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Merge pull request #337 from drivecore/docs/system-browser-detection
docs: add system browser detection documentation
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‎packages/docs/docs/getting-started/linux.md‎

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MyCoder can use a browser for research. On Linux:
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1. **Chromium/Chrome/Firefox**: MyCoder works with these browsers automatically
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1. **System Browser Detection**: MyCoder automatically detects and uses your installed browsers (Chrome, Chromium, Firefox)
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2. **Dependencies**: You may need to install additional dependencies for browser automation:
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```bash
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# Ubuntu/Debian
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libgtk-3-0 libgbm1
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```
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3. **Headless Mode**: By default, browser windows are hidden (use `--headless false` to show them)
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4. **Browser Preferences**: You can configure which browser MyCoder should use in your configuration file:
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```javascript
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// mycoder.config.js
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export default {
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browser: {
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useSystemBrowsers: true,
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preferredType: 'chromium', // or 'firefox'
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}
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};
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```
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For more details on browser detection and configuration, see [System Browser Detection](../usage/browser-detection.md).
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## Troubleshooting
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‎packages/docs/docs/getting-started/macos.md‎

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MyCoder can use a browser for research. On macOS:
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1. **Chrome/Safari**: MyCoder works with both browsers automatically
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1. **System Browser Detection**: MyCoder automatically detects and uses your installed browsers (Chrome, Chrome Canary, Edge, Firefox, Firefox Developer Edition, Firefox Nightly)
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2. **First Run**: You may see a browser window open briefly when MyCoder is first run
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3. **Headless Mode**: By default, browser windows are hidden (use `--headless false` to show them)
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4. **Browser Preferences**: You can configure which browser MyCoder should use in your configuration file:
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```javascript
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// mycoder.config.js
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export default {
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browser: {
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useSystemBrowsers: true,
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preferredType: 'chromium', // or 'firefox'
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}
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};
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```
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For more details on browser detection and configuration, see [System Browser Detection](../usage/browser-detection.md).
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## Troubleshooting
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‎packages/docs/docs/getting-started/windows.md‎

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MyCoder can use a browser for research. On Windows:
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1. **Chrome/Edge**: MyCoder works with both browsers automatically
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1. **System Browser Detection**: MyCoder automatically detects and uses your installed browsers (Chrome, Edge, Firefox)
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2. **First Run**: You may see a browser window open briefly when MyCoder is first run
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3. **Headless Mode**: By default, browser windows are hidden (use `--headless false` to show them)
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4. **Browser Preferences**: You can configure which browser MyCoder should use in your configuration file:
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```javascript
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// mycoder.config.js
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export default {
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browser: {
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useSystemBrowsers: true,
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preferredType: 'chromium', // or 'firefox'
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}
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};
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```
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For more details on browser detection and configuration, see [System Browser Detection](../usage/browser-detection.md).
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## Troubleshooting
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‎packages/docs/docs/usage/browser-detection.md‎

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---
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sidebar_position: 7
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---
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# System Browser Detection
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MyCoder includes a system browser detection feature that allows it to use your existing installed browsers instead of requiring Playwright's bundled browsers. This is especially useful when MyCoder is installed globally via npm.
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## How It Works
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When you start a browser session in MyCoder, the system will:
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1. Detect available browsers on your system (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, etc.)
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2. Select the most appropriate browser based on your configuration preferences
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3. Launch the browser using Playwright's `executablePath` option
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4. Fall back to Playwright's bundled browsers if no system browser is found
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This process happens automatically and is designed to be seamless for the user.
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## Supported Browsers
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MyCoder can detect and use the following browsers:
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### Windows
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- Google Chrome
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- Microsoft Edge
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- Mozilla Firefox
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### macOS
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- Google Chrome
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- Google Chrome Canary
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- Microsoft Edge
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- Mozilla Firefox
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- Firefox Developer Edition
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- Firefox Nightly
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### Linux
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- Google Chrome
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- Chromium
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- Mozilla Firefox
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## Configuration Options
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You can customize the browser detection behavior in your `mycoder.config.js` file:
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```javascript
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// mycoder.config.js
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export default {
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// Other settings...
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// System browser detection settings
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browser: {
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// Whether to use system browsers or Playwright's bundled browsers
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useSystemBrowsers: true,
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// Preferred browser type (chromium, firefox, webkit)
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preferredType: 'chromium',
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// Custom browser executable path (overrides automatic detection)
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// executablePath: null, // e.g., '/path/to/chrome'
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},
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};
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```
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### Configuration Options Explained
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| Option | Description | Default |
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|--------|-------------|---------|
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| `useSystemBrowsers` | Whether to use system-installed browsers if available | `true` |
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| `preferredType` | Preferred browser engine type (`chromium`, `firefox`, `webkit`) | `chromium` |
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| `executablePath` | Custom browser executable path (overrides automatic detection) | `null` |
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## Browser Selection Priority
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When selecting a browser, MyCoder follows this priority order:
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1. Custom executable path specified in `browser.executablePath` (if provided)
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2. System browser matching the preferred type specified in `browser.preferredType`
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3. Any available system browser
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4. Playwright's bundled browsers (fallback)
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## Troubleshooting
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If you encounter issues with browser detection:
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1. **Browser Not Found**: Ensure you have at least one supported browser installed on your system.
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2. **Browser Compatibility Issues**: Some websites may work better with specific browser types. Try changing the `preferredType` setting if you encounter compatibility issues.
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3. **Manual Override**: If automatic detection fails, you can manually specify the path to your browser using the `executablePath` option.
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4. **Fallback to Bundled Browsers**: If you prefer to use Playwright's bundled browsers, set `useSystemBrowsers` to `false`.
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## Examples
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### Using Chrome as the Preferred Browser
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```javascript
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// mycoder.config.js
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export default {
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browser: {
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useSystemBrowsers: true,
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preferredType: 'chromium',
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},
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};
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```
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### Using Firefox as the Preferred Browser
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```javascript
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// mycoder.config.js
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export default {
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browser: {
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useSystemBrowsers: true,
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preferredType: 'firefox',
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},
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};
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```
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### Specifying a Custom Browser Path
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```javascript
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// mycoder.config.js
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export default {
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browser: {
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useSystemBrowsers: true,
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executablePath: 'C:\\Program Files\\Google\\Chrome\\Application\\chrome.exe', // Windows example
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// executablePath: '/Applications/Google Chrome.app/Contents/MacOS/Google Chrome', // macOS example
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// executablePath: '/usr/bin/google-chrome', // Linux example
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},
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};
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```

‎packages/docs/docs/usage/configuration.md‎

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| `userSession` | Use existing browser session | `true`, `false` | `false` |
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| `pageFilter` | Method to process webpage content | `simple`, `none`, `readability` | `simple` |
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#### System Browser Detection
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MyCoder can detect and use your system-installed browsers instead of requiring Playwright's bundled browsers. This is especially useful when MyCoder is installed globally via npm.
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| Option | Description | Possible Values | Default |
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| ------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------ | ---------- |
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| `browser.useSystemBrowsers` | Use system-installed browsers if available | `true`, `false` | `true` |
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| `browser.preferredType` | Preferred browser engine type | `chromium`, `firefox`, `webkit` | `chromium` |
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| `browser.executablePath` | Custom browser executable path (optional) | String path to browser executable | `null` |
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Example:
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```javascript
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// Show browser windows and use readability for better web content parsing
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headless: false,
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pageFilter: 'readability',
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// System browser detection settings
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browser: {
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useSystemBrowsers: true,
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preferredType: 'firefox',
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// Optionally specify a custom browser path
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// executablePath: '/path/to/chrome',
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},
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};
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```
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headless: false,
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userSession: true,
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pageFilter: 'readability',
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// System browser detection settings
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browser: {
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useSystemBrowsers: true,
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preferredType: 'chromium',
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// executablePath: '/path/to/custom/browser',
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},
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// GitHub integration
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githubMode: true,

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