An essential resource for researchers, archivists, and users looking to preserve web content efficiently and offline.
In a world where endless open browser tabs can become chaotic, Monolith emerges as a revolutionary solution. This command-line tool enables users to save complete web pages in a single HTML file, embedding all assets such as CSS, images, and JavaScript. The result is a precise offline copy of the page that requires no internet connection for viewing.
What Sets Monolith Apart?
Unlike traditional tools like “Save Page As” or wget, which save web pages in fragmented formats, Monolith embeds all page resources directly into one HTML document. This is achieved through data URLs, allowing browsers to accurately render the saved page, even without a network connection.
Key Features of Monolith
- Resource Embedding: All page assets, including CSS, images, and JavaScript, are embedded directly into the HTML file.
- Compatibility: Users can exclude elements such as audio, video, or images to meet specific needs.
- Domain Control: Retrieve assets from specific domains or block certain domains to manage ads or unwanted content.
- Cookies and Customization: Supports the use of cookies and allows for custom settings such as user agents or request timeouts.
- Dynamic Content Preprocessing: While Monolith does not execute JavaScript, it can be combined with tools like Chromium in headless mode to preprocess dynamic content before saving.
Who Is Monolith For?
Monolith is particularly valuable for:
- Researchers: Needing to save web pages as they appear for later analysis.
- Digital Archivists: Looking to preserve web content for the long term.
- Everyday Users: Wishing to avoid browser tab overload by saving pages for later use.
How to Install Monolith
Monolith is available across multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, and GNU/Linux. Popular installation methods include:
- Cargo (cross-platform):
cargo install monolith - Homebrew (macOS and GNU/Linux):
brew install monolith - Chocolatey (Windows):
choco install monolith - Snapcraft (GNU/Linux):
snap install monolith - Pre-built binaries: Ready-to-use binaries are available for download from the official GitHub page.
For more specialized systems, Monolith can also be installed via package managers such as Pacman (Arch Linux), MacPorts (macOS), or NixPkgs.
Example Usage
Saving a web page with all embedded resources is as simple as running:
monolith https://example.com -o example-complete.htmlFor dynamic pages, combining it with Chromium allows effective preprocessing:
chromium --headless --dump-dom https://example.com | monolith - -o example-dynamic.htmlTechnical Considerations and Limitations
While Monolith offers impressive capabilities, it has certain limitations. For instance, it does not execute JavaScript, meaning some dynamic websites may require additional preprocessing to capture content accurately. Additionally, the resulting file size can be substantial if the page contains many graphical or multimedia resources.
Conclusion
Monolith is an essential tool for those looking to preserve web content accurately and access it offline. Its ability to combine all page elements into a single HTML file makes it a superior choice compared to traditional saving methods. Whether for research, digital archiving, or personal organization, Monolith is a robust and reliable solution.
With its broad platform availability and flexibility, this tool promises to transform how users interact with and preserve web content.
More information in GitHub.
