Contributing

First off — thank you for wanting to contribute to Nothing Browser. This project exists because people like you care about open source.

But let me be straight with you about how things work around here.

The Hard Truth

I'm a solo developer. I have limited time. I'm very picky about what goes into the codebase.

90% of PRs will be merged easily if they fix a bug. Typos? Merge. Broken link? Merge. Memory leak fix? Merge. Documentation improvement? Merge.

New features? That's a different conversation.

PR Response Time

I live in Kenya (East Africa Time - EAT) . I work on Nothing Browser during night hours after my day job.

Action	Response Time
PR opened	14-20 hours (next night session)
PR reviewed	14-20 hours
PR merged or closed	14-20 hours
Issue opened	14-20 hours

Don't expect instant responses. I'll get to it when I get to it. Usually the same night or the next.

If you haven't heard back in 48 hours, ping me on Discord.

For Nothing Browser (UI): C++ Knowledge Required

The Nothing Browser UI is written in C++ using Qt6 WebEngine. It breaks easily.

⚠️ Please Know C++ Before Modifying

cpp

// This looks innocent but WILL crash
QString* ptr;  // Uninitialized pointer
ptr->append("hello");  // BOOM 💥

// This ALSO looks innocent but WILL leak memory
QWebEngineProfile* profile = new QWebEngineProfile();
// Forgot to delete? Memory leak.

If you don't know C++:

Don't touch the core/ directory
Don't touch engine/ directory
Don't touch fingerprintspoofer.cpp
Don't touch interceptor.cpp
Don't touch networkcapture.cpp

Stick to documentation, examples, or the TypeScript Piggy library.

If you do know C++: Great! But test thoroughly. Run make and ensure no warnings. Run the browser for an hour. Check for memory leaks with Valgrind.

DO NOT TOUCH These Files (Serious Ones)

These files are critical to browser functionality. Touch them = instant reject.

🚫 Absolute Forbidden (Nothing Browser UI)

File	Reason
`core/engine/fingerprintspoofer.cpp`	Core fingerprinting logic. One mistake = detectable.
`core/engine/fingerprintspoofer.h`	Same as above.
`core/engine/identitygenerator.cpp`	Session identity generation. Breaks fingerprint consistency.
`core/engine/identitygenerator.h`	Same as above.
`core/engine/interceptor.cpp`	Network interception. Easy to break all requests.
`core/engine/networkcapture.cpp`	Capture logic. Can miss requests.
`core/tabs/youtubetab.cpp`	YouTube bridge. Complex Java integration.

Why These Are Forbidden

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Fingerprint Spoofer                                                        │
│                                                                             │
│  One wrong line = browser becomes detectable.                               │
│  One wrong offset = canvas fingerprint unique.                              │
│  One wrong WebGL param = GPU fingerprint leaks.                             │
│                                                                             │
│  Please. Give us a break. Don't touch it.                                   │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

If you send a PR touching these files, I will close it without reviewing. No exceptions.

✅ Acceptable PRs for Nothing Browser UI

UI Changes (Merge Fast)

Change	Status	Example
Tab styling	✅ Merge	More curved tabs, different colors
Window decorations	✅ Merge	Title bar, buttons, borders
Icon updates	✅ Merge	Better icons, SVG improvements
Font adjustments	✅ Merge	Readability improvements
Layout tweaks	✅ Merge	Better spacing, alignment
Dark/light mode fixes	✅ Merge	Theme improvements
Keyboard shortcuts	✅ Merge	New shortcuts, fixes

If you make the tabs more curved? Yeah, ok, we'll merge it.

Note: Qt CSS is a different version of CSS. Test your changes thoroughly.

Bug Fixes (Merge Fast)

Change	Status
Memory leaks	✅ Merge
Crash fixes	✅ Merge
Connection issues	✅ Merge
UI glitches	✅ Merge
Typos in UI text	✅ Merge

Documentation (Merge Instant)

Change	Status
Typos	✅ Merge
Broken links	✅ Merge
Missing examples	✅ Merge
Clarifications	✅ Merge

For Nothing Private Browser: UI Changes Only

Nothing Private Browser has a very strict rule: No settings. No toggles. No configuration UI.

✅ Acceptable PRs for Private Browser

Change	Status
Tab styling	✅ Merge
Window decorations	✅ Merge
Icon updates	✅ Merge
Font adjustments	✅ Merge
Layout tweaks	✅ Merge

❌ NOT Acceptable for Private Browser

Change	Status	Reason
Adding settings UI	🚫 100% denied	No toggles. Ever.
Privacy controls	🚫 Denied	Privacy is already enabled
Configuration dialogs	🚫 Denied	No settings to configure
Feature toggles	🚫 Denied	Use regular Nothing Browser

For Piggy Library (TypeScript)

✅ Acceptable PRs

Change	Status
Bug fixes	✅ Merge
TypeScript type improvements	✅ Merge
Documentation	✅ Merge
New features (with binary change)	🤷 Depends

❌ NOT Acceptable for Piggy

Change	Status	Reason
`human/index.ts` changes	🚫 100% denied	Human mode finely tuned
New features without binary	🚫 Denied	Binary must support it first
Replace Elysia with Express	🚫 Denied	Elysia stays

🌍 Creating a Community Language Library

Want to use Piggy from Python, Go, Java, Rust, or any other language? You can create your own library!

How It Works

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                         COMMUNITY LANGUAGE LIBRARIES                         │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                             │
│   Official (TypeScript/Bun)  →  Maintained by Ernest Tech House             │
│                                                                             │
│   Community (Python/Go/Java/Rust/etc.)  →  Maintained by YOU                │
│                                                                             │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

⚠️ Important: You Must Maintain It

I will not code the Python version. Or the Go version. Or any other language version.

If you create a community library:

✅ You maintain it — bug fixes, updates, documentation
✅ You keep it up to date — when Piggy adds new features, you add them
✅ You handle issues — users will come to you

🐍 Special Note About Python

If a high-quality Python wrapper emerges from the community, Ernest Tech House will not create an official Python client.

We believe in community-driven development. If you build a good Python wrapper:

✅ We will feature it prominently in our README
✅ We will recommend it to Python users
✅ We will send TypeScript users your way for Python questions
❌ We will not compete with you by building our own

This applies to any language. If the community builds and maintains a solid wrapper, we focus our limited time elsewhere.

How to Get Your Library Accepted

Open an issue in the original Piggy GitHub repo
Show us every API you implemented working — provide proof (screenshots, videos, or test output)
Leave a way for further communication — GitHub, Discord, email, whatever
We chat — discuss any questions
We accept — your library gets listed in our README

Requirements

Requirement	Detail
No age cap	Anybody anywhere can create a library
No permission needed	Just open an issue and show your work
Must maintain	Keep it updated or it gets deprecated
Dot notation	Retain dot notation sounding — no hell function names

Dot Notation Rule

python

# ✅ Good - dot notation
site.navigate()
site.click("#button")
site.evaluate("() => document.title")

# ❌ Bad - hell function names
navigate_site_function()
click_the_button_please()
do_the_evaluate_thing()

Keep it consistent with the original Piggy API. Users should feel at home switching between languages.

Deprecation Policy

Your library may be deprecated if:

Reason	Grace Period
Few updates (inactive for 6+ months)	30 days notice
Missing new features (behind by 3+ versions)	60 days notice
A better community library comes along	90 days notice
Buggy/unmaintained	Immediate (after discussion)

When a Better One Comes

If someone else creates a better-maintained library in the same language:

Both libraries will be listed initially
Users will choose the better one
The less maintained one may be marked "legacy"
Eventually deprecated if no improvements

Competition is good for users.

Listing Format

Once accepted, your library appears in our README:

markdown

## Community Clients

| Language | Repository | Maintainer | Status | Last Update |
|----------|------------|------------|--------|-------------|
| Python | [nothing-browser-py](https://github.com/user/nothing-browser-py) | @user | ✅ Active | 2026-01-15 |
| Go | [piggy-go](https://github.com/user/piggy-go) | @user | ⚠️ Beta | 2026-01-10 |
| Rust | [piggy-rs](https://github.com/user/piggy-rs) | @user | 🔨 Alpha | 2026-01-01 |

Example: Opening an Issue

markdown

**Title:** New Python library: nothing-browser-py

**Description:** I've implemented a Python client for Piggy.

**Implemented APIs:**
- ✅ launch()
- ✅ register()
- ✅ navigate()
- ✅ click()
- ✅ evaluate()
- ✅ exposeFunction()

**Proof:** [link to video/screenshots]

**Repository:** https://github.com/user/nothing-browser-py

**Contact:** @user on Discord

**Maintenance Plan:** I will update within 2 weeks of each Piggy release.

Feature PRs: You Better Have a Good Story

If you add a new feature to the library, you have to answer one question:

How in God's name did you add it to the binary?

Here's how it works:

Binary (C++) → Library (TypeScript) → Documentation
     ↑                ↑                    ↑
   Must exist      Must match          Must explain
   first           the binary           the feature

You cannot add a library feature without the binary supporting it. The binary is the foundation. The library is just a wrapper.

So if you send a PR adding site.newFunction() to the library, I will ask:

Where is the binary change?
What socket command does it use?
Why do we need this?

No binary change = PR rejected.

Multi-Language Support (Official)

Official vs Community

Label	Meaning
Official	Built by Ernest Tech House, maintained by us
Community	Built by you, tagged by us

Official Clients Timeline

Language	Official Release	Who Builds	Notes
TypeScript/Bun	✅ v0.1.0	Ernest Tech House	Primary client
Python	📋 v0.7.0	CANCELLED if community wrapper exists	See note below
Go	📋 v0.8.0	Ernest Tech House	Proceeding
Java	📋 v0.9.0	Ernest Tech House	Proceeding
Rust	📋 v1.0.0	Ernest Tech House	Proceeding

⚠️ Python Official Release Policy

If a high-quality community Python wrapper is released and maintained, the official Python client (planned for v0.7.0) will be cancelled.

Why?

Limited development time
Community solutions are often better (maintained by people who actually use Python daily)
No point in duplicating work

So if you want an official Python client from us... build a great community one first. Then we won't need to.

This applies to any language where a strong community client emerges before our official release date.

Three Repositories

Nothing Browser spans three GitHub repositories:

Repository	Language	Purpose
`nothing-browser` (core)	C++	The browser binary
`nothing-browser-docs`	Markdown	Documentation site
`piggy` (library)	TypeScript	Node/Bun client library

PRs Across Repositories

Repository	PR Response	Merge Policy
`nothing-browser` (core)	14-20 hours	Strict (C++ must be correct)
`nothing-browser-docs`	14-20 hours	Lenient (typos = merge)
`piggy` (library)	14-20 hours	Moderate (depends on change)

PRs in any of the three repos are either closed or merged within 14-20 hours (my next night session after opening).

Code Style

TypeScript (Piggy Library)

// ✅ Good
async function scrapeData(url: string): Promise<Data> {
    const site = await piggy.register("temp", url);
    await site.navigate();
    return await site.evaluate(() => ({ ... }));
}

// ❌ Bad
async function scrapeData(url){ // no types
    let site = await piggy.register("temp",url)
    await site.navigate()
    return await site.evaluate(()=>({...}))
}

C++ (Nothing Browser UI)

cpp

// ✅ Good
void BrowserBridge::processQueue() {
    if (m_queue.isEmpty()) return;
    // ...
}

// ❌ Bad
void process_queue() { // not in namespace
    if(queue.empty()==false){ // inconsistent
        // ...
    }
}

Qt6 Specific

cpp

// ✅ Good - Use Qt containers
QVector<QString> list;
list.append("item");

// ❌ Bad - Don't mix STL and Qt
std::vector<std::string> list;
list.push_back("item");

Review Process

PR Type	Review Time	Decision
Bug fix (C++)	14-20 hours	✅ Likely merge
Bug fix (TypeScript)	14-20 hours	✅ Merge
Documentation	14-20 hours	✅ Merge
UI change (tabs, icons)	14-20 hours	✅ Likely merge
New feature (with binary)	14-20 hours	🤷 Depends
New feature (without binary)	14-20 hours	❌ Reject
Community library submission	14-20 hours	✅ Likely accept
Touch fingerprintspoofer.cpp	14-20 hours	❌ Reject
Touch identitygenerator.cpp	14-20 hours	❌ Reject
Touch human/index.ts	14-20 hours	❌ Reject
Add settings to Private Browser	14-20 hours	❌ Reject
Replace Elysia	14-20 hours	❌ Reject

PR Checklist

Before submitting a PR:

For Nothing Browser UI (C++):

[ ] Do you know C++? (If no, don't submit)
[ ] Did you test on your machine?
[ ] Did you run make without warnings?
[ ] Did you test for memory leaks?
[ ] Did you touch fingerprintspoofer.cpp? (If yes, don't submit)
[ ] Did you touch identitygenerator.cpp? (If yes, don't submit)

For Nothing Private Browser:

[ ] Did you add any settings/UI? (If yes, don't submit)
[ ] Is it just UI styling? (If yes, probably merge)

For Piggy Library (TypeScript):

[ ] Does it fix a bug? (If yes, explain)
[ ] Does it add a feature? (If yes, where's the binary change?)
[ ] Did you touch human/index.ts? (If yes, don't submit)
[ ] Did you update documentation?

For Community Language Library:

[ ] Did you open an issue first?
[ ] Did you show every API working?
[ ] Did you provide contact info?
[ ] Will you maintain it?

For Documentation:

[ ] Is it a typo fix? (Merge)
[ ] Is it a new page? (Review needed)

Getting Help

Before submitting a PR, ask:

Discord: Join our server
GitHub Discussions: Start a discussion

I'm responsive. Just don't ask "can you add Express support?" because the answer is no.

Remember: I respond within 14-20 hours (next night session EAT). Don't expect instant replies.

The Bottom Line

I built Nothing Browser because I wanted a tool that works. I'm protective of the codebase because I have to maintain it.

Summary Table

Area	Rule
Nothing Browser UI (C++)	Know C++ or don't touch
Fingerprint spoofer	Don't touch. Instant reject.
Identity generator	Don't touch. Instant reject.
Tab styling	✅ Yes, merge it.
Bug fixes	✅ Yes, please.
Documentation	✅ Yes, please.
Private Browser settings	100% denied. Never.
Piggy human/index.ts	Don't touch. Instant reject.
New features	Convince me. Need binary change.
Express/Fastify	No. Never. Elysia stays.
Community language libs	You build it. You maintain it.
Python official client	Cancelled if community wrapper exists
PR response time	14-20 hours (EAT night hours)

If you're cool with that, welcome aboard.

License

By contributing, you agree that your contributions will be licensed under the MIT License.

Nothing Ecosystem · Ernest Tech House · Kenya · 2026

— Pease Ernest

P.S. If you make the tabs more curved, I will literally merge it within the hour (next night session). Qt CSS is a different version of CSS.

Contributing ​

The Hard Truth ​

PR Response Time ​

For Nothing Browser (UI): C++ Knowledge Required ​

⚠️ Please Know C++ Before Modifying ​

DO NOT TOUCH These Files (Serious Ones) ​

🚫 Absolute Forbidden (Nothing Browser UI) ​

Why These Are Forbidden ​

✅ Acceptable PRs for Nothing Browser UI ​

UI Changes (Merge Fast) ​

Bug Fixes (Merge Fast) ​

Documentation (Merge Instant) ​

For Nothing Private Browser: UI Changes Only ​

✅ Acceptable PRs for Private Browser ​

❌ NOT Acceptable for Private Browser ​

For Piggy Library (TypeScript) ​

✅ Acceptable PRs ​

❌ NOT Acceptable for Piggy ​

🌍 Creating a Community Language Library ​

How It Works ​

⚠️ Important: You Must Maintain It ​

🐍 Special Note About Python ​

How to Get Your Library Accepted ​

Requirements ​

Dot Notation Rule ​

Deprecation Policy ​

When a Better One Comes ​

Listing Format ​

Example: Opening an Issue ​

Feature PRs: You Better Have a Good Story ​

Multi-Language Support (Official) ​

Official vs Community ​

Official Clients Timeline ​

⚠️ Python Official Release Policy ​

Three Repositories ​

PRs Across Repositories ​

Code Style ​

TypeScript (Piggy Library) ​

C++ (Nothing Browser UI) ​

Qt6 Specific ​

Review Process ​

PR Checklist ​

For Nothing Browser UI (C++): ​

For Nothing Private Browser: ​

For Piggy Library (TypeScript): ​

For Community Language Library: ​

For Documentation: ​

Getting Help ​

The Bottom Line ​

Summary Table ​

License ​