so i have a browser now. it's called catweb, a pixel cat named tuft lives on the new tab page.
download: https://yupthatscole.github.io/catweb-releases/
what it is
catweb is a windows browser written in rust.
websites run on webview2, the same engine microsoft edge uses, so most sites just work. catweb draws everything around the page itself: tabs, address bar, menus, settings, downloads, and tuft.
there's also catweb native, a from-scratch rendering engine. it's an experimental side project, and tabs using it get an "Experimental" label. don't sign in to anything in those.
what it does
built-in ad and tracker blocking (easylist), toggle per site
tries https first, strips tracking junk from links
private tabs that forget everything when closed
tabs in the title bar, drag to reorder, reopen closed tabs (ctrl+shift+t)
address bar suggestions, bookmarks bar, history, downloads panel
imports your chrome bookmarks and history
themes and accent colors (default is "lavender soft")
updates itself and checks a signature before installing anything
silly settings, off by default. yes, the switches meow.
privacy
no accounts, no analytics, no telemetry. on its own, catweb only talks to:
github, once a day, to check for updates (can be turned off)
sites you visit, to grab their icons (never in private tabs)
microsoft smartscreen, for dangerous sites and downloads (on by default, can be turned off)
history and bookmarks stay on your pc. catweb doesn't save passwords.
it hasn't had an outside security audit, so i wouldn't use it for banking yet.
the smartscreen thing
catweb isn't code-signed (that costs money every year), so windows will warn you. click "More info", then "Run anyway".
if you want to check it first:
virustotal: https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/ea48b93c00d2345afdcbc42327ce868ffac0f0fcb33bd4c1df12320d2c864cec/detection
every release has a sha-256 checksum next to the download
what's next
a vpn/proxy option someday, making catweb native good enough for real sites.
bugs
found one? open an issue at https://github.com/yupthatscole/catweb-releases/issues and say what you did and what happened.
meow 🐈
Top comments (0)