Installation Guide

Step-by-step instructions to get Secure Browser up and running

Prerequisites

Python 3.7 or higher

Secure Browser requires Python 3.7 or later. Check your Python version:

python3 --version

pip

Python package manager should be installed with Python. Verify:

pip3 --version

Virtual Environment (Recommended)

Using a virtual environment is recommended to isolate dependencies.

Installation Steps

1

Clone the Repository

Clone the Secure Browser repository from GitHub:

git clone https://github.com/AutoBotSolutions/Secure-Browser-Framework.git
cd secure-browser
2

Create Virtual Environment

Create and activate a virtual environment:

# Create virtual environment
python3 -m venv .venv

# Activate virtual environment
# Linux/macOS:
source .venv/bin/activate

# Windows:
.venv\Scripts\activate
3

Install Dependencies

Install all required dependencies from requirements.txt:

pip install -r requirements.txt

This will install:

  • PyQt5 and PyQtWebEngine (for PyQt5 browser)
  • tkinterweb (for Tkinter browser)
  • pywebview and qtpy (for WebView browser)
4

Verify Installation

Test that the installation was successful:

python3 main.py --help

Expected output:

usage: main.py [-h] [--browser {pyqt5,tkinter,webview,search}]

Secure Browser - A secure web browser implementation

options:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  --browser {pyqt5,tkinter,webview,search}
                        Select browser implementation (default: pyqt5)

Browser-Specific Installation

PyQt5 Browser

The PyQt5 browser is the default and requires PyQt5 and PyQtWebEngine.

# Install PyQt5 dependencies
pip install PyQt5>=5.15.0 PyQtWebEngine>=5.15.0

# Start PyQt5 browser
python3 main.py --browser pyqt5

System Dependencies (Ubuntu/Debian):

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install python3-pyqt5 python3-pyqt5-dev python3-pyqt5.qtwebengine

Tkinter Browser

The Tkinter browser is lightweight and requires tkinterweb.

# Install tkinterweb
pip install tkinterweb>=3.0

# Start Tkinter browser
python3 main.py --browser tkinter

System Dependencies (Ubuntu/Debian):

sudo apt-get install python3-tk python3-dev

WebView Browser

The WebView browser requires pywebview and may need system-level GTK or Qt dependencies.

# Install pywebview and qtpy
pip install pywebview>=4.0 qtpy>=2.0

# Start WebView browser
python3 main.py --browser webview

System Dependencies (Ubuntu/Debian):

# For GTK backend
sudo apt-get install python3-gi gir1.2-gtk-3.0

# For Qt backend (if using PyQt5)
sudo apt-get install python3-pyqt5 python3-pyqt5.qtwebengine

Starting the Browser

Default Browser (PyQt5)

python3 main.py

Specific Browser

# PyQt5
python3 main.py --browser pyqt5

# Tkinter
python3 main.py --browser tkinter

# WebView
python3 main.py --browser webview

Search Tool

python3 main.py --browser search

Troubleshooting

Module Not Found Error

Symptom: ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'PyQt5'

Solution: Activate virtual environment and install dependencies:

source .venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt

Browser Window Not Appearing

Symptom: Command executes but no window appears

Solution: Check display environment (Linux) or use virtual display:

# Check display
echo $DISPLAY

# Use virtual display (Linux)
sudo apt-get install xvfb
xvfb-run python3 main.py

WebView Browser Not Working

Symptom: Error about GTK or Qt dependencies

Solution: Install system-level dependencies:

# Ubuntu/Debian - GTK
sudo apt-get install python3-gi gir1.2-gtk-3.0

# Ubuntu/Debian - Qt
sudo apt-get install python3-pyqt5 python3-pyqt5.qtwebengine

Next Steps

Explore Features

Learn about the security features and browser backends

Read the Wiki

Check out the project documentation and guides

Report Issues

Found a bug? Report it on GitHub Issues