Note: This is just a quick Sunday night POC hack. Only tested on Linux + Firefox — should work on other OSes + Chrome.
git clone https://github.com/offline-ant/local-html && cd ./local-htmlPATH="$PATH:$PWD" ./example-editor.html← yes, execute the HTML file- Alternatively, run
node ./local-html ./example-editor.html
./example-editor.html was LLM-generated after providing ./example.ini as an example config.
The local-html executable allows it to securely read/write data in the folder containing the .html file.
local-html is a single-file executable that requires no dependencies (except Node.js) and is secure against data exfiltration.
It lets you read and update configuration files with an easy-to-build/generate UI using HTML/JS/CSS.
- JavaScript gets read access (via
fetch) within the directory containing the.htmlor.local-htmlfile. - JavaScript cannot write files without explicit verification.
- HTML/JS/CSS cannot contact the network.
- You have a configuration file (JSON/INI/CSV/etc.) that people need to update with valid values.
- Many people are intimidated by raw text files, so updates don’t happen.
- Building/installing a cross-platform GUI or hosting a web server is its own can of worms.
This script lets you create a GUI in minutes with HTML/JS/CSS — no servers, no frameworks.
When you run local-html:
- It launches a browser with a custom profile and a SOCKS5 proxy pointing to
localhost:10641. - Read requests are mapped to the current directory.
- Write requests (POST) trigger a second tab with a built-in diff viewer to compare old vs. new content.
- On save/reject, the browser closes.
- Only supports text files.
- Only one instance can run at a time.
- Only one file can be updated per session.
- No toggle to disable the verification tab (even if you trust the HTML to make sane edits).
- Requires Node.js for no good reason.
I will not be updating this.
Use it however you want.
MIT / CC0 – 2025 – ant-offline