Port Onyx - Feedback/Suggestions Appreciated

https://github.com/tacyak8/PortOnyx

I recently pushed a few updates, including adding an option for SpellCheck, and the ability to reset the password.

I do not even know if this thing is going to be useful to anyone. If it is though I would love some feedback, especially on suggestions for improving it. Or if you want to make fun of me or it…feel free to. -_o_-

One difference, I think, between this and other programs is that this is entirely walled off from the internet. The apps themselves wouldn’t be. You can still download nodes through ComfyManager for instance. But the browser itself is entirely local.

Second each app you add gets its own storage for cookies/cache/local storage. That means you can empty them for one but not another, or even empty them for one instance of the app but not others. Remember though many of your local AI tools have their own storage systems outside of the browser. As of right now this doesn’t touch that.

GitHub ReadMe:

Port Onyx

A walled launcher for local apps. Port Onyx is a small Windows desktop app that puts your local tools (ComfyUI, KoboldCpp, or anything that serves a page on localhost) behind one dark home screen, each in its own isolated browser profile.

What it does

One tile per app. Click a tile and Port Onyx starts the program (an .exe, .bat or .cmd), waits for its local address to answer, and opens it in a tab.

Isolated profiles. Every app gets its own cookies, storage and cache. Clear cache, cookies, local storage, or everything, per app, without touching the others.

Localhost-only tabs. Pages in the tabs can only talk to 127.0.0.1 and localhost. Links and requests to anywhere else are blocked.

Add apps without code. The + tile takes a name, launch file, arguments, working folder, URL, icon and highlight color.

Start and stop. Each tile shows its status, and Stop ends the program and everything it started.

Notes. A built-in plain-text notes tab with categories (plain folders), search, autosave and a trash folder.

Password gate. A password at startup, a Lock button, and auto-lock after 15 minutes idle.

Requirements

Windows 10 or 11

Node.js (LTS)

Install and run

npm install

npm start

If npm reports that Electron's install script was blocked, run this once, then start again:

node node_modules/electron/install.js

npm start

You choose a password on first launch. start-portonyx.bat is a double-click launcher.

Adding an app

Use the + tile. What you fill in decides the tile type:

URL only: opens the address in a tab.

Launch file only: starts the program and tracks it.

Both: starts the program, waits for the URL to answer, then opens the tab.

Each app is stored as apps/<name>/app.json:

{

"name": "KoboldCpp",

"launch": "C:\\Tools\\KoboldCpp\\koboldcpp.exe",

"url": "http://127.0.0.1:5001",

"accent": "#6ea8ff",

"icon": "icon.png"

}

Output from .bat and .cmd launches is written to apps/<name>/launch.log.

Security notes

The localhost wall applies to the browser tabs only. Programs that Port Onyx launches (and anything they install or download) have normal network access. Use a firewall for those.

The password gate keeps casual access out. It does not encrypt anything. Use BitLocker or an encrypted vault such as Cryptomator for data at rest. The notes folder can be pointed at a vault drive.

Port Onyx contains no telemetry and no update checks of its own. Electron bundles its own Chromium, so run npm update electron now and then.

Your data stays local

userdata/ (password hash, browser profiles, settings), notes/ and apps/ are created next to the app and are excluded by .gitignore.

Status

A personal project built for one setup. It is Windows only and may have rough edges