.bat
```
## Configuration
The application behavior can be customized using `config.json`:
```json
{
"ShowPrompt": true,
"AppName": "Link Clipboard Manager",
"ShowSuccessMessage": true
}
```
### Configuration Options
| Option | Type | Default | Description |
|--------|------|---------|-------------|
| `ShowPrompt` | boolean | `true` | Show confirmation dialog before copying |
| `AppName` | string | `"Link Clipboard Manager"` | Application name displayed in dialogs |
| `ShowSuccessMessage` | boolean | `true` | Show success message after copying |
### Configuration Examples
**Silent Mode (Direct Copy):**
```json
{
"ShowPrompt": false,
"AppName": "Silent Link Copier",
"ShowSuccessMessage": false
}
```
**Confirmation Mode:**
```json
{
"ShowPrompt": true,
"AppName": "Link Clipboard Manager",
"ShowSuccessMessage": true
}
```
## Usage
1. **After installation**, the application will appear in Windows "Open with" dialog
2. **Right-click** on any HTML file, URL file, or web link
3. **Select "Open with"** → **"Choose another app"**
4. **Choose "Link Clipboard Manager"** from the list
5. **Depending on configuration**:
- Confirmation dialog will appear (if `ShowPrompt: true`)
- Link will be copied directly to clipboard (if `ShowPrompt: false`)
## Supported File Types & Protocols
### File Types
- `.html` - HTML documents
- `.htm` - HTML documents
- `.url` - Internet shortcuts
### Protocols
- `http://` - HTTP URLs
- `https://` - HTTPS URLs
- `ftp://` - FTP URLs
## Project Structure
```
DummyBrowser/
├── Program.cs # Main application logic
├── DummyBrowser.csproj # Project configuration
├── config.json # Application configuration
├── setup_registry.bat # Registry setup script
└── README.md # This file
```
## How It Works
1. **Registry Integration**: The setup script registers the application as a browser alternative in Windows registry
2. **URL Handling**: Windows passes URLs as command-line arguments to the application
3. **Clipboard Operation**: The application copies the URL to system clipboard using Windows Forms
4. **User Feedback**: Optional confirmation dialogs and success messages based on configuration
## Registry Entries
The application creates the following registry entries:
- `HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\RegisteredApplications`
- `HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\DummyBrowser\Capabilities`
- `HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\DummyBrowser.*`
## Uninstallation
To remove the application from "Open with" dialog:
1. Delete the registry entries created by the setup script
2. Or create an uninstall script with `reg delete` commands for all created keys
## Troubleshooting
### Build Issues
- Ensure you have .NET 6.0+ SDK installed
- For older systems, switch to .NET Framework 4.8 target
- Check that Windows Forms support is available
### Registry Issues
- Run `setup_registry.bat` as Administrator
- Verify the executable path in the batch script
- Check Windows Event Viewer for registry errors
### Clipboard Issues
- Ensure the application has permission to access clipboard
- Some antivirus software may block clipboard operations
- Try running as Administrator if clipboard access fails
## Development
### Building for Different Frameworks
**.NET 6.0+ (Recommended):**
```xml
net6.0-windows
true
```
**.NET Framework 4.8 (Legacy):**
```xml
net48
true
```
### Adding New Features
1. **New Protocols**: Add entries to `setup_registry.bat`
2. **Configuration Options**: Extend the `Config` class
3. **File Types**: Add new file associations in registry setup
## License
This project is provided as-is for educational and utility purposes.
## Contributing
1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Test thoroughly on Windows
5. Submit a pull request
## License
See [LICENSE](./LICENSE) for details.
## author
[Hadi Cahyadi](mailto:cumulus13@gmail.com)
[](https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cumulus13)
[](https://ko-fi.com/cumulus13)
[Support me on Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/cumulus13)