ohy - A Lightweight, Privacy-First CLI for Packaging Web into Desktop Apps

Convert web apps into desktop applications effortlessly.

ohy is a lightweight command-line tool built in Rust that transforms web applications into desktop applications. With features like data privacy isolation, multiple concurrent instances, and easy deployment, it simplifies the transition while keeping resource usage efficient and user data secure across platforms.ohy project github

Key Features

• Small single executable: Less than 5MB.
• Data privacy isolation: Isolates based on the connection address and application name.
• Multiple instances: Applications can be run concurrently with isolated session data by default.
• Easy deployment: Simply copy the binary file for use; no need for sudo privileges.
• Automatic icon retrieval: Automatically fetches the application icon.
• Centralized caching: Local cache data is stored in a fixed directory, avoiding scattered data writes that could clutter system directories.

Usage

Usage: ohy --url <url> [-n <name>] [-w <width>] [-h <height>] [-a <user-agent>]

Options:
  --url             url example https://www.github.com
  -n, --name        name
  -w, --width       width default 1200
  -h, --height      height default 780
  -a, --user-agent  user agent
  --help, help      display usage information

Example

To create a desktop application for qwen chat:

ohy --url https://chat.qwenlm.ai -n qwen

Installation

1. Install the application using Cargo

cargo install ohy

Benefits

• Lightweight and efficient resource usage
• Enhanced privacy through session isolation
• Simple and straightforward configuration
• Cross-platform compatibility

screenshot

linux

linux app cache data directory $HOME/.config/ohy/*

windows

windows app cache data directory C:\Users\$USER_NAME\AppData\Roaming\ohy\*