Chrome Developer Launcher

A Windows 10+ system tray utility that launches Chrome with remote debugging enabled for AI agent automation.

Features

• Remote Debugging - Launches Chrome with --remote-debugging-port for Chrome DevTools Protocol access
• Port Forwarding - Automatically sets up netsh port forwards for all non-loopback network interfaces
• System Tray - Runs quietly in the system tray with status monitoring
• Status Display - Shows Chrome version, API status, and active port forwards
• Configuration - Registry-backed settings with modern WebView2 configuration dialog that sizes itself to its content, cannot be resized, and has only a Close button
• Start with Windows - Optional launch in the tray when you sign in to Windows
• Self Update - Compares embedded local and repository versions, installs newer builds, or force-reinstalls the same version
• Auto-Elevation - Automatically requests administrator privileges (required for port forwarding)
• Single Instance - Prevents multiple instances from running simultaneously
• Clean Shutdown - Removes port forwards and terminates Chrome processes on exit

Requirements

• Windows 10 or later
• Administrator privileges (for netsh port forwarding)
• Google Chrome installed
• Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime (included with Windows 11; download for Windows 10)

Usage

1. Run ChromeDevLauncher.exe
2. Accept the UAC elevation prompt
3. Configure Chrome path via right-click menu if not auto-detected
4. Chrome launches with remote debugging on port 9222 (default)

Configuration Options

• Chrome Executable Path - Path to chrome.exe
• Debug Port - Remote debugging port (default: 9222)
• Chrome IP Address - Address Chrome binds to (default: 127.0.0.1)
• Status Check Interval - How often to poll Chrome DevTools API (default: 60 seconds)
• Start with Windows - Launches in the tray when you sign in to Windows (off by default)
• Automatically Check for Updates - Checks at startup, whenever Configure opens, and every 60 minutes (enabled by default)

Closing with unsaved changes asks “Save changes before closing?” with Keep editing, Discard, and Save, using the same dark overlay as update prompts. This covers Cancel, the title-bar Close button, Alt+F4, and Escape. Keep editing or Escape returns to your edits; Save validates and saves them, and Discard closes without saving. Reverting all edits closes normally.

Settings are stored in the Windows Registry at:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\JPIT\ChromeDevLauncher

Start with Windows takes effect when you click Save. It adds or removes a ChromeDevLauncher value under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run pointing to the current executable. An entry disabled in Task Manager's startup apps shows as off; selecting the checkbox re-enables it. The application's usual UAC elevation prompt still applies at sign-in because port forwarding requires administrator privileges.

The configuration footer displays the application version as v<application version>.

Updates

Automatic checks continue every 60 minutes while the app runs in the tray, even with Configuration closed, and are silent unless a newer version is available. A newer build opens Configuration and displays the update prompt. If Configuration is already open, it is restored from the taskbar if minimized and brought to the foreground without losing unsaved edits. Ignore this version suppresses that version during later automatic checks, including after restart; the manual Update button still displays every result.

Checks download the repository's release/ChromeDevLauncher.exe to the user's temporary directory and compare its embedded Windows file version with the running executable. While downloading, the red Update button displays how much of the download has completed, rounded down to a whole percentage, for example Checking (42%).... Click it again to stop the check and remove the partial download; it is disabled while cancellation is pending. A matching remote version offers Force update; an older repository build is never installed.

Accepted updates use an elevated helper to replace the running executable, roll back if the updated application cannot start, clean up temporary files, and restart the application. The update confirmation (including Force update) has an unchecked Reopen settings after update checkbox. Select it to reopen Configuration with the installed version confirmation after a successful update; otherwise settings stay closed. This choice applies only to that update and is not saved. Cancelling the download, result prompt, or UAC approval leaves the current version running and discards the choice.

System Tray Menu

Right-click the tray icon to see:

• Chrome version and connection status
• API response status
• Active port forwards
• Configure option
• Exit option

Building from Source

Requires MinGW-w64 cross-compiler and Node.js on Linux:

make clean && make

This builds the React/shadcn frontend (assets/), embeds it into the executable as a resource, and cross-compiles with MinGW.

Output: release/ChromeDevLauncher.exe

Verification

After building, run the focused updater, startup and dialog checks on Linux (Python 3 and GCC):

python3 -m unittest discover -s tests -p 'test_updater.py' -v
python3 -m unittest discover -s tests -p 'test_startup.py' -v
python3 -m unittest discover -s tests -p 'test_fixed_frame.py' -v
python3 -m unittest discover -s tests -p 'test_config_close.py' -v

The frame check compiles the configuration dialog's fixed-size frame handling against stubbed window calls (the Close-only title bar and system menu, edge and corner drags, the Size and Maximize commands, and the track size that also stops Snap) and checks that every place the app sizes the dialog pins the size first.

With Python Playwright and Chromium installed, test the built configuration UI, including unsaved edits, close requests, keyboard focus, validation, and update prompt overlap:

python3 -m unittest discover -s tests -p 'test_update_ui.py' -v

Set CHROME_EXECUTABLE to use an existing Chromium binary. These tests use mock Windows APIs and a mock WebView bridge; they never change Windows startup entries, install an update, or restart the application. Windows sign-in, UAC, replacement, rollback, and WebView2 runtime behavior still require verification on Windows.

License

MIT