Migrate back to a hosted app

[eladnava]

The benefits of doing this are too many to list. Some of them include resolving #24 #21 and #13.

Pending resolution of the following Chromium bug:
https://bugs.chromium.org/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=649951&can=1&q=%22hosted%20app%22%20%20%22shortcut%22&colspec=ID%20Pri%20M%20Stars%20ReleaseBlock%20Component%20Status%20Owner%20Summary%20OS%20Modified#

If the bug is not resolved, an alternative route is:

1. Asking the user to enable creation of app shims for hosted apps in chrome://extensions
2. Generating a hosted app and asking the user to install it
3. Somehow getting the user to give us the extension ID? Can we somehow set our own extension ID for extensions outside the Chrome Web Store?
4. Having the user download an .app executable with the app name and icon, linking to the extension ID the user installed, and placing it in Applications/
5. Asking the user to open chrome://apps/, right click the applicationized app, and set it to Open as Window
6. User can now drag it to the dock / launchpad, and clicking it will open a new Chrome window

Unfortunately, Alt+Tab still won't work with this approach on OS X.

The above process is extremely clunky and annoying in comparison to the current installation process. The resolution of the bug posted above will greatly help with this.

[eladnava]

There appears to be a new feature in Google Chrome called Application Shortcuts. It basically makes it possible to convert any web page (or web app) into a desktop app by clicking the hamburger icon in the top right -> More Tools -> Create Shortcut and ticking "Open as window".

Chrome then asks for a shortcut name as well as whether to open it in a new window. Submitting the form creates an app shim for the bookmarked app - basically a Launchpad shortcut that can be pinned to the dock and opens the web app in a new isolated window, very similar to what Applicationize provides.

However, there is one key difference -- this "bookmarked app" is not a packaged app which means all of Chrome's features just work, including support for extensions, saved passwords, desktop notifications, etc.

More info about this new "bookmark app system" is available here:
https://seo-michael.co.uk/enable-the-new-bookmark-app-system-chrome/

Re-tagging #24 #21 #13 as this new flag presents a possible solution to those issues, even though it is not a solution provided from within Applicationize.

If the Chromium team can fix the bug I reported, we could make it possible for Applicationize to generate hosted apps which can be pinned to the dock, and open in their own window.

[tevyaw]

As I commented on your Applicationize post, I really want a solution that lets us run in a window, with other extensions still applied. So I'm really hoping for this. I starred the issue. Is there a way to alert Applicationize users/followers to this an get them to star/comment to help bump it for consideration by Google?

EDIT: Also, I tried this and it worked as you said, except for the "open as window" option. It didn't give me that option.

[eladnava]

@tevyaw Make sure to enable Allow hosted apps to be opened in windows in chrome://flags. You'll get that option then. 😄

[tevyaw]

@eladnava ah thanks. I actually figured it out on my own just before seeing this. So this is the solution I need, from everything I can tell without using it much. It's basically the same as what I used to use on Windows.

So now, here's what confuses me: I thought Chrome was getting rid of apps and all this stuff? Yet, they've added this one feature back on Mac, that hasn't been there this whole time? I thought they were just going to lose it from Windows & Linux too, yet it seems like they are adding it to Mac?

Sorry if this isn't the place to discuss this. I just don't know where else to. I was so excited to find Applicationize after months of searching on and off.

[eladnava]

@tevyaw Chrome got rid of the Chrome App Launcher since it was a nuisance. They for sure aren't getting rid of packaged apps (extensions that open in their own window with their own UI), but they are probably on the way to remove hosted apps, since they are disabled by default and you had to enable two flags to use that feature.

Not sure for how long it will last.

[tevyaw]

So I researched this extensively some months back and didn't see anything about this. Maybe I missed it? Or maybe these are new flags they're phasing-in, rather than out (like the material design)? At least it would seem The new bookmark app system is new, right?

[eladnava]

I think that these are rather new flags and they haven't really been announced anywhere. No one really knows about their existence.

[tevyaw]

If they're new, that would indicate that Google is adding these on Mac, to
support this. So maybe I misunderstood what it was Google was removing.
Either way, I'm happy for now. With those turned on, I can work the way I
want.

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I think that these are rather new flags and they haven't really been
announced anywhere. No one really knows about their existence.

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[dawidry]

Is there any way to change icon while using this method?

[eladnava]

@dawidry After creating the app ("Add to Applications"), a Finder window will open up to the Chrome Apps folder, highlighting the app you just created.

Right click the app and click Get Info. Then, drag a .icns file on top of the existing app icon to replace it.

You can convert PNG files to ICNS here:
https://iconverticons.com/online/

[dawidry]

That's cool. Thank you very much.

[robertgranholm]

AWESOME. I was using MailPlane before for Gmail and didn't like I couldn't use the tons of other chrome extensions. I also didnt want to run Gmail in just another tab. This is glorious. I'd love for it to just "auto work" that with applicationize, and I get you're working on that. Thanks. This, in my mind, puts you way ahead of Fluid which I use for app like web browser tabs, but find it limiting in many regards. I'll be watching this repo and you're app, keep it up.

[robertgranholm]

Super tiny small item, how do you get the Chrome App Launcher icons to refresh, I've updated my icon but the icon in the Chrome App Launch is stuck

[robertgranholm]

Another small thing, sorry for the barrage - when I am using cmd+tab ... i can tab out of the new app I've created, but i can't tab back to chrome... have you experienced that?

[eladnava]

@robertgranholm Thanks!

See #17 for cmd + tab bug. Please open new issues for all other inquiries as these are unrelated to the current issue.

[robertgranholm]

Thanks, sorry for my bad github etiquette!

[geor9]

The chromium bug website says it got archived due to inactivity, and to resubmit the bug if it's still an issue. I also noticed the page said you can't drag apps to the dock - but I found if you open an app, you can click "keep in dock" after the fact, and it gets the desired result. It opens as a tab though, and I didn't get the "open as window" option when naming it.

[eladnava]

Hi @geor9,
Unfortunately Chrome has decided to deprecate packaged / hosted apps:
#62

Therefore they will probably not end up fixing this since packaged / hosted apps are being deprecated in early 2018.