BookmarkHub

Self-hosted multi-profile bookmark sync for Chromium.

Architecture

+-----------+     +-------------+     +--------+     +----------+
| Chromium  | --> | Native Host | --> | data/  | <-- | Hub HTML |
| Extension |     | (Python)    |     | folder |     | (viewer) |
+-----------+     +-------------+     +--------+     +----------+

Extension exports bookmarks via native messaging.
Native host writes JSON to data/profiles/{id}/.
Hub reads the data directory and renders all profiles.

Prerequisites

• Python 3
• Chromium-based browser (Chrome, Chromium, Brave, Edge)
• Native messaging support (Snap Chromium does NOT support this, use Flatpak or .deb)

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/otaviosoaresp/bookmarkhub.git
cd bookmarkhub

2. Load the extension in one Chromium profile first:

   • Open chrome://extensions
   • Enable "Developer mode"
   • Click "Load unpacked" and select the extension/ directory
   • Copy the extension ID that appears (e.g., kmmbbobegiidoiknbfoghoffckbinogl)

3. Register the native messaging host:

bash host/install.sh

The script auto-detects Flatpak, Snap, or standard Chromium. It will ask for the extension ID from step 2.

4. Restart Chromium completely (close all windows, reopen).

5. Load the extension in the remaining profiles (same "Load unpacked" step).

6. Configure each profile in the extension popup:

   • Click the BookmarkHub extension icon
   • Set a unique profile ID (e.g., work, personal, research)
   • Set a display name
   • Choose a color
   • Click Save

7. Bookmarks auto-export within 30 seconds of any change to data/profiles/{id}/bookmarks.json. An initial export also runs on every browser startup.

Native Messaging Host Paths

Install type	Manifest location
Flatpak Chromium	~/.var/app/org.chromium.Chromium/config/chromium/NativeMessagingHosts/
Standard Chromium	~/.config/chromium/NativeMessagingHosts/
Google Chrome	~/.config/google-chrome/NativeMessagingHosts/
Snap Chromium	Not supported (sandbox blocks native messaging)

Viewing the Hub

Local (HTTP server)

cd bookmarkhub
python3 -m http.server 8080

Open http://localhost:8080/hub/ in your browser.

Local (file://)

Build a self-contained HTML file with inline data:

python3 hub/build.py

Open hub/index-built.html directly in your browser.

VPS deployment

Build and deploy the self-contained file:

python3 hub/build.py
scp hub/index-built.html yourserver:/var/www/html/bookmarks.html

Removing a Profile

1. Uninstall the BookmarkHub extension from that Chromium profile.
2. Delete the profile data directory:

rm -rf data/profiles/{id}

3. Edit data/manifest.json and remove the profile entry from the profiles array.

Replication to VPS

rsync (one-shot sync)

rsync -avz data/ yourserver:/path/to/bookmarkhub/data/

syncthing (continuous sync)

Share the data/ directory between your local machine and VPS using Syncthing. Point both instances at the same folder ID. The hub on the VPS will pick up changes automatically when served via HTTP.