Brane

• GitHub

Brane is an experimental project that aims to build a secure, convenient third-party app environment on web tech. The idea loosely follows the Progressive Web App and MiniApp Standardization White Paper.

Distributed dev model that third parties participate

• No distributed dev model runs third-party code correctly, even with WebView.
• PWAs have a critical weakness next to native apps. They don't give you a coherent native-platform experience.
• So Brane is building blocks for web-based third-party app stores. New markets, lower bar for new developers.
• Implementing the Mini App white paper may be worth it, but it compromised the security model and diverges from web standards. It aims at significantly different goals.
• Browser makers do not own these limits. Brane aims to democratize those privileges from mega-corporate browser makers to much smaller Super App developers.

Brane MVP

• Forced Shutdown
  • Prerequisite: Sandbox Environment.
  • Demonstrate preloading with Web-view-based Mini App.
  • Demonstrate Forced Shutdown even when Mini App does not respond.
• Basic Multitasking and Preloading.
• Intercept Geolocation API and present a custom permission modal.
• Employ Cross-Origin Isolation where needed.

Demo Plan

Terminology

• Host. The main thread app
• Guest. Untrusted, third-party app that should be containerized.

Primary goals in Demo

• Non-blocking (Guests' operation cannot affect the normal execution of the Host.)
• Isolated (Guests can never unauthorizedly affect the Host)
• Submissive (the Host can forcefully shut down guests)