Enable hardware-accelerated rendering and persist GPU/cache data. Added a BrowserSettings() helper that enables WebGL and use it when creating Chrome/Content/MenuPopup browsers (src/app/nebula_controller.cpp). Configure CefSettings to use a persistent user data and cache directory (src/app/run.cpp) by calling nebula::ui::GetUserDataDirectory() and GetCacheDirectory(). Add command-line switches to initialize the GPU process and avoid sandbox/blocklist fallbacks (disable GPU sandbox, in-process-gpu, ignore-gpu-blocklist, enable-accelerated-video-decode, use ANGLE D3D11) to prevent GPU crashes and Chromium falling back to software rendering (src/cef/nebula_app.cpp). Implement GetUserDataDirectory() and GetCacheDirectory() (preferring %LOCALAPPDATA% with an executable-directory fallback) and expose them in the header (src/ui/paths.cpp, src/ui/paths.h). These changes ensure GPU shader caching, WebGL support, and smoother video/graphics behavior.
Introduce support for an internal nebula:// URL scheme and internal page routing (ResolveInternalUrl / ToInternalUrl), including dedicated slugs for home, settings, downloads, big-picture, gpu-diagnostics, insecure and a 404 fallback. Wire internal resolution into browser creation and tab navigation so internal pages load from local UI files. Add an insecure-warning interstitial flow with a navigate-insecure command and a one-shot bypass set (ShouldBypassInsecureWarning) so content can request navigating to an HTTP target after user confirmation. Harden BrowserClient handling to resolve Chromium new-tab and nebula internal URLs, redirect HTTP to the insecure warning when appropriate, and handle 404 responses by loading the internal 404 page. Update chrome UI behavior to hide internal home URLs, accept nebula:// in navigation input checks, and add a GPU Diagnostics page (revamped UI + diagnostic scripts) plus menu entry. Misc: improve URL utilities (scheme checks, percent-encoding, decorations), fix 404 display text, adjust menu popup size, tweak window frame styling (DWM attributes) and remove branding block from chrome UI CSS.
Introduce core application structure and browser management: add NebulaController and run entry (src/app/*) to centralize window, tab and CEF lifecycle logic; implement TabManager and NebulaTab (src/browser/*) for tab creation, navigation and state tracking; add URL utilities (NormalizeNavigationInput, JsonEscape) and CEF browser client glue (src/cef/browser_client.cpp/.h) to forward chrome commands and content events. Update app/main.cpp to delegate startup to nebula::app::RunNebula. Add UI assets (chrome.html, chrome.css, chrome.js, lucide, menu-popup updates) and remove obsolete nebot.html. Update CMakeLists to include new sources, add ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src to includes and link dwmapi on Windows. Overall this refactors startup and splits responsibilities for cleaner tab and browser lifecycle handling.
Add initial Nebula Browser project skeleton: CMakeLists to configure and link CEF (including post-build steps to copy runtime and UI files), a Windows CEF-based entry (app/main.cpp) that initializes CEF and loads the bundled UI, and a full ui/ and assets/ tree (HTML, CSS, JS, fonts, icons, and branding images). Update .gitignore to ignore build/out, thirdparty/cef, IDE and common OS artifacts.
Introduce --primary-rgb, --accent-rgb, --success-rgb and --warning-rgb and replace hardcoded rgba(...) usages in CSS with rgba(var(--*-rgb), alpha) to allow dynamic alpha blending from theme colors. Add a hexToRgb helper in setup.js and populate these RGB variables in applyThemeToSetupPage (handles 3- and 6-digit hex and validates input), so runtime theme changes can drive translucent shadows, backgrounds and highlights.
Move legacy Steam-related docs into documentation/archived and add a new UPLOAD-ITCH.md describing how to publish builds to itch.io with Butler. Update top-level README to state official releases will be on itch.io. Remove Steam-specific UI/features: drop steamCloudOptIn from first-run preferences, remove the Steam Cloud teaser and summary from the setup flow, and adjust settings/setup copy to reference handheld devices and non‑Steam distribution. Also make a small wording tweak in the plugins doc about rendererPreload.
Rename and consolidate portable user-data to usr/user-data and update tooling and runtime to match. Updated appdir-example/run-nebula.sh to point at usr/user-data; make-appdir.sh and update-appdir.sh now patch/copy the launcher, create the usr/user-data directory and set secure permissions (mkdir -p, chmod 700), and remove sed backups. portable-data.js now defaults to app-local user-data and prefers <AppDir>/usr/user-data on Linux AppDir builds (with safe fs checks). Also minor UI change in renderer/setup.css to make the footer background transparent and disable the backdrop blur.
Updated project status and description in README.md to reflect that development is paused and the project is in a dormant state. Added a section clarifying the implications of this status and maintained the licensing information.
Enhanced zoom target selection to better support parent windows in desktop mode and improved menu popup zoom refresh. Updated setup.css to refine layout, scrolling, and visual effects, including better handling for small screen heights and improved sticky footer appearance.
Adds explicit AppUserModelID for Windows, robust single-instance and protocol URL handling, and protocol registration for http/https in package.json. Enhances default browser logic to handle OS-specific requirements, provides user feedback in the setup UI, and allows opening system settings for default browser selection. Updates preload and renderer logic to support these changes.
Updated getPortableDataPath to prefer storing 'user-data' in Documents/My Games/<AppName>, with a fallback to the app directory if necessary. This enhances data portability and aligns with common user data storage conventions.
Introduces a multi-step onboarding process for first-time users, including theme selection and default browser setup. Adds setup.html, setup.js, and setup.css for the new UI, updates main.js and preload.js to support onboarding logic and IPC handlers, and adjusts theme-manager.js for correct theme directory resolution.
Introduces a BrowserView-based tab management system for desktop mode, replacing webview elements for tab content. Adds IPC handlers and state management for creating, activating, destroying, and communicating with BrowserViews. Implements an overlay menu popup window for tab actions and zoom controls. Updates renderer UI to use a dedicated view host container, and refactors tab creation and navigation logic to use BrowserViews. Improves focus styling in CSS and updates preload and IPC messaging to support BrowserView contexts.
Enhanced directional navigation logic to prioritize active tab panel content when moving from tab links, improving keyboard and controller accessibility. Added robust D-pad detection for gamepads, supporting both button and axis-based D-pads for broader controller compatibility. Updated settings tab logic to allow ArrowDown/ArrowRight to move focus from tabs to the active panel, with global fallback for improved accessibility.
Introduces UI buttons for adding bookmarks and current page bookmarks in bigpicture.html. Implements bookmark creation, editing, and saving logic in bigpicture.js, including OSK integration for bookmark input, persistent storage support, and improved rendering of bookmark tiles.
Implemented search history tracking and display using localStorage, with options to clear history from the settings page. Replaced the display scale slider with interactive zoom controls and preset buttons, applying zoom changes immediately. Updated styles and HTML structure to support these new features.
Refactors tab history management to prevent duplicate entries and ensure correct navigation for internal nebula:// pages. Updates back/forward navigation to use custom history tracking, properly converting between home and webview tabs, and disables navigation buttons based on history state instead of webview methods.
Adds an onerror handler to tab favicon images to hide them if the favicon fails to load, improving the appearance of tabs with missing or broken favicon URLs.
Revamps the 404.html page with a modern dark-themed design, enhanced layout, and improved messaging. Adds responsive styles, a prominent error icon, clearer action buttons, and displays the attempted URL. Refactors JavaScript for better navigation handling and integration with Electron or parent window messaging.
Replaces all occurrences of the 'browser://' internal URL scheme with 'nebula://' across main process, plugin manager, and renderer files. This change standardizes the internal page scheme to 'nebula://' for improved clarity and branding.
Revamps the settings page with improved layout, modernized CSS, and enhanced accessibility, including new layout helpers, better grouping, and consistent styling. Updates Electron from v39.2.7 to v40.0.0 in dependencies. Adds dynamic theme application to the settings page, ensuring user-selected themes are reflected immediately.
Revamps the Electron update section in settings with a new UI, status banner, and clearer messaging. The updater logic is now only available in development mode; the main process disables update attempts in packaged builds. Updates to the renderer and main process ensure users on Steam or packaged builds are informed that updates are handled externally, while developers can check and install Electron updates during development.
Removed unconditional CSS zoom call that was causing zoom to be applied
twice (Electron zoom + CSS zoom), resulting in squared scaling values.
Now correctly uses Electron zoom as primary with CSS as fallback only.
Portable mode now works on Windows, macOS, and Linux, storing user data in a 'user-data' folder within the app directory by default. The mode is enabled by default and can be disabled via NEBULA_PORTABLE=0. All file operations for history and search data now respect portable mode, using secure file writes where appropriate. Updated .gitignore and package.json to exclude portable data from versioning and packaging. Also fixed Bing icon filename case in home.html.
Adds a frameless window with custom title bar controls for Windows, including minimize, maximize/restore, and close buttons. Refactors theme color application to use CSS variables and color-mix for improved consistency and dynamic theming across home, settings, and main UI. Updates renderer and styles to support the new title bar, platform detection, and improved color handling. No changes to lock files.
Big Picture Mode now launches in the main application window instead of a separate Electron window. This reduces resource usage, prevents SteamOS desktop mode conflicts, and enables seamless switching between Desktop and Big Picture modes. Updated documentation, main process logic, and preload API to reflect the new architecture.
Simplified the cleanup logic for Steam callback pump by removing unnecessary try-catch and optional chaining. The cleanup is now directly registered after requiring Electron modules.
Updated main.js to better manage Steam Input environment variables, explicitly initialize and shutdown Steam Input, and regularly pump Steam callbacks to ensure proper controller support. Enhanced README-STEAM.md with detailed instructions for configuring Steam Input on Windows, Linux, and Steam Deck, including guidance for software/app limitations and launch options.
Adds environment variable setup and early gamepad initialization to main.js and preload.js to ensure native controller support on Steam Deck and SteamOS. Updates README-STEAM.md and BIG_PICTURE_MODE.md with detailed instructions for disabling Steam Input emulation and troubleshooting. Introduces start-steamdeck.sh launcher script to automate environment configuration for Steam Deck users.
andrew
Andrew Zambazos