allow to rename the profile without a browser restart and remove old sockets and registry entry when browser closes

README.md

@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ browser-cli/
 
 All commands are run with `uv run browser-cli [--browser ALIAS] <command>`.
 
-If exactly one browser instance is connected, commands auto-target it. Use `--browser ALIAS` when multiple browser instances are connected. You can inspect the active instances with `browser-cli clients` and assign a persistent profile alias from inside the target browser with `browser-cli rename-profile --browser <current-alias> <new-alias>`.
+If exactly one browser instance is connected, commands auto-target it. Use `--browser ALIAS` when multiple browser instances are connected. You can inspect the active instances with `browser-cli clients` and assign a persistent profile alias from inside the target browser with `browser-cli rename-profile --browser <current-alias> <new-alias>`. Closed browsers are removed from the client registry automatically.
 
 Important: profile aliases are browser-instance aliases, not window aliases. Window aliases created with `windows rename` are only for targeting windows in commands like `nav open --window work`. If a browser instance has no explicit profile alias set, the native host gives it a generated UUID alias so multiple unaliased browsers stay distinct.
 
@@ -385,6 +385,6 @@ bash examples/demo.sh
 
 - **Chrome internal pages** (`chrome://`, `brave://`, `about:`) cannot be scripted. DOM and extract commands only work on regular `http://` and `https://` pages.
 - **Profile switching** via `windows open --profile` depends on browser support and does not replace launching a separate browser profile externally with `--profile-directory`.
-- **Multiple browser instances can be auto-distinguished, but generated aliases are temporary**. Unaliased browsers get UUID aliases from the native host, which avoids collisions but is less ergonomic than setting a stable alias with `browser-cli rename-profile --browser <current-alias> <new-alias>` and restarting that browser.
+- **Multiple browser instances can be auto-distinguished, but generated aliases are temporary**. Unaliased browsers get UUID aliases from the native host, which avoids collisions but is less ergonomic than setting a stable alias with `browser-cli rename-profile --browser <current-alias> <new-alias>`.
 - **Supported install targets are explicit, not “all Chromium browsers”**. The installer currently supports Chrome, Chromium, Brave, Edge, and Vivaldi. Other Chromium-based browsers may use different or shared native messaging manifest locations, so they need browser-specific verification before being added safely.
 - **Linux and macOS only** — Windows native messaging paths are not yet handled.

browser_cli/cli.py

@@ -191,7 +191,6 @@ def cmd_rename_profile(target_browser, alias):
         console.print(f"[red]Error:[/red] {e}")
         sys.exit(1)
     console.print(f"[green]Profile renamed to '{alias}'[/green]")
-    console.print("  Restart the browser for the change to take effect.")
 
 
 # ── install ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

browser_cli/native_host.py

@@ -98,6 +98,9 @@ def stdin_reader(alias: str):
         # Profile alias handshake
         if msg.get("type") == "hello":
             continue  # already handled during startup
+        if msg.get("type") == "bye":
+            _cleanup(alias)
+            os._exit(0)
 
         msg_id = msg.get("id")
         if msg_id:

extension/background.js

@@ -8,27 +8,53 @@
 
 const NATIVE_HOST = "com.browsercli.host";
 let port = null;
+let keepaliveEnabled = true;
 
 // ── Connection management ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
+function sendControlMessage(targetPort, message) {
+  if (!targetPort) return;
+  try {
+    targetPort.postMessage(message);
+  } catch (e) {
+    console.warn("[browser-cli] Failed to send control message:", e);
+  }
+}
+
+function disconnectPort({ sendBye = false } = {}) {
+  const currentPort = port;
+  if (!currentPort) return;
+
+  if (sendBye) sendControlMessage(currentPort, { type: "bye" });
+
+  if (port === currentPort) port = null;
+
+  try {
+    currentPort.disconnect();
+  } catch (e) {
+    console.warn("[browser-cli] Failed to disconnect native port:", e);
+  }
+}
+
 async function getProfileAlias() {
   const { profileAlias } = await chrome.storage.local.get("profileAlias");
   return profileAlias || "default";
 }
 
 async function connect() {
-  if (port) return;
+  if (port || !keepaliveEnabled) return;
   try {
-    port = chrome.runtime.connectNative(NATIVE_HOST);
-    port.onMessage.addListener(onMessage);
-    port.onDisconnect.addListener(() => {
-      port = null;
+    const nativePort = chrome.runtime.connectNative(NATIVE_HOST);
+    port = nativePort;
+    nativePort.onMessage.addListener(onMessage);
+    nativePort.onDisconnect.addListener(() => {
+      if (port === nativePort) port = null;
       const err = chrome.runtime.lastError;
       if (err) console.warn("[browser-cli] Native host disconnected:", err.message);
     });
     // Send hello so native host knows which profile/alias this is
     const alias = await getProfileAlias();
-    port.postMessage({ type: "hello", alias });
+    nativePort.postMessage({ type: "hello", alias });
     console.log("[browser-cli] Connected to native host as profile:", alias);
   } catch (e) {
     port = null;
@@ -38,12 +64,26 @@ async function connect() {
 
 chrome.runtime.onInstalled.addListener(connect);
 chrome.runtime.onStartup.addListener(connect);
+chrome.runtime.onSuspend.addListener(() => {
+  disconnectPort({ sendBye: true });
+});
+chrome.windows.onCreated.addListener(() => {
+  keepaliveEnabled = true;
+  if (!port) connect();
+});
+chrome.windows.onRemoved.addListener(async () => {
+  const windows = await chrome.windows.getAll({});
+  if (windows.length > 0) return;
+
+  keepaliveEnabled = false;
+  disconnectPort({ sendBye: true });
+});
 
 // Keepalive alarm — prevents service worker suspension and reconnects if needed
 chrome.alarms.create("keepalive", { periodInMinutes: 0.4 });
 chrome.alarms.onAlarm.addListener((alarm) => {
   if (alarm.name === "keepalive") {
-    if (!port) connect();
+    if (!port && keepaliveEnabled) connect();
   }
 });
 
@@ -69,6 +109,12 @@ async function onMessage(msg) {
     console.log("[browser-cli] →", command, data);
     port.postMessage({ id, success: true, data });
   }
+
+  if (command === "clients.rename_profile" && error === undefined) {
+    disconnectPort({ sendBye: true });
+    keepaliveEnabled = true;
+    await connect();
+  }
 }
 
 async function dispatch(command, args) {

extension/manifest.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "manifest_version": 3,
   "name": "browser-cli",
-  "version": "0.5.1",
+  "version": "0.5.2",
   "description": "Control your browser from the terminal via browser-cli",
   "permissions": [
     "tabs",

pyproject.toml

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [project]
 name = "browser-cli"
-version = "0.5.1"
+version = "0.5.2"
 description = "Control your real running browser from the terminal via a Chrome extension"
 requires-python = ">=3.10"
 dependencies = [

tests/test_cli.py

@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ def test_rename_profile_uses_global_browser_target_when_set():
 
     assert result.exit_code == 0
     send_command.assert_called_once_with("clients.rename_profile", {"alias": "work"}, profile=None)
+    assert "Restart the browser" not in result.output
 
 def test_install_help_lists_supported_browsers():
     result = CliRunner().invoke(main, ["install", "--help"])

tests/test_native_host.py

@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+import json
+from pathlib import Path
+from types import SimpleNamespace
+
+import pytest
+
+import browser_cli.native_host as native_host
+
+
+def _raise_system_exit(code: int):
+    raise SystemExit(code)
+
+
+def test_cleanup_removes_socket_and_registry_entry(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+    alias = "work"
+    socket_path = tmp_path / "work.sock"
+    socket_path.write_text("")
+    registry_path = tmp_path / "registry.json"
+    registry_path.write_text(json.dumps({alias: str(socket_path), "other": str(tmp_path / "other.sock")}))
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(native_host, "SOCKET_DIR", tmp_path)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(native_host, "REGISTRY_PATH", registry_path)
+
+    native_host._cleanup(alias)
+
+    assert not socket_path.exists()
+    assert json.loads(registry_path.read_text()) == {"other": str(tmp_path / "other.sock")}
+
+
+def test_stdin_reader_cleans_up_on_eof(monkeypatch):
+    cleaned = []
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(native_host, "read_native_message", lambda stream: None)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(native_host, "_cleanup", cleaned.append)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(native_host.os, "_exit", _raise_system_exit)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(native_host.sys, "stdin", SimpleNamespace(buffer=object()))
+
+    with pytest.raises(SystemExit, match="0"):
+        native_host.stdin_reader("work")
+
+    assert cleaned == ["work"]
+
+
+def test_stdin_reader_cleans_up_on_bye(monkeypatch):
+    cleaned = []
+    messages = iter([{"type": "bye"}])
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(native_host, "read_native_message", lambda stream: next(messages))
+    monkeypatch.setattr(native_host, "_cleanup", cleaned.append)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(native_host.os, "_exit", _raise_system_exit)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(native_host.sys, "stdin", SimpleNamespace(buffer=object()))
+
+    with pytest.raises(SystemExit, match="0"):
+        native_host.stdin_reader("work")
+
+    assert cleaned == ["work"]
+
+
+def test_stdin_reader_routes_response_messages(monkeypatch):
+    response_queue = native_host.queue.Queue()
+    native_host.PENDING["msg-1"] = response_queue
+    messages = iter([{"type": "hello"}, {"id": "msg-1", "success": True}, None])
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(native_host, "read_native_message", lambda stream: next(messages))
+    monkeypatch.setattr(native_host, "_cleanup", lambda alias: None)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(native_host.os, "_exit", _raise_system_exit)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(native_host.sys, "stdin", SimpleNamespace(buffer=object()))
+
+    with pytest.raises(SystemExit, match="0"):
+        native_host.stdin_reader("work")
+
+    assert response_queue.get_nowait() == {"id": "msg-1", "success": True}
+    native_host.PENDING.clear()

uv.lock

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ requires-python = ">=3.10"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "browser-cli"
-version = "0.5.1"
+version = "0.5.2"
 source = { editable = "." }
 dependencies = [
     { name = "click" },