Install Google Chrome Extensions from the command line

[ishu3101]

Add the ability to install, uninstall, search for Google Chrome Extensions from the command line like how you can install application on windows using chocolatey or homebrew on mac using the terminal.

[mdamien]

+1 that would be awesome ! A package manager for chrome extensions !

More links:

• https://stackoverflow.com/questions/16800696/how-install-crx-chrome-extension-via-command-line
• https://developer.chrome.com/extensions/external_extensions

[ishu3101]

I have looked at those links which either require the extension to be unpacked or makes use of the preference JSON file or windows registry and still require some form of user input. They are fairly limited and require manual setting up before hand for each extension that you would like to install.

Would love to be able to install any chrome extension that is available on the Chrome Web Store using something like this: cxpm install Adblock "Session Buddy". This would install both the Adblock and the Session Buddy extension from the Chrome Web Store without requiring any interference from the user.

[mdamien]

The only thing is that this possibility has been disabled because of malware adding their extensions.

I think it would at least require a fork of chrome to allow a new API to be created to manage the extension (I would definitely do it as a chrome extension that can manage other chrome extensions first before going all CLI)

[ishu3101]

The command line app would be a separate app from chrome and the user would have to install the command line app first (so the possibility of malware being added are nil) and those that do install it are likely to know what they doing.

No fork of chrome is required as you would be downloading the extension and installing it by extracting the crx file into the user's chrome profile folder which is where the chrome extensions are installed.

[mdamien]

I mean, the power to install extension without an authaurization from within the chrome browser makes it possible for malware to add extensions. So it's been removed from chrome and you can't do it without an "Enterprise Policy" (if I understand correctly)

More infos: https://blog.chromium.org/2015/05/continuing-to-protect-chrome-users-from.html

[ishu3101]

Since chrome extensions are just zip file which are renamed to .crx we can just extract them to install them on our device and so would work on any device irrespective of whether or not it has Enterprise Policy.

[jemacom]

I have been through this situation before. what I managed to do is changing a Chrome policy ExtensionInstallForcelist which enables installing an extension without the inline installation.
I did as follow:

• Create directories of Chrome policies if they do not exist

$mkdir /etc/opt/chrome/policies
$mkdir /etc/opt/chrome/policies/managed
$mkdir /etc/opt/chrome/policies/recommended

• Then make sure that the files under /managed are not writable by non-admin users

chmod -w /etc/opt/chrome/policies/managed

• Create policy file

$touch /etc/opt/chrome/policies/managed/test_policy.json

• Add these lines to the file to install Classic Cach killer extension for example :

{
	"ExtensionInstallForcelist": ["kkmknnnjliniefekpicbaaobdnjjikfp;https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx"]
}

You can of course change the app ID kkmknnnjliniefekpicbaaobdnjjikfp to match the extension you wanna add.

And then launch Chrome and consult chrome://extensions to see the added extension.

For references you can see: Chrome administrator and ExtensionInstallForcelist
Hope this help some of you guys.
Cheers!!!

[ishu3101]

@jemacom What about if you are using Windows?

[nonetrix]

@jemacom What about if you are using Windows?

This is a old issue but I should be the same if chrome hasn't changed any haven't tested if this even works anymore

Anyway hoping to add automatic extension installing to my Arch Linux setup script if anyone knows a better way of doing this tell me

[snowman]

What if you want to install locally unpacked extensions?