README.md

metadata

pretty_name: OFFDIGITZ (formerly Nova Browser)
license: mpl-2.0
tags:
  - android
  - geckoview
  - browser
  - kotlin
  - webextensions
  - ai

OFFDIGITZ 🦎⚡

This project has been renamed OFFDIGITZ. The active repo is Offlin33er/offdigitz-browser (v1.0.0). This repo holds the v0.8.0 rename point and earlier history.

Not a conventional browser. OFFDIGITZ is a chrome-less, unrestricted GeckoView browser whose entire interface is a command palette — with a built-in AI assistant.

What makes it different

1. Chrome-less by design

No URL bar. No toolbar row. No tab strip. Content is edge-to-edge, full screen. One floating ⌘ button summons the command palette — everything routes through it:

• Type anything → Go to … / 🔍 Search DuckDuckGo / 🤖 Ask AI
• New tab · Close current tab · Reload page · Open tab tray · Add-ons manager · Dev console · Clear console · Ask AI · AI settings
• A thin loading bar hugs the top edge — that's the only persistent indicator.

2. Unrestricted defaults (deliberately unlike mainstream browsers)

Restriction	Conventional browsers	OFFDIGITZ
Tracking protection / content blocking	ON by default	OFF — no ContentBlocking policy configured
Extension permission prompts	Dialog per install	Auto-granted (AUTO_GRANT_PERMISSIONS = true in BrowserActivity; flip to false to restore prompts)
about:config	Hidden/blocked	Enabled — full engine configuration surface
Remote debugging	Off	Always on — desktop Firefox DevTools via about:debugging
DevTools (Eruda)	None	Injected into every page

Engine-level limit (not embedder-fixable): Gecko validates add-on signatures at install time — unsigned .xpi installs are refused by the engine regardless of app settings. Privileged extensions ship inside the APK (OFFDIGITZ's dev console does exactly that).

3. Real WebExtensions

• Bundled devconsole@offdigitz (privileged, ensureBuiltIn) — Eruda in every page, console logs bridged to the native screen
• AMO installs: .xpi URL or add-on page URL → WebExtensionController.install() → Gecko validates Mozilla signature → permissions auto-granted in unrestricted mode
• Add-ons manager: list, enable/disable, uninstall

4. Built-in AI (⌘ → Ask AI)

• Full chat screen; anything typed in the palette can be sent straight to the AI via the 🤖 Ask AI row
• Two backends, chosen in AI settings:
  • Hugging Face — models like Llama via router.huggingface.co/v1 + your HF token
  • Any OpenAI-compatible API — OpenAI, Groq, or Ollama on your own PC (base URL + key)
• Keys are stored only on your device (SharedPreferences) and sent only to the endpoint you choose

5. Developer console, three layers

1. Eruda in-page inspector (console / DOM / network)
2. Native console screen via native messaging (⌘ → Dev console)
3. Remote debugging: desktop Firefox DevTools (about:config also enabled)

Versions

Version	Milestone
0.1.0	GeckoView shell, tabs, bundled dev-console extension, remote debugging
0.2.0	Tab tray, session restore, VIEW-intent handling
0.3.0	Loading bar, live URL sync, back/fwd states, history autocomplete
0.4.0	Add-ons manager + native console screen
0.5.0	AMO installs + permission flow (superseded pre-release)
0.6.0	The pivot: chrome-less ⌘ palette + unrestricted defaults
0.7.0	Built-in AI (Ask AI chat, HF + OpenAI-compatible backends)
0.8.0	Renamed to OFFDIGITZ (launcher label, palette/AI headers, extension id, applicationId com.offdigitz.browser)

Which APK to install

In apk/:

File	Use
offdigitz-0.8.0-arm64-release.apk	Most modern phones — small, optimized
offdigitz-0.8.0-universal-release.apk	Any device
offdigitz-0.8.0-debug.apk	Debug build with all ABIs

Release builds are debug-signed (installable for testing). The renamed app installs as a new app (com.offdigitz.browser) alongside any earlier Nova install.

Build it

1. Android Studio (2024.2+) → clone this repo → sync.
2. curl -L -o app/src/main/assets/devconsole/eruda.min.js https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/eruda/eruda.min.js
3. Run ▶ (minSdk 26).

Dependency pins (cloud-build verified)

Dependency	Version
org.mozilla.geckoview:geckoview	147.0.20260212191108
AGP / Gradle	8.9.1 / 8.11.1
Kotlin	2.2.21 + built-in Compose compiler plugin
Compose BOM	2024.09.03
minSdk / compileSdk	26 / 36

Layout

app/src/main/java/dev/nova/browser/   (internal package path; app identity is com.offdigitz.browser)
  BrowserActivity.kt          — chrome-less shell, ⌘ FAB, unrestricted runtime config
  CommandPalette.kt           — the primary UI: commands, navigate, search, Ask AI
  AiChat.kt                   — AI settings store, OpenAI-format client (HF router + compatible), chat + settings screens
  TabManager.kt               — sessions, persistence/restore, history, extension registry
  TabTray.kt                  — tab management (via palette)
  ExtensionManagerScreen.kt   — add-ons: list, toggle, uninstall, AMO install
  ConsoleScreen.kt            — full dev console
app/src/main/assets/devconsole/
  manifest.json               — privileged built-in extension (devconsole@offdigitz)
  eruda-loader.js             — Eruda injection + console bridge
  background.js               — extension background script

Honest notes

• Auto-granted permissions are a real security trade-off — that's the point of the product, but it means installed add-ons get what they ask for without a gate. One constant (AUTO_GRANT_PERMISSIONS) flips prompts back on.
• Session restore is URL-level (no scroll/state capture yet).
• Release builds are debug-signed and not R8-minified.
• Eruda exposes page internals — you chose unrestricted; mainstream browsers deliberately don't.
• The internal Kotlin package path is still dev.nova.browser (invisible); a cosmetic package-directory rename is a future pass.

License

MPL-2.0.