Script to correct the expected behavior of browsing Slack history using the mouse back and forward buttons.

hackMouseBrowsingSlackHistory.sh

#!/bin/bash

:<<'END-INFO'

 hackMouseBrowsingSlackHistory.sh - Script to correct the expected behavior of browsing Slack 
 history using the mouse back and forward buttons.

 Autor: R. Catto <rcatto@iskigow.com> 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 This script is base answer on reddit thread (https://www.reddit.com/r/Slack/comments/qfodd7/comment/k4937gj/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)

 Exemplos:
 $ hackMouseBrowsingSlackHistory.sh

 $ hackMouseBrowsingSlackHistory.sh /custom/location/lib/slack/resources/app.asar

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Changelog:

 v1.0 2023-11-29, R. Catto:
   - initial version, just create as answer suggestion;
 v1.1 2023-11-29, R. Catto:
   - permit informe a custom location and make a bkp file with date time info
   (app.asar.20231129141751432.hackbkp);
 v1.2 2023-11-29, R. Catto:
   - test if the file has the pattern before the backup and replace;
 v1.3 2023-11-29, R. Catto:
   - Allow exec the script via curl and fix logic version 
 v1.4 2024-04-16, R. Catto:
   - Fix regex replace;
 v1.5 2024-04-16, R. Catto:
   - Fix space replace, because without slack won't open;

 License [ (CC) by ]

END-INFO

APP_ASAR_LOCATION="/usr/lib/slack/resources/app.asar"
SEARCH_PATTERN='case"browser-backward":f0(-1,g.webContents);break;case"browser-forward":f0(1,g.webContents);break'
REPLACE_PATTERN='case"browser-backward":f0( 0,g.webContents);break;case"browser-forward":f0(0,g.webContents);break'
SED_PATTERN="s/${SEARCH_PATTERN}/${REPLACE_PATTERN}/"
CUSTOM_APP_ASAR_LOCATION=$1

Version () {
  echo
  echo "$(basename "$0")"
  [ -f "$0" ] && grep -E 'v[0-9]+[.][0-9]+' "$0" | tail -1 | cut -d ',' -f 1 | tr -d \# || {
    curl -sSL https://gist.githubusercontent.com/iskigow/305e4fd14b718a8e233da612f35c1c12/raw/hackMouseBrowsingSlackHistory.sh | grep -E 'v[0-9]+[.][0-9]+' | tail -1 | cut -d ',' -f 1 | tr -d \#
  }
  echo
}

HowTo() {
  echo
  echo "Usage:"
  echo "  $(basename "$0") [custom Slack app.asar location]  # hack Slack elsewhere installation location"
  echo "  $(basename "$0") -v, --version                     # show the script version"
  echo "  $(basename "$0") -h, --help                        # show this help"
  echo
}

# Do I have to show help or version?
case "$1" in
  -h | --help   ) HowTo ; exit 0 ;;
  -v | --version) Version ; exit 0 ;;
esac

[ -z "${CUSTOM_APP_ASAR_LOCATION}" ] || {
	echo "Using informed Slack app.asar location..."
	APP_ASAR_LOCATION="${CUSTOM_APP_ASAR_LOCATION}"
}

[ -f "${APP_ASAR_LOCATION}" ] || {
	echo "The Slack app.asar file is located elsewhere..."
	echo "The expected location is: [ ${APP_ASAR_LOCATION} ]"
	HowTo
	exit 1
}

if grep "${SEARCH_PATTERN}" ${APP_ASAR_LOCATION} > /dev/null 2>&1; then
  echo "Sudo is needed..."
  echo
  echo "Hacking the behavior of browsing Slack history for mouse navigation..."
  BACKUP_SUFFIX="$(date +%Y%m%d%H%M%S%N | cut -c 1-17).hackbkp"
  echo "Backing up as [${APP_ASAR_LOCATION}.${BACKUP_SUFFIX} ] and changing app.asar file: [ ${APP_ASAR_LOCATION} ]..."
  sudo sed -i.${BACKUP_SUFFIX} "${SED_PATTERN}" ${APP_ASAR_LOCATION}
  echo "Reopen Slack please..."
else
  echo "It was not possible to make the hack, as the file has already been changed or is not in the expected pattern."
fi
echo 

running from web:

$ curl -sSL https://gist.githubusercontent.com/iskigow/305e4fd14b718a8e233da612f35c1c12/raw/hackMouseBrowsingSlackHistory.sh | bash -s --

Help:

$ curl -sSL https://gist.githubusercontent.com/iskigow/305e4fd14b718a8e233da612f35c1c12/raw/hackMouseBrowsingSlackHistory.sh | bash -s -- --help

Version:

$ curl -sSL https://gist.githubusercontent.com/iskigow/305e4fd14b718a8e233da612f35c1c12/raw/hackMouseBrowsingSlackHistory.sh | bash -s -- --version

Custom app.asar location:

$ curl -sSL https://gist.githubusercontent.com/iskigow/305e4fd14b718a8e233da612f35c1c12/raw/hackMouseBrowsingSlackHistory.sh | bash -s -- /custom/location/lib/slack/resources/app.asar