TimeTravelBrowsers

Run vintage web browsers with Adobe Flash support in Docker containers

⚠️ This is a Proof of Concept (POC) - This project demonstrates the feasibility of running legacy browsers with Flash support in containerized environments for accessing archived web content.

Welcome to TimeTravelBrowsers, a project designed to enable users to relive the experience of browsing old websites through vintage web browsers with support for Adobe Flash. This project leverages Docker to reliably recreate outdated browsing environments, allowing access to archived web content that would otherwise be inaccessible.

✨ Features

• Adobe Flash Support: Full access to sites utilizing Adobe Flash, even beyond its official end of life
• Authentic Browsing Experience: True-to-era browser functionality with Firefox 53 and Chrome 53
• Isolated Environment: Utilizes Docker for secure execution without affecting the host system
• Easy Deployment: Everything contained within a Docker container for simplified setup
• Web-based Access: Access the browser through your modern web browser via VNC

🚀 Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Docker installed on your system
• Port 8080 available (or use a different port)

Installation

To get started with TimeTravelBrowsers, follow these steps:

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/TimeTravelBrowsers.git
cd TimeTravelBrowsers

2. Build the Docker image:

docker build -t timetravelbrowsers:latest .

3. Run the container:

docker run -p 8080:8080 timetravelbrowsers:latest

4. Access the browser:

   Open your modern browser and navigate to: http://localhost:8080

💡 Usage Examples

Basic usage

Run with default settings:

docker run -p 8080:8080 timetravelbrowsers:latest

Launch with Chrome and a specific URL

docker run -e "STARTUP=google-chrome --no-sandbox https://example.com" \
  -p 8080:8080 timetravelbrowsers:latest

Launch with Firefox and a specific URL

docker run -e "STARTUP=firefox https://example.com" \
  -p 8080:8080 timetravelbrowsers:latest

Using Docker Compose

docker-compose up

📋 Browser & Flash Versions

This project includes specific browser versions that support Adobe Flash without End-of-Life restrictions.

Chrome

• Version: 53.0.2785.116 (64-bit)
• Release Date: August 31, 2016
• Flash Player: 23.0.0.162 (bundled)
• Note: Latest Chrome version with no EOL time limit for Flash. May have issues with some 3D Flash content.

Firefox

• Version: 53.0.3 (64-bit)
• Release Date: April 19, 2017
• Flash Player: 32.0.0.371
• Note: Recommended for better compatibility with 3D Flash content. Later versions up to 84.0 also support Flash.

Standalone Flash Player

• Version: 32.0.0.465
• Note: Latest official version from Adobe with no time limitations after EOL.

🔧 Configuration

Environment Variables

• STARTUP: Command to execute on container start (default: opens Firefox)
• WIDTH: Screen width (default: 1280)
• HEIGHT: Screen height (default: 720)

Ports

• 8080: Web interface (VNC viewer)
• 3389: RDP port (exposed but not used by default)

🙏 Acknowledgments

This project is largely inspired by and builds upon:

• Play-Adobe-Flash-After-EOL - Flash player workarounds
• browsertrix-browser-base - Browser containerization
• docker-baseimage-gui - GUI application Docker base
• oldweb-today - Old browser emulation

📚 References

Browser Downloads

• Chrome: Slimjet Chrome Archive - Chrome doesn't offer official old version downloads
• Firefox: Mozilla FTP Archive - Official Firefox releases archive
• Flash Player: Internet Archive - Adobe no longer provides old versions officially

Related Projects

• oldweb-today - Old Browser + Web Archive Emulation
• browser-chrome - Chrome browser container
• pywb-remote-browsers - Remote browser support for web archives

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Note: Adobe Flash Player reached end-of-life on December 31, 2020. This project is intended for accessing archived content and should not be used for regular web browsing.