Breached
Website: https://tacobellerontop-sudo.github.io/breached/ (source in site/, published by .github/workflows/pages.yml).
A lightweight, daily-drivable Windows web browser built on Firefox's engine: a small custom interface, fewer background tasks, no telemetry or vendor services, idle tabs unloaded, and full uBlock Origin.
See docs/PLAN.md for the engine choice, feature plan and milestones.
Try it now (M0 settings pack)
The first milestone turns a normal Firefox install into Breached's setup without compiling anything.
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Install Firefox for Windows, start it once, then close it.
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Download this repository (Code > Download ZIP) and unzip it.
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In the unzipped folder, open PowerShell and run:
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File scripts\windows\install.ps1
Windows will ask for admin rights, because the files go into Firefox's install folder.
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Start Firefox. about:policies lists what Breached changed, and uBlock Origin installs itself on first start.
It also installs Vimium for qutebrowser-style keys (o to open, f for link hints, J/K to switch tabs). The address bar hides until you press Ctrl+L or hover the tab bar.
Options: -Lean for Lean mode (fewer processes, weaker isolation between ordinary sites, see PLAN.md section 6), -NoUI to keep Firefox's normal interface. Run the script again after any change, or if a Firefox update removes the files. scripts\windows\uninstall.ps1 undoes everything and restores any files it replaced.
Tab Sleeper (unloading idle tabs) needs a one-time signing step before Firefox will install it: see extensions/tab-sleeper/README.md. Until then, Firefox still unloads tabs when Windows runs low on memory, and "Unload Tab" is in the tab right-click menu.
Install Breached
Download BreachedSetup-.exe from the latest release and run it. It installs for your Windows account without admin rights (or for everyone, if you pick that), adds Breached to the Start menu, and keeps your profile in %APPDATA%\Breached. The portable zip on the same page needs no install: unzip it and run Breached.bat.
To update, open settings > Updates (or type :update). An installed copy downloads the new installer from GitHub, runs it and starts again; a portable copy opens the release page. Breached also checks once a day and says so in the message bar; turn that off on the same page. Version numbers live in BREACHED_VERSION in shell/chrome/content/shell.js, which the Release workflow checks against the version you enter, and docs/releases/<version>.md holds each release's notes.
The files aren't code-signed yet, so SmartScreen may warn the first time: choose More info, then Run anyway.
Releases run on Breached's own build of the Gecko engine (.github/workflows/build-gecko.yml, with the changes in gecko/patches/), so breached.exe is the engine itself and carries the Breached icon (branding/, drawn by scripts/build/make-icon.py). The Release workflow packages it, runs the self-test, builds the installer (installer/breached.iss) and publishes the release.
The Breached app (dev builds)
Every change to app/ builds a portable Windows zip on GitHub: open the latest Build Breached (dev) run in the Actions tab, download breached-dev-win64, unzip it and run Breached.bat. It keeps its own profile in the profile folder next to it, so it doesn't touch an installed Firefox.
Press : for the command line (:open, :tabopen, :tab-close, :tab-focus 2, :undo, :set, :help). Tab completes command names; Up/Down recalls history.
What's here
| Path | What it is |
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config/ | Firefox policies and preferences, commented by goal |
ui/userChrome.css | qutebrowser-style minimal UI for the settings pack |
extensions/tab-sleeper/ | Idle tab unloader |
scripts/windows/ | Install and uninstall |
scripts/check-config.py | Checks every pref and policy still exists in the current Firefox |
app/ | The Breached app: interface, actors, branding settings, build config |
scripts/build/ | Turns Firefox source into Breached, and the smoke test |
Code signing and privacy
Free code signing provided by SignPath.io, certificate by SignPath Foundation. See the code signing policy and the privacy policy: Breached collects no data.
Licence
Mozilla Public License 2.0, see LICENSE. Firefox's engine, which Breached runs on, is Mozilla's and under the same licence.
