GitHub Real Names

A modern Chrome extension that replaces GitHub usernames with real names (display names) throughout the GitHub interface.

Features

✨ Modern & Efficient

• Built with Manifest V3 (latest Chrome extension standard)
• Uses MutationObserver for real-time updates (no polling)
• Smart caching to minimize API requests
• Async/await for clean, modern JavaScript

🎯 Comprehensive Coverage

• Profile links and author names
• Issue and PR creators
• Commit authors
• User mentions (@username)
• Assignees and reviewers
• Discussion participants
• Timeline items

⚡ Performance Optimized

• WeakSet for tracking processed elements
• Batch processing to avoid UI blocking
• Persistent cache using chrome.storage
• Rate limit awareness

🎨 User Friendly

• Clean, modern popup interface
• Toggle on/off with one click
• Clear cache functionality
• Hover to see username when showing real names

Installation

From Source (Development)

1. Clone or download this repository:

   git clone https://github.com/jeremieamstutz/github-real-names.git
   cd github-real-names

2. Open Chrome and navigate to chrome://extensions/

3. Enable "Developer mode" (toggle in top-right corner)

4. Click "Load unpacked" button

5. Select the github-real-names directory

6. The extension is now installed! You should see the 👤 icon in your extensions toolbar

Usage

1. Navigate to GitHub: Visit any GitHub page (github.com)

2. Automatic Replacement: Usernames will automatically be replaced with real names

3. Toggle Feature: Click the extension icon in your toolbar to:

   • Turn real names on/off
   • Clear the cache
   • View current status

4. Hover for Username: When real names are shown, hover over any name to see the original username in a tooltip

How It Works

1. Detection: The extension uses MutationObserver to detect username elements as they appear on the page

2. Extraction: Usernames are extracted from various element types (links, mentions, etc.)

3. Fetching: Real names are fetched from the GitHub API (https://api.github.com/users/[username])

4. Caching: Names are cached in both memory and chrome.storage to minimize API calls

5. Display: Elements are updated with real names, with original usernames available on hover

Configuration

The extension works out of the box with no configuration needed. However, you can:

• Toggle the feature: Use the popup to turn real names on/off
• Clear cache: Force refresh of all cached names
• Rate limiting: GitHub API allows 60 requests/hour for unauthenticated requests. The extension caches aggressively to stay within limits.

Optional: GitHub Personal Access Token

To increase API rate limits from 60 to 5,000 requests per hour:

1. Create a PAT (Personal Access Token) at https://github.com/settings/tokens (no scopes needed)
2. Paste your PAT in the control panel of the extension (in the settings section)

Note: We don't include this by default for security reasons

Browser Compatibility

• ✅ Chrome 88+
• ✅ Edge 88+
• ✅ Brave
• ✅ Any Chromium-based browser with Manifest V3 support

Privacy & Security

• No data collection: This extension doesn't collect or transmit any personal data
• Local storage only: All caching is done locally on your machine
• Open source: All code is available for inspection
• Minimal permissions: Only requests necessary permissions (storage, github.com access)

Development

Project Structure

github-real-names/
├── manifest.json       # Extension manifest (Manifest V3)
├── content.js          # Content script (runs on GitHub pages)
├── background.js       # Service worker (background tasks)
├── popup.html          # Extension popup UI
├── popup.js            # Popup logic
├── icons/              # Extension icons
│   ├── icon16.png
│   ├── icon48.png
│   └── icon128.png
└── README.md           # This file

Making Changes

1. Edit the relevant files
2. Go to chrome://extensions/
3. Click the refresh icon on the extension card
4. Reload any GitHub pages to see changes

Testing

Test on various GitHub pages:

• User profiles
• Repository pages
• Issues and Pull Requests
• Commit history
• Discussion threads
• Search results

Troubleshooting

Names not showing?

• Check that the extension is enabled (green toggle in popup)
• Clear cache and reload the page
• Check browser console for any errors

Rate limited?

• The extension caches names to avoid repeated API calls
• You may see 403 errors in the console if rate limited
• Wait an hour or add a personal access token (see Configuration)

Extension not loading?

• Ensure Developer mode is enabled
• Check for errors in chrome://extensions/
• Try removing and re-adding the extension

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

License

MIT License - feel free to use and modify as needed.

Credits

Based on the original concept, modernized with current best practices and Chrome extension standards.

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Made with ❤️ for the GitHub community