[Solved] Adding extensions to Chrome

[huntar]

Can anyone point me in the right direction to figure out how to add an extension to Chrome? Is there any information about this process anywhere, or is that generally something that the Porteus team builds under contract?

We are trying to set up kiosks and information stations here at the college and we have a time and staff investment in the Rise Vision Chrome extension Rise Player. I would like to figure out how to add it to our Porteus iso so we can use Porteus to run these displays and information stations.

Thanks in advance

[fanthom]

Hello huntar,

If Chrome wont be restarted often then you could use Chrome policies to force installation of the extension during each browser start. You will be interested in:
"ExtensionInstallAllowlist"
"ExtensionInstallForcelist"

Please follow doc from here:
https://www.chromium.org/administrators/policy-list-3

and add this parameter to your kiosk config:
http://porteus-kiosk.org/parameters.htm ... references

This method works only for Chrome which has private (incognito) mode disabled.

[huntar]

OK, i have the new .iso built with the necessary modifications (I think), except that now my image will not boot on the hardware I am trying to run it on. The thumbdrive works on my laptop, but I am installing to one of those micro/mini computers that are designed to mount on the back of a big screen monitor. It is very picky about booting anything. When it tries to boot, I get a blank screen and a flashing cursor in the top left of the screen, leaving me cursing on this side of the monitor.

I realize this is a hardware issue, but has anyone ever needed to massage the kiosk .iso files to get them to boot on finicky hardware?

If this needs moved to a different topic or section of the forum, I understand, and please do so.

Thanks

Once this thing boots I will mark this one solved

[fanthom]

Is this EFI equipped hardware by any chance? Could you provide a link to its specification?

If you used UEFI ISO for remastering then please make sure you run:

Code: Select all

isohybrid -u Porteus-Kiosk.iso

If its not UEFI then:

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isohybrid Porteus-Kiosk.iso

[huntar]

Sorry for the delay in replying... I never got the mini-computer to boot from the USB drive again even after converting the .iso to a hybrid .iso. I can confirm that this method does work to install the extensions, as I tested it on alternate hardware.

I won't detail the process here, as it is well documented in the references posted in the replies.

Thanks to everyone who responded!

huntar

[MisterSam]

Hello huntar,

If you want to run extensions with private mode enabled than you may need to edit default master preferences:
https://www.chromium.org/administrators ... references

Both settings are saved in 003-settings.xzm module:

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/opt/google/chrome/master_preferences

Hi guys

After some time to try to activate an extension in incognito mode (Undisposition) it seem that is not possible to make extension work in private mode

According to this https://code.google.com/p/chromium/issu ... 20Modified

Am i wrong or this is right

any tips are welcome

s@m

[fanthom]

"After some time to try to activate an extension in incognito mode (Undisposition) it seem that is not possible to make extension work in private mode "
Correct - this problem can be resolved through a customized build:
http://porteus-kiosk.org/builds.html

Thanks

[smbenson]

Is this solved? I am currently trying to add extensions to Kiosk 4.6. I have custom config.txt and chrome-policies.txt on a local web server. Browser is non-private mode and I have added the following to the chrome-policies.txt file on my webserver:

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// Add TestNav App
"ExtensionInstallAllowlist" : "mdmkkicfmmkgmpkmkdikhlbggogpicma",
"ExtensionInstallForcelist" : "mdmkkicfmmkgmpkmkdikhlbggogpicma;https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx"

It does not install the above extension in chrome and it will not allow me to install it from the App Store, it errors saying that extension is locked by administrator. I have added other policies like "ShowHomeButton" : false and they have worked correctly, so I know it's processing the policy file. I know the default setting for extensions is Blacklist all, but these changes should allow this extension to be installed. When the above options are added, the Apps section of chrome only had YouTube app, all other are gone???? So, it processes the file but has unintended affects.

What am I missing? Please don't answer buy a custom build. Allowing simple extensions shouldn't be that tough. Adding a base template for chrome-policies.txt with examples would also be helpful as the referenced documents have incorrect syntax for these settings.

[fanthom]

@smbenson

1) Your are missing the fact that preferences from your file OVERWRITE default kiosk preferences. This is explained in our 'browser_preferences=' parameter description. If you want Test Nav app and default Google apps available in kiosk then you need to whitelist them all and not only the Test Nav.

2) Your syntax is not correct. If for some reason you cant follow Chromium doc then please login to kiosk through ssh and run this command to find correct syntax:

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cat /etc/opt/chrome/policies/managed/chrome.json

Thanks

[smbenson]

Thanks for the quick response.

Here's what I have done so far. I copied the chrome.json file from /etc/opt/policies/managed/. I inserted the whole file into my chrome-policies.txt file on my webserver. I had to remove the {'s in said file to get it to read properly, but it reads it fine after that change. I edited the list on said file, removing "ExtensionInstallBlacklist" : "*" which should allow installation of all extensions if I ready your comment and documents correctly. With this change I still can't add extensions (blocked by administrator). Is there another setting driving installing extensions? I have looked through the policy list and don't see anything else.

With ExtensionInstallBlacklist removed, the default google apps/you tube are still included, even though there is no ExtensionInstallWhitelist or ExtensionInstallForcelist policy in said file. If I add "ExtensionInstallForcelist" : "mdmkkicfmmkgmpkmkdikhlbggogpicma;https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx"", it reads fine, but this extension is not added to the apps and all google apps are removed. Here is the syntax from policy list example for linux - ["gbchcmhmhahfdphkhkmpfmihenigjmpp;https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx"]

If my syntax is incorrect for the above policy, can you please provide me the correct syntax.

If I can figure out how to a couple of testing apps, this will be a perfect solution for our school lab. I already use kiosk on thin clients there, but they don't do testing on them.

[fanthom]

Its enough to add these policies to your browser preferences file, nothing more:

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// Install TestNav extension (mdmkkicfmmkgmpkmkdikhlbggogpicma), add it to existing extensions like Google Docs and Youtube:
"ExtensionInstallAllowlist": [ "mdmkkicfmmkgmpkmkdikhlbggogpicma", "aapocclcgogkmnckokdopfmhonfmgoek", "aohghmighlieiainnegkcijnfilokake", "apdfllckaahabafndbhieahigkjlhalf", "blpcfgokakmgnkcojhhkbfbldkacnbeo", "felcaaldnbdncclmgdcncolpebgiejap", "pjkljhegncpnkpknbcohdijeoejaedia",],
"ExtensionInstallForcelist": [ "mdmkkicfmmkgmpkmkdikhlbggogpicma;https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx", "aapocclcgogkmnckokdopfmhonfmgoek;https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx", "aohghmighlieiainnegkcijnfilokake;https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx", "apdfllckaahabafndbhieahigkjlhalf;https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx", "blpcfgokakmgnkcojhhkbfbldkacnbeo;https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx", "felcaaldnbdncclmgdcncolpebgiejap;https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx", "pjkljhegncpnkpknbcohdijeoejaedia;https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx",],

[smbenson]

Thank you very much, it worked perfectly. I tried using brackets "[" on both ends like your code last night and it didn't load properly for some reason, probably forgot a comma or something. Saw other forum posts without them and they load, but don't install.

Just to clarify how the browser preferences work. They are nested: /etc/opt/chrome/policies/managed/chrome.json > kiosk-config.txt (if it exists and changes chrome policies) > user chrome-policy.txt (if it exists). So any policies not referenced in user chrome-policy.txt would be handled by chrome.json or kiosk-config.txt (if they exists).

Again thanks for helping me on this issue. This will solve my lab issue for testing.