m1k1o/neko

Neko is a self-hosted virtual browser that runs inside a Docker container and streams its screen to your real browser using WebRTC, the same real-time technology behind video calls. In plain terms, it gives you a browser-in-a-browser that lives on a server somewhere else, you click and type as normal, but the actual web pages load on the server, not on your own machine. The README highlights three main pitches. First, security and privacy: because the browsing happens in an isolated container, none of the websites' cookies, fingerprints, or risky scripts touch your device. Second, multi-user access: several people can connect to the same Neko session at once and share control, with no need for separate setups per user. Third, watch parties and interactive presentations: everyone sees the same screen and can interact in real time, which makes it good for watching video together remotely or for collaborative work. The project notes it is not strictly limited to a browser. Because what's really being streamed is a Linux desktop inside a container, you can run anything that runs on Linux, a media player, a full desktop environment like XFCE or KDE, or other applications. The README also lists use cases such as collaborative cobrowsing, code debugging together, support and teaching, embedding a virtual browser inside your own web app, persistent or throwaway browsing, session broadcasting over RTMP to services like Twitch or YouTube, session recording, jump-host access to internal apps, and automated browsing with tools like Playwright or Puppeteer. The origin story in the README says the original author built it after rabb.it shut down so he could watch anime with friends. The current maintainer forked an earlier project and kept developing it. The primary language is Go, with a Vue front-end implied by the topics, and it ships as a Docker image.