Centralizing management of chrome packaged apps in private network - google-chrome

Is it possible to declarative install, uninstall, update chrome
packaged apps on client machines from server (or make all this
operations with system scripts)?
Is it possible to make local shell
aplication to navigate between chrome packaged apps?
Use case: educational private network (schoolclassroom) based on chrome apps. After loading device, user see custom shell. User can navigate between chrome applications, using shell. User do not touch system, or chrome at all.
Also, aministrator could add application on every client system, using some scripted software management system...

Related

chrome.enterprise.deviceAttributes availability for force-installed PWAs in chrome enterprise

I'm trying to determine if I can access any browser api for chrome OS that will allow me to identify the device that its running on when the application has been force-installed in kiosk mode as a PWA.
We're running into exactly the same issue right now. The correct path seems to be to create a PWA and to connect it to a (pre-installed) extension that has access to the enterprise.deviceAttributes:
See https://developers.chrome.com/apps/migration:
"If there is a capability that your Chrome App has that the regular web platform can't provide, it might be available as an extension API. In this case, you use a progressive web app together with an externally connectable extension your web app can send messages to."
enterprise.deviceAttributes are only accessible if the calling App/Site is pre-installed to the device and not loaded dynamically, so it cannot run in the PWA by design.
But with this tutorial, it seems possible:
https://developer.chrome.com/extensions/messaging#external-webpage
We're looking into that right now and will post our progess here.

Is it possible to create an automated PWA installation with user's consent?

I have a web app and have built a respective Electron app for Windows. I want to do the same thing for both IOS and Android without dealing with stores. The app is fully web but it will be hosted only locally, both front-end and back-end. So every client will have its own server in its own intranet.
The problem is that I do not want to open the local IP in every client browser and do 'Add to homescreen' manually.
The ideal approach would be to have an automated way to create and install the PWA on various local IOS, Android devices just as you would install an application in Windows.
My question: Is it possible to automatically create a PWA without having to go through the manual 'Browser' way?

Standalone chrome applications

Currently I am exploring the possibilities and features of Google Chrome apps. As I see to run chrome apps we need to distribute them through chrome App Store. Could we develop a application as a chrome app, which will not need to release to general public or for a limited audience?
Is there anyway that we could package it to native OS executable like .exe in windows or .app in MacOS. So for users who doesn't have chrome installed will also can without any issue. Or at least could we distribute without submitting it to the App Store.
Also I am wondering whether we can run another application through chrome apps? For example I am planing to develop a java application and start with the chrome app.
You can distribute a Chrome App without using the Chrome Web Store, but you'll have to explain to users how to install it, and it's a little tricky: They have to open the Extensions window in Chrome and then drag the installation file to that window. Upon dropping it, there will be a dialog asking them if they want it installed. (They can't just double-click on a file or do anything else that's easy like that.)
Chrome Apps can't directly launch native apps, but they can communicate in various ways with native apps (or any apps) once those other apps are running.
(Some parts of your question are ungrammatical, so I can't be completely sure what you're asking, but the above is what I think you're asking.)
Chrome Extensions are only installable from the Web Store, but Applications can be privately hosted with some provisos: https://developer.chrome.com/extensions/hosting

Is metro/store app destop or web based

I know what is metro app (just did some research) my question is where metro app runs. By my understanding :
Detktop app: running on your local machine with .net framework, and present data to user, you can launch/close it.
Web app: Publishing on IIS server, running from server render html to client, user can send request and get result.
Now, Metro app: is it just distributed on windows store, user can download/install it and run from local as same as desktop? or run from store, render something to user like web? or maybe some new working styles, can user close it?
Metro Style App was a working name before Microsoft settled on Windows Store Apps.
Windows Store Apps just like desktop apps run on local machine, but are often architected in more modern ways where the app would often connect to web services or push notifications that run in a data center. The UI though usually runs on local machine even if it is written in html/js with winjs.
The biggest difference is distribution - web apps run on the server so you only need to navigate to them in your browser to run the latest version. Desktop apps need to be installed - either with xcopy-style install, Windows installer or perhaps the ClickOnce technology. Store apps are distributed through the store which makes them easier to install and update than desktop apps as well as monetize, but are sandboxed (have limited access to local machine resources) for security.

Enable kiosk mode programmatically for windows store apps

We are developing a Windows Store app for a client. The app is designed to run in kiosk mode.
Is there a way to make it easy for the user to enable kiosk mode (Assigned Access) for the app?
Ideally I would like to pop a dialog with an "Accept" button which handles all the necessary configurations.
There is no way to do this programmatically that I know of. However, you can write a Powershell script that will do what you are asking. This Powershell script could then be ran by your client or as part of the initial installation of the app.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn449310%28v=winembedded.82%29.aspx