# Smallest browser

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/smallest-browser/47759>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [28 June 2021 20:39 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/smallest-browser/47759 "2021-06-28T20:39:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 17\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![old-grumpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e274bd/32.png) [@old-grumpy](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/old-grumpy)\
**Post date:** [28 June 2021 20:39 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/smallest-browser/47759/1 "2021-06-28T20:39:58Z")

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Cant find any useful info on what is the smallest browser that works with the node-red dashboard. That will be the only task. The normal browser i use for the internet is firefox butt that is much to bulky and memory hungry for only displaying the dashboard.  
Advice welcome.

It only need to show the dashboard, nothing else.

Sorry forgot linux user MXlinux 19 = debian 10

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**Author:** ![jbudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5f8ce5/32.png) [@jbudd](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/jbudd)\
**Post date:** [29 June 2021 13:32 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/smallest-browser/47759/2 "2021-06-29T13:32:46Z")

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I suppose it depends if you are running the browser on Linux or Windows.  
I have a few "lightweight" browsers as portable apps on my Windows 10 PC.  
Without any effort to set them up I found:  
K-meleon wouldn't display anything for [http://192.168.1.11:1880/ui](http://192.168.1.11:1880/ui)  
Opera, Sea Monkey, Pale Moon and SRWare Iron worked. Iron consumed least memory.

Comparison between Firefox Portable (64 bit) and Iron Portable (32 bit):

 ![Untitled 1](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/a/7/a7ee7fe97444075d6f488b0e3c6457bd7ffd7f38.jpeg)

But to be fair, Firefox is my default browser and it has quite a lot of extensions installed. Iron is straight out of the box.

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**Author:** ![droberts](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/droberts/32/40295_2.png) [@droberts](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/droberts)\
**Post date:** [29 June 2021 13:33 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/smallest-browser/47759/3 "2021-06-29T13:33:59Z")

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We use Chromium (the open source bit of Chrome) on RPI in Kiosk mode and its ok, but does slow down over time. I tried a few others and all had issues.

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**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/colin/32/17040_2.png) [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)\
**Post date:** [29 June 2021 14:21 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/smallest-browser/47759/4 "2021-06-29T14:21:53Z")

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> [@droberts](#):
>
> does slow down over time

If you are using charts with a large number of points along the time axis then that is probably the cause of that.

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**Author:** ![droberts](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/droberts/32/40295_2.png) [@droberts](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/droberts)\
**Post date:** [29 June 2021 14:48 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/smallest-browser/47759/5 "2021-06-29T14:48:50Z")

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Nope, we're using UIB.

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**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/colin/32/17040_2.png) [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)\
**Post date:** [29 June 2021 15:41 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/smallest-browser/47759/6 "2021-06-29T15:41:05Z")

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> [@droberts](#):
>
> UIB.

United Insurance Brokers?  
University of Bergen?

Google doesn't throw up anything that looks relevant.

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**Author:** ![Steve-Mcl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/steve-mcl/32/4826_2.png) [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)\
**Post date:** [29 June 2021 15:57 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/smallest-browser/47759/7 "2021-06-29T15:57:28Z")

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UI Builder Colin 😂😂😂

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**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/colin/32/17040_2.png) [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)\
**Post date:** [29 June 2021 16:03 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/smallest-browser/47759/8 "2021-06-29T16:03:55Z")

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Ah yes, not seen it referred to as UIB before.

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**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/colin/32/17040_2.png) [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)\
**Post date:** [29 June 2021 16:05 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/smallest-browser/47759/9 "2021-06-29T16:05:27Z")

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> [@droberts](#):
>
> we're using UIB.

You could still be using charts of some sort, and you could still be loading thousands of samples into it/them.

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**Author:** ![old-grumpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e274bd/32.png) [@old-grumpy](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/old-grumpy)\
**Post date:** [12 July 2021 09:40 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/smallest-browser/47759/10 "2021-07-12T09:40:10Z")

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No light browser yet, It only must display the dashboard.No search engine or video or other internet stuff. A LAN browser for node-red.  
Think i end up by not using the dash and go with MQTT only.

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**Author:** ![molesworth](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/molesworth/32/11748_2.png) [@molesworth](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/molesworth)\
**Post date:** [12 July 2021 10:48 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/smallest-browser/47759/11 "2021-07-12T10:48:21Z")

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> [@old-grumpy](#):
>
> It only must display the dashboard.No search engine or video or other internet stuff.

I don't think you're going to find an off-the-shelf browser package which can be configured like that. Even in kiosk mode it only takes someone with a bit of tech savvy to get full access.

If you're willing to put in a bit of work you might look at using one of the open source browsers, e.g. Chromium, Mozilla etc., to build your own version with those features disabled.

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**Author:** ![Steve-Mcl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/steve-mcl/32/4826_2.png) [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)\
**Post date:** [12 July 2021 11:00 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/smallest-browser/47759/12 "2021-07-12T11:00:56Z")

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I think the OP is heading down the path of some kinda app

> [@old-grumpy](#):
>
> Think i end up by not using the dash and go with MQTT only.

e.g. [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.routix.mqttdash](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.routix.mqttdash) or [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=snr.lab.iotmqttpanel.prod](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=snr.lab.iotmqttpanel.prod)

However I dont know of any such "full client" "MQTT dashboard" applications for PC.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![old-grumpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e274bd/32.png) [@old-grumpy](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/old-grumpy)\
**Post date:** [12 July 2021 12:05 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/smallest-browser/47759/13 "2021-07-12T12:05:55Z")

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Think more in a line of MQTT to BASH or PYTHON to display the data. Browsers are to bloat as is and i have not the skill to build one:( And off BASH i know a thing or two.  
The LAN has NO internet connection even.

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**Author:** ![dceejay](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/dceejay/32/38_2.png) [@dceejay](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/dceejay)\
**Post date:** [12 July 2021 12:52 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/smallest-browser/47759/14 "2021-07-12T12:52:27Z")

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maybe something like [GitHub - dkriegner/mqttmon: MQTT text based user interface monitor](https://github.com/dkriegner/mqttmon) ?

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**Author:** ![tve](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/tve/32/59475_2.png) [@tve](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/tve)\
**Post date:** [13 July 2021 03:51 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/smallest-browser/47759/15 "2021-07-13T03:51:53Z")

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FYI, I like surf: [https://surf.suckless.org/](https://surf.suckless.org/)  
You get a window with just the content. No tabs, no menus, no menubar, no nothin' 🙂  
It is a web browser, it does use WebKit2, so it does bloat as the web page bloats...

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![old-grumpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e274bd/32.png) [@old-grumpy](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/old-grumpy)\
**Post date:** [21 July 2021 13:35 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/smallest-browser/47759/16 "2021-07-21T13:35:34Z")

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will try it out, could be handy TY. dcjay and tve

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**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/1X/d073cd938eafa2e558d7c2cd59003b3ef4963033.png) [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [19 September 2021 13:36 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/smallest-browser/47759/17 "2021-09-19T13:36:02Z")

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