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gitbrowsercommandclone

Executing a command prompt from the web browser (safely)

I'd just like to know how to git clone a file onto a user's desktop when they click a button.

Is it possible? If it is, what measures can I take to prevent any input and or meddling from the user?

I really, really do not someone to hack their way in there and cause people to rm -rf / their computer.

Solution

  • While giving access to the command line from the browser is generally impossible/restricted, you still can trigger a git repo clone from a browser.

    See:

    https://help.github.com/assets/images/help/desktop/open-in-desktop-button.png

    That is because those buttons are links using a protocol (like the x-github-client protocol) which register an action (here: "opening GitHub Desktop")

    This is a protocol:

    [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\x-github-client]
@="URL:x-github-client"
"URL Protocol"=""

    This is a protocol handler:

    [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\someapp\shell]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\someapp\shell\open]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\someapp\shell\open\command]
@=someapp.exe \"%1\"

    This is what associates an app to a protocol:

    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\SomeApp\Capabilities\UrlAssociations]
"x-github-client"="someapp"