Similar technology to Chrome's Native Client Messaging in Firefox? - google-chrome

We want to replace a custom NPAPI interface between a browser based web application and an client side daemon process.
Is there a similar technology to Chrome's Native Client Messaging in Firefox?

js-ctypes[1] is probably the closest alternative for Mozilla.
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/js-ctypes
I have a C++ module that I compile as a binary executable for native-messaging or as a library for js-ctypes. The difference between the two is primarily that native-messaging calls a binary executable and performs stdin/stdout data exchange, and js-ctypes opens a static/shared library (via dlopen) and calls exposed methods of your library which can return compatible data types[2] and optionally call a passed JavaScript callback method.
[1] https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/js-ctypes
[2] https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/js-ctypes/js-ctypes_reference/ctypes#Predefined_data_types

With new support for Mozilla 'Chrome' WebExtensions API seems like soon there will be a very similar technology to Chrome's Native Client Messaging.
At this time it's still on the 'List of APIs [mozilla] will likely support in the future'

Related

When does Chrome pass a value other then 0 to the native messaging host for --parent-window?

I am developing a Chrome extension on windows. It also has a native messaging host. The argument passed to the host named --parent-window is in my case always 0.
According to the Native Messaging Protocol it says
On Windows, the native messaging host is also passed a command line
argument with a handle to the calling chrome native window:
--parent-window=. This lets the native messaging host create native UI windows that are correctly focused.
I open my port for native messaging in the background JS. My understanding is that you cannot use this API in content.
This Chromium Bug appears to be my issue but it was closed as a won't fix.
So when or in what circumstances does Chrome send something useful with the --parent-window?
Further on May 7 the writer who I assume knows a bit about chromium says
Haven't tried it, but could you open your native messaging port in a
content script instead? Sounds like the --parent-window arg might be
useful in that case.
What does he mean and how do I do this?
Answering my own question. In short it does not work as you would expect if you are a windows developer. Possibly comment 2 helps from the "Wont Fix" issue on Chromium.
Comment 2 seems to explain when it might work.
If you are using Native Messaging
(https://developer.chrome.com/extensions/messaging#native-messaging),
it would seem like the --parent-window command line parameter would
provide a solution. Unfortunately, zero is passed for the parent
window if the native messaging connection is made from a background
page and (apparently) the HWND of a transient popup window is passed
if the native messaging connection is made from a browser action
popup. And I am not allowed to call chrome.runtime.connectNative()
from a content script. Therefore, in my extension at least,
--parent-window is not helpful.
My solution is immediately after
port = chrome.runtime.connectNative('myspecial.host.application');
I then use the following;
chrome.tabs.query({ active: true, currentWindow: true }, function (tab) {
console.log(tab[0].title);
port.postMessage({ MessageType: 'chromeTitle', Message: tab[0].title });
});
In your host if you add to this titel " - Google Chrome" then you can call FindWindowEX with the class "Chrome_WidgetWin_1" and the title to get the main handle of Google.

Incomplete Implementation of CTAP2 (FIDO2) protocol in Chrome?

I've been investigating the implementation of CTAP2 protocol with Google Chrome (protocol between Fido Authenticator and Fido Client (e.g. Chrome)), which should be supported in Chrome since version 69.
So I dumped the chrome request to the authenticator in two cases:
1. U2F (CTAP1) with yubico demo website.
Here everything goes as expected and chrome follows the CTAP1 protocol.
2. FIDO2/Webauthn (CTAP2) with webauthn.org
And the browser has a strange behaviour:
It starts by following the CTAP2 protocol by sending a AuthenticatorGetInfoRequest
The Authenticator replies with AuthenticatorGetInfoResponse
But then Chrome switches to the CTAP1 protocol by sending a Registration Request Message (U2F_REGISTER)
Is it a problem with Chrome implementation: CTAP2 is not enabled entirely yet (it seems to be implemented in Chromium sources)?
Or is the problem coming from the authenticator: sending a response that makes Chrome switch to CTAP1?
Or something else entirely?
In AuthenticatorGetInfoRequest, the authenticator must respond with a string list of the supported versions among "U2F_V2" and "FIDO_2_0". Note also in case of NFC or CCID, a "FIDO_2_0" (CTAP2) only authenticator shall anwser directly "FIDO_2_0" on the SELECT command. I don't know about HID and BLE.
So maybe your authenticator is listing "U2F_V2" in the protocol versions list in AuthenticatorGetInfoRequest.
I also imagine the Chrome code base about this was moving fast and can be partial or not strict. To my tests in early 2020, the Chrome CTAP capabilities seem now stable and compliant.

How do I get access from a client app by using PhoneGap to OpenHAB?

I'm developing a hybrid app (using PhoneGap) for openHAB. At the moment I'm struggling to build a connection from my hybrid to the OpenHAB runtime. Any suggestions?
The intended way to connect to the openHAB runtime is the REST API which is described in detail in the wiki (see https://github.com/openhab/openhab/wiki/REST-API).
You could also have a look at the implementations of the native Android client (see https://github.com/openhab/openhab.android) or the greenT HTML5 application based on Sencha Touch (see https://github.com/openhab/openhab/tree/master/distribution/openhabhome/webapps/greent).
Hope this helps,
Thomas E.-E.
The openhab has a REST API implemented as a bundle. this can be accessed via the URL "http://openhabip:8080/rest/".
If you want to access the items and implemet your own UI you can use "http://openhabip:8080/rest/items" with HTTP GET, POST ,PUT.
Otherwise you can use the "http://:8080/rest/sitemaps" and use the openhab provided sitemaps.
The details are in https://github.com/openhab/openhab/wiki/REST-API

Chrome extension to listen and capture streaming audio

Is it possible for a Chrome extension to listen for streaming audio from any of the browser's tabs? I would like to capture the streaming audio data and then analyse it.
Thanks
You could try 3 ways, neither one does provide 100% guarantee to meet your needs.
Before going into more detailed descriptions, I must note that Chrome extensions do not provide convenient tools for working on per connection level - sufficiently low level, required for stream capturing. This is by design. This is why the 1-st way is:
To look at other browsers, for example Firefox, which provides low-level APIs for connections. They are already known to be used by similar extensions. You may have a look at MediaStealer. If you do not have a specific requirement to build your system on Chrome, you should possibly move to Firefox.
You can develop a Chrome extension, which intercepts HTTP-requests by means of webRequest API, analyses their headers and extracts media urls (such as containing audio/mpeg MIME-type, for example, in HTTP-headers). Just for a quick example of code you make look at the following SO question - How to change response header in Chrome. Having the url you may force appropriate media download as a file. It will land in default downloads folder and may have unfriendly name. (I made such an extension, but I do not have requirements for further processing). If you need to further process such files, it can be a challenge to monitor them in the folder, and run additional analysis in a separate program.
You may have a look at NPAPI plugins in general, and their streaming APIs in particular. I can imagine that you create a plugin registered for, again, audio/mpeg MIME-type, and receives the data via NPP_NewStream, NPP_WriteReady and NPP_Write methods. The plugin can be wrapped into a Chrome extension. Though I made NPAPI plugins, I never used this API, and I'm not sure it will work as expected. Nethertheless, I'm mentioning this possibility here for completenees. This method requires some coding other than web-coding, meaning C/C++. NB. NPAPI plugins are deprecated and not supported in Chrome since September 2015.
Taking into account that you have some external (to the extension) "fingerprinting service" in mind, which sounds like an intelligent data processing, you may be interested in building all the system out of a browser. For example, you could, possibly, involve a HTTP-proxy, saving media from passing traffic.
If you're writing a Chrome extension, you can use the Chrome tabCapture API to record audio.
chrome.tabCapture.capture({audio: true}, function(stream) {
var recorder = new MediaRecorder(stream);
[...]
});
The rest is left as an exercise to the reader; MDN has more documentation on how to use MediaRecorder.
When this question was asked in 2013, neither chrome.tabCapture nor MediaRecorder existed.
Mac OSX solution using soundflower: http://rogueamoeba.com/freebies/soundflower/
After installing soundflower it should appear as a separate audio device in the sound preferences (apple > system preferences > sound). Divert the computer's audio to the 2ch option (stereo, 16ch is surround), then inside a DAW, such as 'audacity', set the audio input as soundflower. Now the sound should be channeled to your DAW ready for recording.
Note: having diverted the audio from the internal speakers to soundflower you will only be able to hear the audio if the 'soundflowerbed' app is actually open. You know it's open if there's a 8 legged blob in the top right task bar. Clicking this icon gives you the sound flower options.
My privoxy has the following log:
2013-08-28 18:25:27.953 00002f44 Request: api.audioaddict.com/v1/di/listener_sessions.jsonp?_method=POST&callback=_AudioAddict_WP_ListenerSession_create&listener_session%5Bid%5D=null&listener_session%5Bis_premium%5D=false&listener_session%5Bmember_id%5D=null&listener_session%5Bdevice_id%5D=6&listener_session%5Bchannel_id%5D=178&listener_session%5Bstream_set_key%5D=webplayer&_=1377699927926
2013-08-28 18:25:27.969 0000268c Request: api.audioaddict.com/v1/ping.jsonp?callback=_AudioAddict_WP_Ping__ping&_=1377699927928
2013-08-28 18:25:27.985 00002d48 Request: api.audioaddict.com/v1/di/track_history/channel/178.jsonp?callback=_AudioAddict_TrackHistory_Channel&_=1377699927942
2013-08-28 18:25:54.080 00003360 Request: pub7.di.fm/di_progressivepsy_aac?type=.flv
So I got the stream url and record it:
D:\Profiles\user\temp>wget pub7.di.fm/di_progressivepsy_aac?type=.flv
--18:26:32-- http://pub7.di.fm/di_progressivepsy_aac?type=.flv
=> `di_progressivepsy_aac#type=.flv'
Resolving pub7.di.fm... done.
Connecting to pub7.di.fm[67.221.255.50]:80... connected.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 200 OK
Length: unspecified [video/x-flv]
[ <=> ] 1,234,151 8.96K/s
I got the file that can be reproduced in any multimedia pleer.

WebRTC P2P - Update

When will it be posible to exchange any kind of data via P2P with WebRTC?
I'm thinking about making a P2P bittorrent software, not to stream audio/video.
Thanks
There are some JS libraries: PeerJS and BoneValue for P2P data exchanging using WebRTC.
If you want to make a BitTorrent-like JS app for sending files, be aware that there are some already - BtAppJS, ShareFest, ShareIt, RTC-P2P, and P2P-Share.
This will available in Chrome using the DataChannel: http://webrtc-demos.appspot.com/html/dc1.html
You can see an overview in this talk from Google I/O: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8C8ouiXHHk&t=24m30s
I have not been able to establish a data connection in Chrome 21 or 22 (Canary), next step is to try compiling for myself.
P2P bittorrent software based on WebRTC already exists. It's called WebTorrent (source).
WebRTC that doesn't stream audio/video but arbitrary data is called RTCDataChannel: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/RTCDataChannel
But you are late - WebTorrent already exists.
WebTorrent client: https://github.com/webtorrent/webtorrent
WebTorrent tracker implementation: https://github.com/Novage/wt-tracker
Hybrid BitTorrent\WebTorrent tracker: https://github.com/webtorrent/bittorrent-tracker