How install crx Chrome extension via command line?

31
votes

Currently, the only way to install a Chrome extension (while working in development) is to drag it from the desktop onto the browser and click "Add" on the popup window. I would prefer to make the whole process automatic. I currently build, package and sign my CRX programatically, but am stuck with the final manual step. Is this possible?

I tried creating my own URL from which to install the CRX (see here: After adding ExtensionInstallSources preference with my URL to Chrome Preferences, still won't allow installing ".crx" packaged app ) but this did not work.

I want this install to be permanent, not a temporary install that only lasts during the current run..

2
google-chromegoogle-chrome-extensionautomationgoogle-chrome-devtools
I'm curious to know why you need to package into a CRX in dev mode? In chrome://extensions/ I've always ticked the "Developer Mode" box and then "Load unpacked extension". When I change the code I just click the Reload option. - QFDev
Because we're eventually going to be hosting this internally and need to find a way to automate installs and updates. - Don Rhummy
@BenWells Do you know if there's a way to do this or plans from the Chromium team? - Don Rhummy
Allowing command line installation of extensions seems like an obvious security hole, so that may never be possible. I have manually edited an extension by opening up the appropriate file in the extension's directory. Would you be able to install manually, record the extension's id, and just automate the updates? - Teepeemm
@Teepeemm no. auto updates are easy, it's the installs on computers in our network that's what we need - Don Rhummy

2 Answers

19
votes

That's an old question, but you recently updated it, so..

There are no fully automated ways to do it besides Enterprise Policy, which only rarely applies. If that is not an option, you're out of luck. This was a security decision in 2014 by Chrome team, because malware that did that was rampant. Here's a latest post on this topic.

  1. On a Windows machine, the Enterprise Policy force_install is the only no-confirmation one, but it requires a machine in a Windows Domain and admin rights in said domain to enable. I'm not 100% sure how it works on Linux/Mac, but here's a relevant FAQ.

  2. There is a programmatic method of installing extensions, but it now only applies to extensions that are published in CWS (so that Google can pull the plug in case of abuse). It is described here, but will still require a manual approval from the user when the browser starts for the first time after this is added. That's how, for instance, various legitimate bundled extensions like Skype's Click-to-call are installed.

13
votes

For unpacked extensions, you can run with the command line flag: 

<path to chrome> --load-extension=<path to extension directory>

For installing a packaged extension in a .crx file, you can use the "external extensions" mechanism to automatically install from either an autoupdate url or a local path:

https://developer.chrome.com/extensions/external_extensions

Two things of note:

-Because this mechanism is intended mostly for distribution to end-users and not for testing, there is a confirmation dialog that allows the user to opt in to the install.

-We may eventually be deprecating the local path based installs in places where we're enforcing the "must be from the webstore" restriction, and only support the autoupdate url (which must be the webstore update url) approach.