Add changelog entry for alpha.5 chromium backend release

.github/workflows/release.yml

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ on:
   push:
     tags:
       - "v*"
+  workflow_dispatch:
 
 permissions:
   contents: write

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -7,6 +7,32 @@ and this project follows early MVP/alpha versioning with tags like `v0.1.0-alpha
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+## [v0.1.0-alpha.5] - 2026-02-23
+
+### Added
+- `chromium` compatibility backend via `--backend chromium` using an installed Chromium-based browser in app mode (no local Tauri build for generated apps)
+- `build` / `update` flags for Chromium backend selection and runtime control:
+  - `--backend <tauri|chromium>`
+  - `--browser-bin <PATH>`
+  - `--profile-scope <isolated|shared>`
+- Chromium app install flow with XDG `.desktop` launchers and per-app metadata (`X-Deskify-Backend=chromium`)
+- Optional isolated Chromium profiles under `~/.local/share/deskify/profiles/<id>`
+- `doctor` now reports whether a Chromium-based browser is available in `PATH`
+
+### Changed
+- `update <id>` now keeps the internal app ID stable even when the display name changes
+- `list` now derives the internal ID from the `.desktop` filename (works for both Tauri and Chromium backends)
+- `remove` now also cleans up Chromium profile directories (when present)
+- `update` keeps Chromium isolated profiles by default to preserve sessions/cookies during reinstall
+
+### Fixed
+- Tauri wrapper generation now consistently uses the existing internal ID for generated app identifiers (prevents accidental ID drift during updates)
+- `.desktop` command generation for Chromium backend now escapes arguments (URLs / user agents with spaces or special characters)
+
+### Documentation
+- README now documents backend modes (`tauri` vs `chromium`) and recommends `--backend chromium` for sites that fail in the system WebView backend
+- Added Chromium backend usage examples (`--browser-bin`, `--profile-scope`) and updated compatibility notes
+
 ### Added
 - `build --no-decorations` option to create frameless windows (`decorations: false`) for kiosk/dashboard-style setups
 - README screenshots for KDE/Arch showing launcher integration, running app window, and `deskify list` workflow

README.md

@@ -91,8 +91,10 @@ flowchart TD
 
 - Requires Tauri/Linux system dependencies to be installed locally before `deskify build`
 - Generated app build success can vary by distro/system setup (WebKitGTK/Tauri prerequisites)
+- Some modern sites fail or degrade in the system WebView backend (`tauri`) due to engine/runtime differences
 - No official cross-platform support (Windows/macOS) yet
 - GitHub Releases / binary automation for `deskify` itself may lag behind source updates during early MVP
+- DRM/protected-media services may not work reliably in the system WebView backend even if they work in a full browser (depends on WebView/DRM support)
 
 ## Where Deskify Is Going
 
@@ -115,7 +117,7 @@ flowchart TD
     A --> C[App config files]
     A --> D[Icons + .desktop entries]
     C --> E[apps/chatgpt.json]
-    C --> F[apps/netflix.json]
+    C --> F[apps/home-assistant.json]
     B --> G[Load app config at launch]
     G --> H[Open site in system webview]
     D --> I[Linux app menu integration]
@@ -132,6 +134,7 @@ The table above covers the technical tradeoffs in more detail. In practice, `des
 ### Key Features
 - **System-WebView Runtime Model:** Generated wrappers stay small because Deskify relies on the system WebView instead of bundling a browser runtime per app.
 - **Automatic Icon Fetching:** Scrapes high-quality 128x128 favicons automatically using the Google Favicon API.
+- **Layered Icon Fallbacks:** Tries site-provided icons first (`<link rel="icon">`, `/favicon.ico`), then falls back to the Google Favicon API, then a dummy icon.
 - **XDG-Compliant System Integration:** Safely creates `.desktop` entries in `~/.local/share/applications` and manages application icons in `~/.local/share/icons/hicolor/`.
 - **Wayland/X11 Ready:** Perfectly binds `StartupWMClass` to ensure your DE groups the app exactly to its custom icon (no generic gear icons in GNOME/KDE taskbars).
 - **Kiosk / Fullscreen Mode:** Pin applications perfectly as dashboards.
@@ -209,25 +212,92 @@ Once the build finishes, `ChatGPT` will instantly appear in your system Applicat
 
 `deskify` derives a safe internal ID from the app name (for example, `ChatGPT` becomes `chatgpt`).
 
+### Backend Modes (`--backend`)
+
+Deskify supports two backend modes:
+
+- `tauri` (default): Uses the system WebView (`webkit2gtk` on Linux). Produces small wrappers and strong Linux desktop integration, but some sites may fail due to engine compatibility.
+- `chromium`: Uses an already installed Chromium-based browser (`chromium`, `google-chrome`, `brave`, etc.) in app mode. Better site compatibility and no local Tauri build, but depends on a browser installed on the system.
+
+If a site does not work in the default `tauri` backend, try `--backend chromium`.
+
 #### Advanced Build Options
 ```bash
 deskify build \
-  --url "https://netflix.com" \
-  --name "Netflix" \
+  --url "https://example.com/dashboard" \
+  --name "Dashboard" \
   --fullscreen \
-  --no-decorations \
   --user-agent "Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) Chrome/120.0.0.0 Safari/537.36" \
   --dark-mode \
   --width 1280 \
   --height 720
 ```
 
+Frameless example (without fullscreen):
+
+```bash
+deskify build \
+  --url "https://chat.com" \
+  --name "Chat" \
+  --no-decorations \
+  --width 1200 \
+  --height 800
+```
+
+Preview the generated Tauri config without building/installing:
+
+```bash
+deskify build --url "https://chat.com" --name "Chat" --print-config
+```
+
+Chromium compatibility mode (no local Tauri build):
+
+```bash
+deskify build --url "https://mail.proton.me" --name "Proton Mail" --backend chromium
+```
+
+Chromium with shared browser profile (uses existing browser profile/session model):
+
+```bash
+deskify build \
+  --url "https://app.slack.com" \
+  --name "Slack" \
+  --backend chromium \
+  --profile-scope shared
+```
+
+Chromium with explicit browser binary:
+
+```bash
+deskify build \
+  --url "https://github.com" \
+  --name "GitHub" \
+  --backend chromium \
+  --browser-bin /usr/bin/brave-browser
+```
+
+Preview planned actions only (dry run):
+
+```bash
+deskify build --url "https://chat.com" --name "Chat" --dry-run
+```
+
 * `--icon <PATH>`: Provide a custom PNG icon instead of auto-downloading one.
 * `--fullscreen`: Starts the app in Kiosk mode.
 * `--no-decorations`: Disables native window decorations (frameless window; useful for dashboards/kiosk setups).
 * `--user-agent <UA>`: Useful to bypass webview restrictions on certain platforms.
 * `--dark-mode`: Forces the Tauri webview into a dark theme.
 * `--width <PX>` / `--height <PX>`: Sets the startup resolution.
+* `--backend <tauri|chromium>`: Choose system WebView (`tauri`) or Chromium app mode (`chromium`).
+* `--browser-bin <PATH>`: Use a specific Chromium-based browser binary (Chromium backend only).
+* `--profile-scope <isolated|shared>`: Chromium backend profile behavior (`isolated` creates a per-app profile under `~/.local/share/deskify/profiles/`).
+* `--print-config`: Prints the generated `tauri.conf.json` and exits.
+* `--dry-run`: Shows planned actions without building/installing.
+
+Note for Chromium backend:
+
+- `--no-decorations` is best-effort and may be ignored by the browser/window manager.
+- `--width` and `--height` are applied together (`--window-size`) only when both are provided.
 
 ### Managing Apps (`list` & `remove`)
 You can view all applications generated by `deskify`:
@@ -239,7 +309,7 @@ deskify list
 ```text
 Installed Deskify Apps:
 - ChatGPT (Internal ID: chatgpt)
-- Netflix (Internal ID: netflix)
+- Home Assistant (Internal ID: home-assistant)
 ```
 
 To entirely uninstall an app (including the binary, desktop entry, and icons):
@@ -249,6 +319,34 @@ deskify remove chatgpt
 
 `remove` expects this **internal ID** (sanitized lowercase letters, numbers, `-`), not the display name.
 
+### Updating Apps (`update`)
+
+Rebuild and reinstall an existing app ID without manually running `remove` + `build`:
+
+```bash
+deskify update chat --url "https://chat.com" --name "Chat" --no-decorations
+```
+
+Alpha note: `update` currently requires `--url` because Deskify does not persist app URLs/config metadata yet.
+`update <id>` keeps the existing internal ID stable even if you change the display name.
+
+You can also preview an update:
+
+```bash
+deskify update chat --url "https://chat.com" --dry-run
+deskify update chat --url "https://chat.com" --print-config
+```
+
+### Diagnostics (`doctor`)
+
+Check local prerequisites and common environment issues (Rust/Cargo, `cargo tauri`, `pkg-config`, directories):
+
+```bash
+deskify doctor
+```
+
+`doctor` also checks whether a Chromium-based browser is available in `PATH` for `--backend chromium`.
+
 ---
 
 ## 🧪 Manual Smoke Test Checklist (Before a Public Release)