How do I go about creating and distributing a custom Chromium web browser? It should be identical to the Google version except that some extensions are pre-installed. It should still get updates off the chrome stable channel.
If you are a system administrator and want to do some custom Chrome[ium] deployments for all employees you should read this document.
There is a guide for pre-installing extensions and web apps as well.
Chrome doesn't have provisions to do this.
Extensions are installed per-user in their User Data directory.
If you have the liberty to do so, you could create a fresh user directory, install the desired extensions, then package up and ship that user directory as the default one.
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I have developed a Google Chrome Extension that I need to automate installation for my users.
I have published it in Google Web Store but I don't want a user to search for it in order to install, because this extension is part of other development, including a C# application.
I am creating an installer that installs the C# application but I need to add the automatic installation for my extension. How can I do it?
Yes, you can. The procedure is described in the docs.
Summary:
The installer adds a registry entry that contains the extension ID.
Upon next Chrome restart (you may want to ask the user to do it), the extension will be downloaded and then the user will be prompted whether he/she wants to install it.
If yes, you live happily ever after, with the extension bearing "Installed by a third-party" mark in the extension list.
If no, the extension will be disabled, and you cannot enable it yourself (you have to ask the user to do that by going to chrome://extensions/ or the CWS listing)
If the user ever uninstalls the extension, it will be blacklisted from ever attempting that install procedure on this Chrome profile; if the user changes his mind, he'll have to install it directly from the Store.
Leave clear instructions for your users: that they must restart the browser and expect/accept the prompt.
The best way to do this is the way that Xan wrote in his answer.
If you need to force install Chrome extensions in your company without user interaction. You can do this with ExtensionInstallForcelist policy or with master_preferences file. Both ways described here.
I have implemented a chrome extension project but I need to install it by running a .exe file.
I tried many ways like extracting files to C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions automatically using iExpress(i gave the id of extension to the folder),
i tried creating ExtensionInstallForceList under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Google\Chrome\ and creating new string value "1" giving it value "id;https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx"
and lots of other ways but still I couldn't make it. I would appreciate a little help
The only programmatic way to install an extension on Windows (assuming you're not a Windows Domain sysadmin, which seems to be a safe assumption) is as follows:
Upload your extension to Chrome Web Store and publish.
This is mandatory, but the extension can be specified to be unlisted.
Create an installer that adds a registry entry as described here.
Upon next browser restart, Chrome will:
Download the extension from Web Store (and nowhere else)
Ask a confirmation from the user to allow that extension.
If the user agrees, you're done. If the user does not agree, the extension is blacklisted and you can't try again on this install unless the user installs directly from Web Store.
ExtensionInstallForceList is only for enterprise deployments via group policy. Chrome will ignore local registry values and query the domain policy directly.
As I know you can install an extension outside the market without expected limitations, for example, autoupdate. You need to be in develop mode.
You can read this thread to understand the problem:
Install chrome extension as external extensions
The think is, anyone know another way to install an extension in your chrome (internal use in a company o class). I like to think that I can sign the extension with a shared certificate or something like that. And send the extension to the users.
Google no longer allows it.
Protecting Chrome users from malicious extensions
Continuing to protect Chrome users from malicious extensions
There are 4 types of extension install still available:
Direct installation from Webstore or inline install from a website, but hosted on Web Store.
Indirect installation through registry manipulation (e.g. companion extension for a native app), but it still must be hosted in the Webstore.
Local development installs; will nag on every Chrome restart and no autoupdate mechanism.
For Enterprise only, policy-based installs. Note that on Windows that requires computers joined to a domain. In this case there are no restrictions on where the extension is hosted.
I'm looking to be able to provide a Chrome installer that as they go through the wizard it installs Google Chrome as per normal, however it will also automatically install specific extentions from the App Store that will be there when they first open the browser.
Is there a tool available that would allow me to do this easily? I've done a number of searches on the topic but I have been successful.
You can configure a list of extensions to be installed on first run of every new profile by using https://developer.chrome.com/extensions/external_extensions
So you'd just need to write a program that first lays this configuration down, and then runs the regular chrome installer.
Our district is starting to use Chrome as a secondary browser. We currently customize a users experience with chrome via the GPO ADM files. However one thing we would like to do is have pre-installed webapps in the Chrome app page. These are simple apps that link to intranet applications and utilities that we use throughout the district.
I know you can force install apps from the chrome web store via the GPO ADM settings, but I don't know if I can apply this process to files hosted in our network.
According to Google's docs it doesn't have to be on the store, but it does have to be hosted somewhere accessible to the box:
Pre-installing via group policy
Using policy to deploy an extension or Chrome web app is the easiest
and most scalable method. This is the recommended method for pushing
extensions,as it does not require the CRX file to be on the machine. It must simply be available at a given URL.
To use this method, set the policy to "force install" the extension,
as described here.