Web Server for Chrome

The next generation of Web Server for Chrome, rebuilt from scratch by the original author.

The original Chrome App was used by 200,000+ people for local web development and file sharing. Google discontinued Chrome Apps, so Web Server for Chrome is being rebuilt as:

• Chrome Extension — The familiar UI, now as an extension
• Desktop App — Native app (Tauri) for Mac, Windows, and Linux
• CLI — ok200 command for developers who live in the terminal
• Android / ChromeOS — Native app, published on Google Play

Same author. Same mission. Modern architecture.

Looking for the original Chrome App source code? See the legacy branch.

Current Status

The CLI server is functional today. The Chrome extension is published as a lightweight launcher surface, the Android app is published on Google Play, and the desktop app is in active development.

Install

• Chrome Extension: Web Server for Chrome on the Chrome Web Store
• Android / ChromeOS: 200 OK on Google Play
• Desktop app: packaged separately; the extension can launch it via native messaging when installed

CLI Usage

npx ok200                          # serve current directory on port 8080
npx ok200 ./dist                   # serve a specific directory
npx ok200 --port 3000              # custom port
npx ok200 --host 0.0.0.0           # expose on LAN
npx ok200 ./dist --spa --cors      # SPA mode with CORS headers
npx ok200 ./dist --upload          # enable PUT/POST file uploads

CLI Options

Flag	Description	Default
--port, -p <port>	Port to listen on	8080
--host, -H <host>	Host to bind	127.0.0.1
--cors	Enable CORS headers	off
--spa	Serve index.html for missing paths	off
--upload	Enable file uploads via PUT/POST	off
--no-listing	Disable directory listing	off
--quiet, -q	Suppress request logging	off

Features

• Static file serving with MIME type detection
• Auto-serves index.html for directories
• Directory listing with file sizes and dates
• ETag / If-None-Match (304) support
• Path traversal protection
• Graceful shutdown on SIGINT/SIGTERM

Roadmap

Coming Soon

• Expanded Chrome Extension + desktop helper integration
• Tauri desktop app (Mac, Windows, Linux) — ~10MB vs 100MB+ Electron alternatives
• Android / ChromeOS feature expansion
• HTTPS with self-signed cert generation
• HTTP Basic Auth
• Range requests for media streaming

Later

• QR code for easy mobile access on LAN
• Live reload
• Multiple simultaneous servers
• Reverse proxy mode

See docs/vision.md for the full roadmap.

Architecture

Platform-agnostic TypeScript HTTP engine with native I/O adapters per platform. Same adapter pattern proven in JSTorrent.

packages/engine/     Platform-agnostic HTTP server (no platform deps)
packages/cli/        CLI wrapper (Node.js adapters)
extension/           Chrome Extension
desktop/             Tauri desktop app
android/             Android app (QuickJS + Kotlin/Compose)

Migration from Chrome App

If you were a user of the original Web Server for Chrome:

1. The new extension is published here: Chrome Web Store listing
2. The Android / ChromeOS app is published here: Google Play listing
3. All features from the original app will be supported — same options, same workflow.
4. Sign up to be notified: Google Form

Development

pnpm install
pnpm build       # compile TypeScript
pnpm test        # run tests
pnpm typecheck   # type check
pnpm lint        # lint with Biome

License

MIT