Chrome Guard is a lightweight desktop tool that launches Google Chrome in a dedicated low-latency profile and monitors how the browser uses system resources. It shows real-time CPU usage for Chrome, highlights which subprocess is causing load, and estimates per-tab activity using the Chrome DevTools Protocol. A simple Tkinter interface lets you open URLs and watch live metrics without using the command line.
- Launches Chrome with a low-latency, isolated user profile
- Tracks total CPU usage across all Chrome processes
- Identifies the highest-CPU Chrome subprocess (tab renderer, extension, GPU coordinator, utility, and so on)
- Estimates per-tab CPU contribution via the Chrome DevTools Protocol
- Shows live meters and a tab list in a desktop UI
- Logs alerts when Chrome causes sustained CPU spikes
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Create a virtual environment python3 -m venv .venv
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Activate the virtual environment source .venv/bin/activate
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Install dependencies pip install -r requirements.txt
To start the desktop UI: python3 scripts/run_gui.py
This opens the Chrome Guard window. Enter a URL and click the button to launch Chrome and begin monitoring.
To run the monitor without the UI: python3 scripts/run_monitor_only.py
This prints Chrome CPU statistics and alerts to the terminal.
You can override default settings using environment variables:
CHROME_GUARD_CHROME_PATH
CHROME_GUARD_CPU_TOTAL
CHROME_GUARD_CPU_SINGLE
CHROME_GUARD_POLL_INTERVAL
CHROME_GUARD_SUSTAINED_HITS
Defaults for these values are defined in config.py.