open browser in golang

gistfile1.txt

func openbrowser(url string) {
	var err error

	switch runtime.GOOS {
	case "linux":
		err = exec.Command("xdg-open", url).Start()
	case "windows":
		err = exec.Command("rundll32", "url.dll,FileProtocolHandler", url).Start()
	case "darwin":
		err = exec.Command("open", url).Start()
	default:
		err = fmt.Errorf("unsupported platform")
	}
	if err != nil {
		log.Fatal(err)
	}

}

it works ! very good !

@yuansushow idk if it existed when the gist was created but using https://godoc.org/github.com/pkg/browser seem more clean and should works for every golang supported distribution

This nice piece of coding really helped me get across a difficult problem. I think it was brilliant.
Thank you

谢谢，有效。

Pretty Cool.

Is there a way to programmatically close the opened browser?

Is there a way to programmatically close the opened browser?

try

cmd := exec.Command("open", url)
cmd.Start()
if err := cmd.Process.Kill(); err != nil {
	log.Fatal("close the opened browser failed", err)
}

Is there a way to programmatically close the opened browser?

try

cmd := exec.Command("open", url)
cmd.Start()
if err := cmd.Process.Kill(); err != nil {
	log.Fatal("close the opened browser failed", err)
}

I get a process already finished error. But the browser is still open.

Is there a way to programmatically close the opened browser?

try

cmd := exec.Command("open", url)
cmd.Start()
if err := cmd.Process.Kill(); err != nil {
	log.Fatal("close the opened browser failed", err)
}

I get a process already finished error. But the browser is still open.

😞it seems not working with exec.Command("open", url)

the code below is working for me.

cmd := exec.Command(
	"/Applications/Google Chrome.app/Contents/MacOS/Google Chrome",
	"https://google.com",
	"--user-data-dir=test-user-data",
)

if err := cmd.Start(); err != nil {
	log.Fatalln("can't open browser", err)
}

time.Sleep(5 * time.Second)

if err := cmd.Process.Kill(); err != nil {
	log.Fatal("close the opened browser failed", err)
}

@billyct thanks but the drawback is we need to know the location of the Chrome.

Another question, How can we set (authentication) header when opening an url?

exec.Command("cmd", "/C", "start", url).Run() for windows.

this doesn't work on playground

This doesn't work on the playground because it tries to open the browser on the machine it's running on. Try running the code on your own computer, then it will work.

Open a file from the command line with a specified application path

in darwin, open

• By default, opens each file using the default application for that file.

I don't know why, but running the above code opens file explorer instead of the browser on my computer.
OS: Windows 10 64bit
Any idea to solve this issue?

I don't know why, but running the above code opens file explorer instead of the browser on my computer.
OS: Windows 10 64bit
Any idea to solve this issue?

typing google.com or any domain name in the file explorer should open your default browser.
maybe its is not a URL?

I don't know why, but running the above code opens file explorer instead of the browser on my computer.
OS: Windows 10 64bit
Any idea to solve this issue?

Use http or https before urls

nice it work!

@yuansushow idk if it existed when the gist was created but using https://godoc.org/github.com/pkg/browser seem more clean and should works for every golang supported distribution

thank you very much

exec.Command("cmd", "/c", "start", <URL>).Start() for me it seem nicer and more casual than exec.Command("rundll32", "url.dll,FileProtocolHandler", <URL>) if anyone knows any downside to cmd and start approach, pleas letlet me know...