qutebrowser (with examples)

1: Open qutebrowser with a specified storage directory

qutebrowser --basedir path/to/directory

Motivation: This command allows the user to specify a custom directory for storing qutebrowser data. This can be useful in cases where the default storage location is not desired or when the user wants to separate qutebrowser data from other files.

Explanation: The --basedir option is followed by the path to the desired storage directory. Upon launching qutebrowser with this command, the browser will use the specified directory for storing data such as configuration files, bookmarks, and session information.

Example Output: qutebrowser will open with the custom storage directory from the specified path.

2: Open a qutebrowser instance with temporary settings

qutebrowser --set content.geolocation true|false

Motivation: This command allows the user to open a qutebrowser instance with temporary settings enabled or disabled. This can be useful when the user wants to quickly toggle a specific setting without modifying the permanent configuration.

Explanation: The --set option is followed by the setting name (content.geolocation) and the desired value (true or false). By using this command, qutebrowser will launch with the specified geolocation setting temporarily enabled or disabled.

Example Output: qutebrowser will open with the geolocation setting either enabled or disabled, depending on the value provided.

3: Restore a named session of a qutebrowser instance

qutebrowser --restore session_name

Motivation: This command allows the user to restore a previously saved session in qutebrowser. This can be useful when the user wants to quickly reopen multiple tabs or restore a specific browsing state.

Explanation: The --restore option is followed by the name of the session to be restored. When qutebrowser is launched with this command, it will load the saved session, reopening all the tabs and restoring the browsing history associated with the named session.

Example Output: qutebrowser will open with all the tabs and browsing history restored from the named session.

4: Launch qutebrowser, opening all URLs using the specified method

qutebrowser --target auto|tab|tab-bg|tab-silent|tab-bg-silent|window|private-window

Motivation: This command allows the user to specify how URLs should be opened when launching qutebrowser. This can be useful when the user wants to control the behavior of opening multiple URLs at once.

Explanation: The --target option is followed by one of the available methods for opening URLs:

• auto: Opens URLs in new tabs unless a specific target is specified.
• tab: Opens URLs in new tabs directly.
• tab-bg: Opens URLs in new background tabs.
• tab-silent: Opens URLs in new tabs without focusing on them.
• tab-bg-silent: Opens URLs in new background tabs without focusing on them.
• window: Opens URLs in new windows.
• private-window: Opens URLs in new private windows.

Example Output: qutebrowser will open with the specified method for opening URLs, depending on the option provided.

5: Open qutebrowser with a temporary base directory and print logs to stdout as JSON

qutebrowser --temp-basedir --json-logging

Motivation: This command allows the user to launch qutebrowser with a temporary base directory and log the browser’s activity to stdout in JSON format. This can be useful for debugging purposes or for capturing browser activity for analysis.

Explanation: The --temp-basedir option specifies that qutebrowser should use a temporary base directory for storing data instead of the default location. This is useful when you want to isolate the browser’s activity from other data files. The --json-logging option enables logging of browser activity to stdout in JSON format, allowing for easy parsing and analysis.

Example Output: qutebrowser will open with a temporary base directory and log its activity to stdout in JSON format.