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DevTools Remote — Debug your browser tabs remotely via Chrome DevTools.
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Hi Hunters,
I'm Kenneth, the author of DevTools Remote. It's a simple tool that allows users to share access to a given browser tab, so it can be remote debugged.
Think about the typical support scenario where the support agent would like to see the error, or that pair programming session where stuff doesn't work in your browser tab. With DevTools Remote, you click a button, and share a unique link to your colleague or support agent, and they have access. Even screencasting from Chrome DevTools is working!
/k
@auchenberg Awesome idea! I actually thought of a 'remote web view' like product 3 years ago for a support scenario, i.e. one would go through the sequence of pages with the user, and see what's up. Adding DevTools support is the cherry on top of that cake. I thought of doing it myself, life got in the way and I ended up with this empty repository instead https://github.com/joantune/webR... :D
But I'm super psyched that someone did it, I will share it with my colleagues at my previous job, for whom it will probably be useful (that's where the inspiration for the idea came from).
A kind of a top of the head idea, that might be useful [or not really because everyone has alternate communication methods] would be adding functionalities from: https://togetherjs.com/.
@auchenberg "Life got in the way" and I didn't know that Chrome's extension API made it easier than my original idea (that was to be passing a serialized version of the DOM). Well done
@joantune Interesting! Great to hear I'm not alone with this idea :) I think the really interesting perspective is if we exposed an API to access remote debugging from all web apps. This could enable companies like Zendesk to remote support, etc. Imagine combining it with WebRTC for remote device diagnostics.
@auchenberg On a side note: I tried to use it here on my Mac and couldn't for some reason.
Yeah, I would even say one wouldn't need the devtools, just a 'screencast' would have been awesome.
The reason I say that is that devtools might take more effort (or I'm wrong, I haven't dived deep into your blogpost) But Premium real time support, or even 'recording' and sending that alongside with a ticket, would be an awesome product IMO
WebRTC for remote device _and_ enhanced security.
But without geeking it out too much, one should make the screencast and eventually the recording as the MVP as that fits the support use case better.
@adrocknaphobia Indeed, would be super useful. We could easily make it happen by introducing similar API's in other browsers.
@auchenberg @adrocknaphobia Well, god and millions of developers know that this would have been awesome for old versions of Internet Explorer :D (had to make that joke)
but sure Microsoft can make it up to us developers if it implements such APIs on Edge :P
@rayfranco Indeed. Sadly Chrome on iOS is a wrapped UIWebView from Safari, so there isn't much we can do, until Apple allow other browser engines on iOS.
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