https://github.com/tutkuofnight/lycan
Lycan is a lightweight Progressive Web App (PWA) manager for Linux
https://github.com/tutkuofnight/lycan
linux pwa rust
Last synced: 3 months ago
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Lycan is a lightweight Progressive Web App (PWA) manager for Linux
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/tutkuofnight/lycan
- Owner: tutkuofnight
- License: mit
- Created: 2026-04-12T16:23:12.000Z (3 months ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2026-04-14T22:04:14.000Z (3 months ago)
- Last Synced: 2026-04-14T23:13:48.991Z (3 months ago)
- Topics: linux, pwa, rust
- Language: Rust
- Homepage:
- Size: 249 KB
- Stars: 5
- Watchers: 0
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 1
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- License: LICENSE
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
# Lycan
Lightweight PWA manager for Linux. Turn any website into a desktop application with minimal resource overhead.
Lycan uses [wry](https://github.com/tauri-apps/wry) (WebKitGTK) to run web apps in standalone windows, generates `.desktop` files for menu integration, and includes a built-in ad/tracker blocker. Each PWA gets its own on-disk profile so logins and site data persist between launches.
## Features
- **TUI** — add, edit, delete, search PWAs (`lycan` with no arguments)
- **CLI** — `lycan open `, `lycan detect-system`, `lycan --help` / `--version`
- **Persistent sessions** — per-app WebKit data under `apps//webview/` (cookies, storage, cache)
- **Private data layout** — app directories and `config.json` use restrictive Unix permissions (`0700` / `0600`) where supported
- **Automatic favicon fetching** from the site URL
- **`.desktop` files** for rofi, dmenu, and application menus
- **Ad/tracker blocking** — in-page hooks on `fetch`, `XMLHttpRequest`, and `sendBeacon` for 35+ common ad/tracking domains
- **WebKit tuning profile** — `~/.local/share/lycan/webkit-tuning.json` is created on first run from GPU/session heuristics (e.g. DMA-BUF workaround on NVIDIA; optional compositing hints on Wayland + NVIDIA). Re-run after hardware or session changes with `lycan detect-system`
- **Performance-oriented defaults** — WebKit `Settings` tuned for GPU use, DNS prefetch, page cache, media; developer tools only in debug builds
- **Optional environment overrides** — `LYCAN_WEBKIT_DISABLE_DMABUF`, `LYCAN_WEBKIT_DISABLE_COMPOSITING` (see `lycan --help`)
- **X11 and Wayland** — no forced GDK backend; works on both when your GTK/WebKit stack does
## Dependencies
- `gtk3`
- `webkit2gtk` (pulled in by wry)
- `glib2`
## Installation
### Arch Linux (AUR)
```
yay -S lycan-bin
```
### Build from source
```
git clone https://github.com/tutkuofnight/lycan.git
cd lycan
cargo build --release
cp target/release/lycan ~/.local/bin/
```
## Usage
Show all commands and options:
```
lycan --help
```
Launch the TUI to manage your PWAs:
```
lycan
```
Open an existing PWA by its **app name** (same as the folder name under `apps/`):
```
lycan open
```
After changing GPU, drivers, or switching between X11 and Wayland, refresh WebKit hints:
```
lycan detect-system
```
### TUI keybindings
| Key | Action |
|-----|--------|
| `a` | Add new PWA |
| `e` | Edit selected PWA |
| `o` / `Enter` | Open selected PWA |
| `d` | Delete selected PWA |
| `/` | Search / filter |
| `j` / `k` | Navigate up / down |
| `q` | Quit |
## How it works
When you add a PWA, Lycan:
1. Fetches the favicon from the URL and saves it locally
2. Creates a directory `~/.local/share/lycan/apps//` with `config.json` (and later `webview/` when you open it)
3. Writes a `.desktop` file under `~/.local/share/applications/`
On first `lycan` or `lycan open`, if missing, **`webkit-tuning.json`** is written next to `apps/` with WebKit-related flags inferred from your system.
When you open a PWA, Lycan starts a GTK window with a wry WebView, a **persistent** WebKit context rooted at `apps//webview/`, a Chrome-like user agent for compatibility, and the blocker initialization script. Release builds do not enable the Web Inspector.
## Configuration
Data lives under **`$XDG_DATA_HOME/lycan`** (usually `~/.local/share/lycan/`):
```
~/.local/share/lycan/
├── webkit-tuning.json # GPU / session hints (regenerate: lycan detect-system)
└── apps/
├── whatsapp/
│ ├── config.json
│ ├── icon.png
│ └── webview/ # WebKit profile (created on first open)
└── youtube/
├── config.json
└── icon.png
```
Deleting a PWA from the TUI removes its entire `apps//` tree (including `webview/`).