sockets

TCP and UDP sockets in the browser using Web extension API's and Direct Sockets from an Isolated Web App (IWA).

Install dependencies

npm install

bun install

Generate cryptographic keys for IWA

deno -A -c import-map.json generateWebCryptoKeys.js

Write Signed Web Bundle, create Native Messaging host manifest for Node.js TCP and UDP local server, and writes the Native Messaging host manifest to Chromium configuration folder on Linux.

Using network imports with Deno

deno -A -c import-map.json index.js

node index.js

Load the Signed Web Bundle on the command line with

~/chrome-linux/chrome --no-startup-window \
--password-store=basic \
--install-isolated-web-app-from-file=/home/user/sockets/signed.swbn

or select the signed.swbn file in chrome://web-app-internals.

Load the unpacked extension folder sockets-web-extension in chrome://extension, or when launching chrome with --load-extension=/home/user/sockets/sockets-web-extension.

Set sockets.js to executable for launching the Node.js TCP and UDP server on the local machine in a Native Messaging host.

The Web extension injects DirectSocket class into all http: and https: Web pages. When constructed DirectSocket class starts Node.js local server, and opens the IWA window.

Communication between IWA window, background MV3 ServiceWorker in Web extension, and user determined Web page uses externally_connectable; IPC that uses JSON-like format in Chromium browser.

The JSON from IPC is written to WHATWG Streams to implement WICG Direct Sockets TCPSocket and UDPSocket interfaces.

Not implemented for TCPSocketOptions: sendBufferSize, receiveBufferSize, dnsQueryType.

Usage

In DevTools in an arbitrary Web page, TCP connection to remote address. Opens a minimal IWA window. Closing the socket closes the IWA window.

var socket = new DirectSocket("tcp", "52.43.121.77", 9001);
var abortable = new AbortController();
var decoder = new TextDecoder();
var {
  readable,
  writable,
  remoteAddress,
  remotePort,
  localAddress,
  localPort
} = await socket.opened;
console.log({
  remoteAddress,
  remotePort,
  localAddress,
  localPort
});
var reader = readable.getReader();
var promise = reader.read().then(function read({
  value,
  done
} = {
  value: {
    data: void 0
  },
  done: false
}) {
  if (done) return reader.closed.then(() => "Done streaming");
  console.log(decoder.decode(value?.data || value));
  return reader.read().then(read);
}).catch((e) => e.message);

await new Response(`
1. If a (logical or axiomatic formal) system is consistent, it cannot be complete.
2. The consistency of axioms cannot be proved within their own system.

- Kurt Gödel, Incompleteness Theorem, On Formally Undecidable Propositions 
  of Principia Mathematica and Related Systems
`).body.pipeTo(writable, {
  preventClose: 1
});
promise
  .then((p) => {
    console.log(p);
  }).catch(console.warn);

TCP connection to local machine

var socket = new DirectSocket("tcp", "127.0.0.1", 8080);

Close TCP connection

socket.close();

UDP connection to remote address

var socket = new DirectSocket("udp", "52.43.121.77", 10001);
var abortable = new AbortController();
var encoder = new TextEncoder();
var decoder = new TextDecoder();
var {
  readable,
  writable,
  remoteAddress,
  remotePort,
  localAddress,
  localPort
} = await socket.opened;
console.log({
  remoteAddress,
  remotePort,
  localAddress,
  localPort
});
var reader = readable.getReader();
var promise = reader.read().then(function read({
  value,
  done
} = {
  value: {
    data: void 0
  },
  done: false
}) {
  if (done) return reader.closed.then(() => "Done streaming");
  console.log(decoder.decode(value.data));
  return reader.read().then(read);
}).catch((e) => e.message);

var writer = writable.getWriter();
await writer.write({
  data: encoder.encode(`So we need people to have weird new
ideas ... we need more ideas to break it
and make it better ...

Use it. Break it. File bugs. Request features.

- Soledad Penadés, Real time front-end alchemy, or: capturing, playing,
  altering and encoding video and audio streams, without
  servers or plugins!`)
});

promise
  .then((p) => {
    console.log(p);
  }).catch(console.warn);

UDP connection to local machine

var socket = new DirectSocket("udp", "0.0.0.0", 8080);

Close UDP connection

await writer.close();

License

Do What the Fuck You Want to Public License WTFPLv2