Why not file:/// URLs?

[kenahoo]

I see in the Known Issues for SingleFile that file:/// URLs cannot be processed for security reasons. I'm curious about those reasons - how would it give me access to things I wouldn't already have access to?

I was hoping to use SingleFile to make periodic local archives of some web pages created with Org Mode, but they don't exist on a server anywhere.

[UltraMagnus0]

I would find this useful also, I have a bunch of pages I saved in the conventional way, some of which are no longer available, and want to use this extension to archive them in a neater fashion.

[Kirrrr]

Thumbs up for this feature request!
I have plenty of old saved pages in MHT or HTML+Folder form and it will very nice to convert it into all-in-one HTML files.

[gildas-lormeau]

Actually it's not a security reason. It's because SingleFile relies on XMLHttpRequest API to get embedded external resources (stylesheets, images...) data. There is an issue with this API on Chrome: it does not work on file:// URLs so SingleFile cannot process the page.

[Kirrrr]

It's clear.
Thanks for fast reply!

[danielb2]

So it cannot, and will not be done? Or will it work when the Chrome API works?

[gildas-lormeau]

It will work when the Chrome API will work but I'm not sure this Chrome bug will be fixed soon (the bug was opened 2 years ago)... SingleFile will also need a new permission for file:// URL access which will have to be approved by Google.

[marsupilam1]

Single File will save a http://localhost url, so if you set up IIS (http://www.howtogeek.com/112455/how-to-install-iis-8-on-windows-8/) and put your html page + folder in C:\inetpub\wwwroot, you can save the webpage with Single File (enter http://localhost/your-html-file.html in Chrome)

[kenahoo]

Thanks @marsupilam1, that's the exact workaround I have now. It's a pain to get (and keep) IIS working though. I've been tempted to install Apache instead.

[gildas-lormeau]

@marsupilam1 @kenahoo You're right, that's the only workaround I know to solve this issue. I should have documented it somewhere...

[marsupilam1]

@kenahoo I have not had any problems with keeping IIS working, but I found that in some programs - like evernote - I could not save to wwwroot because of lack of administrative rights. A solution to this problem can be found here: http://www.alltechtalk.net/forum/thread-bypass-windows-8-uac-while-keeping-metro . Finally I can clip with Evernote, export compilations of snippets to wwwroot, and save it as a single html file with Chrome :)

[KrasnayaPloshchad]

@kenahoo So what happened if you set allowing to access file directory at chrome://extensions page?

[baloe]

So, the convenient workaround is:

• execute this command from within the directory holding the html file of interest:

  python -m SimpleHTTPServer 8000
  

• Open your web browser and go to http://localhost:8000/ + name of your html file

• Use SingleFile

[amirrh6]

#7 (comment)

So, the convenient workaround is:

* execute this command from within the directory holding the html file of interest:
  ```
  python -m SimpleHTTPServer 8000
  ```

* Open your web browser and go to `http://localhost:8000/` + name of your html file

* Use SingleFile

The suggested workaround is considerably useful.
SimpleHTTPServer has been deprecated since Python 3. Consider using this command instead:

python3 -m http.server 8000

[gildas-lormeau]

@Antiwhore You need to rewrite absolute URLs found in the page into relative URLs.

[baloe]

I just tried it out. Worked like a charm.

Steps:

1. Website foo.html with images and all relevant files in a folder /tmp/test (e.g. this page after Ctrl+S)

2.  cd /tmp/test
    python3 -m http.server 8000
   

3. In Firefox browse http://localhost:8000/foo.html and save page with SingleFile

Firefox version 109.0.1
SingleFile version 1.21.39

[gildas-lormeau]

@Antiwhore I apologize for trying to help you and for providing you with a tool that does not suit you.

[baloe]

Yes. After devouring all memory and half of swap space and hanging the system for 15 minutes it finally outputs something similar to the source with some assets lost and bigger in size than the source by a third.
Works like a charm? Works like shit, I would say.

Come on, if you really want help be constructive and actually provide information. Just being rude won't solve your issue.

[melyux]

I don't think you can host WebArchive files on Mac with the HTTP server (they just download). What I've done is use https://github.com/gonejack/webarchive-to-html to convert them to HTML, then locally host the HTML using http-server, and then use SingleFile to download that. This works.

[iG8R]

Hello.
Is there some way to do the same but with mht files in Edge?
PS. I have plenty mht files and only Edge can open them so I want to save them with SingleFile.