How to "Load unpacked extension" from command line

Discussion:

Bruno Leonardo Michels

2013-11-20 15:58:14 UTC

Since the bullshit changes for stupid users are coming next year, I need an
alternative way to allow my users to use my extensions.

Asking them to do it all manually is really boring. Perhaps there is a way
to load it if I put the extension in some folder? Then I could create a
installer?

I don't know how I am going to deal with it. Maybe I will just ask everyone
(400k+ mixed ff/chr users) to migrate to Firefox. This last alternative
seems better... hm...

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Joao da Silva

2013-11-20 16:05:33 UTC

Permalink

I may be missing something; why not publishing the extensions in the
webstore?

On Wed, Nov 20, 2013 at 4:58 PM, Bruno Leonardo Michels

Post by Bruno Leonardo Michels
Since the bullshit changes for stupid users are coming next year, I need
an alternative way to allow my users to use my extensions.
Asking them to do it all manually is really boring. Perhaps there is a way
to load it if I put the extension in some folder? Then I could create a
installer?
I don't know how I am going to deal with it. Maybe I will just ask
everyone (400k+ mixed ff/chr users) to migrate to Firefox. This last
alternative seems better... hm...
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Bruno Leonardo Michels

2013-11-20 16:31:42 UTC

Permalink

Disagree
https://ssl.gstatic.com/chrome/webstore/intl/en/gallery_tos.html

Disagree
http://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/

What now?

Post by Joao da Silva
I may be missing something; why not publishing the extensions in the
webstore?

Post by Bruno Leonardo Michels
Since the bullshit changes for stupid users are coming next year, I need
an alternative way to allow my users to use my extensions.
Asking them to do it all manually is really boring. Perhaps there is a
way to load it if I put the extension in some folder? Then I could create a
installer?
I don't know how I am going to deal with it. Maybe I will just ask
everyone (400k+ mixed ff/chr users) to migrate to Firefox. This last
alternative seems better... hm...
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Jeffrey Yasskin

2013-11-20 17:01:01 UTC

Permalink

Just in general, when y'all say that you can't put your extensions in
the store because of "the ToS and privacy policy", it would be really
helpful if you'd lay out the exact terms that your extension can't
meet and why. The whole policy change is a delicate tradeoff between
protecting users from malware without preventing too many legitimate
extensions from existing. For example, the enterprise policy exception
is an attempt to keep allowing a big class of legitimate extensions
that can't go into the store. If you (collectively) tell us about
another class of extensions that can't go in the store, it's possible
we can think of a systematic way to allow them too. (Unfortunately, we
already know about the class of extensions that enable both fair use
and copying of youtube videos, and couldn't think of a way to enable
them beyond "use the dev channel or non-Windows", but maybe there are
other classes.)

To answer your question directly, we can't make it easy to load an
extension unpacked from the command line because malware can easily
modify the user's command line without asking the user first. It needs
to be hard for malware to work around the restrictions, or there's no
point.

On Wed, Nov 20, 2013 at 8:31 AM, Bruno Leonardo Michels

Post by Bruno Leonardo Michels
Disagree
https://ssl.gstatic.com/chrome/webstore/intl/en/gallery_tos.html
Disagree
http://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/
What now?

Post by Joao da Silva
I may be missing something; why not publishing the extensions in the
webstore?
On Wed, Nov 20, 2013 at 4:58 PM, Bruno Leonardo Michels

Post by Bruno Leonardo Michels
Since the bullshit changes for stupid users are coming next year, I need
an alternative way to allow my users to use my extensions.
Asking them to do it all manually is really boring. Perhaps there is a
way to load it if I put the extension in some folder? Then I could create a
installer?
I don't know how I am going to deal with it. Maybe I will just ask
everyone (400k+ mixed ff/chr users) to migrate to Firefox. This last
alternative seems better... hm...
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Alain Kalker

2014-03-17 05:33:35 UTC

Permalink

Post by Jeffrey Yasskin
To answer your question directly, we can't make it easy to load an
extension unpacked from the command line because malware can easily
modify the user's command line without asking the user first. It needs
to be hard for malware to work around the restrictions, or there's no
point.

I'm honestly sorry have to do what I'm about to do in my very first post in
this group, but I have to call bullshit on this one. Not because I like
throwing words like that around much, but because I've heard too many
arguments like the one quoted above.
If malware gets access to an user's command line, this means that the perps
basically pwned the machine. Almost universally true for Windows, on other
OSes they may need to replace the user's login script to gain root the
moment the user uses something like `sudo`.
Making it hard(er) to launch unpacked apps/extensions isn't going to
mitigate the malware threat (malware can still use any of the automated
browser test frameworks out there to launch whatever they want, even going
as far as replacing the browser itself), it's just going to piss off
developers.

I don't think Chrome/Chromium should branch out into the antivirus trade,
there's other apps for that.

-Alain

Bruno Leonardo Michels

2013-11-20 16:44:22 UTC

Permalink

It is not only me that will suffer with this.

Youtube Options FULL
and other extensions

will also suffer.

You are doing a change that will affect many users and don't even know...
or care...

I know that there is a lot of malicious extensions around, but what options
do you leave for geniune people? Only the lame WebStore where you restrict
many thing and have dumb policies.

I don't know what to do, I will have to ask users to load unpacked
extensions... That is the only way I could find out.

Post by Joao da Silva
I may be missing something; why not publishing the extensions in the
webstore?

Post by Bruno Leonardo Michels
Since the bullshit changes for stupid users are coming next year, I need
an alternative way to allow my users to use my extensions.
Asking them to do it all manually is really boring. Perhaps there is a
way to load it if I put the extension in some folder? Then I could create a
installer?
I don't know how I am going to deal with it. Maybe I will just ask
everyone (400k+ mixed ff/chr users) to migrate to Firefox. This last
alternative seems better... hm...
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Mike Frysinger

2013-11-20 18:50:59 UTC

Permalink

protip: when asking an open source project for free assistance, you might
want to adjust your attitude to not be combative from the outset. it makes
people inclined to auto-mute you.
-mike

Bruno Leonardo Michels

2013-11-20 20:32:19 UTC

Permalink

I realize that, as I knew from the start that it would be likely impossible
and I wouldn't get a workaround answer even if there is still a hole in
security.

I am just pissed (AGAIN) with the path Chrome decided to take. And I am not
holding back what I think of this bullshit. Someone had to say it, wake up
already.

Without options I am now inclined to drop Chrome.

Anyway, no one cares, but I had to take it out my chest.

w/e

bye

Post by Mike Frysinger
protip: when asking an open source project for free assistance, you might
want to adjust your attitude to not be combative from the outset. it makes
people inclined to auto-mute you.
-mike
On Wed, Nov 20, 2013 at 10:58 AM, Bruno Leonardo Michels <

Post by Bruno Leonardo Michels
Since the bullshit changes for stupid users are coming next year, I need
an alternative way to allow my users to use my extensions.
Asking them to do it all manually is really boring. Perhaps there is a
way to load it if I put the extension in some folder? Then I could create a
installer?
I don't know how I am going to deal with it. Maybe I will just ask
everyone (400k+ mixed ff/chr users) to migrate to Firefox. This last
alternative seems better... hm...

Matt Perry

2013-11-20 21:53:31 UTC

Permalink

Actually, we do have a command line flag:
--load-extension=<path-to-unzipped-crx-folder>

I don't know whether we plan to remove this as part of the anti-malware
push, though. And either way, I wouldn't recommend it as a way for regular
users to install an extension, because it's designed for developers only.
It's missing things like autoupdate, and it's slightly slower to load.

Post by Bruno Leonardo Michels
I realize that, as I knew from the start that it would be likely
impossible and I wouldn't get a workaround answer even if there is still a
hole in security.
I am just pissed (AGAIN) with the path Chrome decided to take. And I am
not holding back what I think of this bullshit. Someone had to say it, wake
up already.
Without options I am now inclined to drop Chrome.
Anyway, no one cares, but I had to take it out my chest.
w/e
bye

Post by Bruno Leonardo Michels
Since the bullshit changes for stupid users are coming next year, I need
an alternative way to allow my users to use my extensions.
Asking them to do it all manually is really boring. Perhaps there is a
way to load it if I put the extension in some folder? Then I could create a
installer?
I don't know how I am going to deal with it. Maybe I will just ask
everyone (400k+ mixed ff/chr users) to migrate to Firefox. This last
alternative seems better... hm...

--
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Achuith Bhandarkar

2013-11-20 22:52:28 UTC

Permalink

--load-extension/--load-component-extension are necessary for cros
autotests. I hope there's no plan to deprecate these.

Post by Matt Perry
--load-extension=<path-to-unzipped-crx-folder>
I don't know whether we plan to remove this as part of the anti-malware
push, though. And either way, I wouldn't recommend it as a way for regular
users to install an extension, because it's designed for developers only.
It's missing things like autoupdate, and it's slightly slower to load.
On Wed, Nov 20, 2013 at 12:32 PM, Bruno Leonardo Michels <

Post by Mike Frysinger
protip: when asking an open source project for free assistance, you
might want to adjust your attitude to not be combative from the outset. it
makes people inclined to auto-mute you.
-mike
On Wed, Nov 20, 2013 at 10:58 AM, Bruno Leonardo Michels <

Post by Bruno Leonardo Michels
Since the bullshit changes for stupid users are coming next year, I
need an alternative way to allow my users to use my extensions.
Asking them to do it all manually is really boring. Perhaps there is a
way to load it if I put the extension in some folder? Then I could create a
installer?
I don't know how I am going to deal with it. Maybe I will just ask
everyone (400k+ mixed ff/chr users) to migrate to Firefox. This last
alternative seems better... hm...

--
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Will O'Brien

2014-02-25 14:13:16 UTC

Permalink

Was there any word on whether or not these are or will be deprecated?
peter.sh still shows them, but i'm not sure how often that list is updated.

Im trying to create a simple Makefile to install/uninstall my extension

install:
Â»Â·google-chrome --load-extension=$(shell git rev-parse --show-toplevel)
--silent-launch

uninstall:
Â»Â·google-chrome --uninstall-extension=$(shell ./scripts/get-extension-id)
--silent-launch

uninstall seems to work fine - but --load-extension appears to be failing
silently. If this is not the place to ask this, I'd appreciate someone
orienting me :)

-- Will

Post by Achuith Bhandarkar
--load-extension/--load-component-extension are necessary for cros
autotests. I hope there's no plan to deprecate these.