Ungoogled-chromium: Installing extensions simply

[icecom-dg]

I have an idea how to download extensions from chrome web store easily without any scripts. In FAQ there's this link you can use:
https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx?response=redirect&prodversion=48.0&x=id%3D[EXTENSION_ID]%26installsource%3Dondemand%26uc

You can replace [EXTENSION_ID] with %s and add this link as search engine, using something like ext as keyword. Next time you want to install extension, find it in chrome web store, replace everything before extension id with "ext ", press enter and extension will be downloaded.

[Eloston]

This is pretty clever. Would you be able to make a pull request? (you can use the master branch since this isn't changing any features)

[Unkn0wn-MDCLXIV]

I've also created a small script for that issue.
It reads a textfile containing all extension ids you want to use and downloads them if they don't exist or updates them if there is a newer version.
The CRX files then get stored in a subfolder called and extensions and can be dragged in chromium to install them.

If there is some demand for that, I would be glad to upload the code and the compiled release to github.
It's windows only unfortunately.

[sergeevabc]

@Unkn0wn-MDCLXIV, compiled Windows binary would be appreciated indeed.

[shak3800]

@iCeC0M Thanks for this great workaround. However i can't seem to install extensions. I keep getting this message :

apps extensions and userscripts cannot be added from this website.

Of course dragging and dropping the extension works ok. Is this disabled by default?

[macandchief]

It seems that the method with this link https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx?response=redirect&prodversion=48.0&x=id%3D[EXTENSION_ID]%26installsource%3Dondemand%26uc does not work on Ungoogled Chromium v62.

[macandchief]

In the end I tried every method given on the readme page and somehow none of them worked for me (even tried maninex and it did not work because of python2). However there is https://chrome-extension-downloader.com/ which simply downloads the .crx file, so drag & drop on the extensions page works that way.

[Eloston]

@macandchief That URL never worked to auto-install CWS extensions. But since 62, chrome://flags/#extension-mime-request-handling was added to change the behavior. You can set it to "Install always" to make it prompt the user to install.

EDIT: I will change the option to say "Always prompt for install" in the next release.

[sergeevabc]

If there is some demand for that, I would be glad to upload the code and the compiled release

Notably, @Unkn0wn-MDCLXIV offered a way for Windows twice (here and there), but never uploaded it.
A man is only as good as his word, right?

[Unkn0wn-MDCLXIV]

@sergeevabc
Haha, got me.
Here you are

Fill the extensions.txt with the ids of the extensions you want to download and the run the exectuable.
If there is anything wrong, just contact me.

[tonowoe]

I'm not sure if this kind of script have already been shared here. I made this JavaScript code which I can run on my browser's console to download the crx file automatically. This can't be run via bookmark, unfortunately (for security reasons I think).

Script can be found here (minified here).

So when you are at the extension page in Google Webstore, just press F12 and open up the console and paste the code there. It should download the .crx file for you. No need to add browser version and extension ID to the URL manually.

[tim-hub]

CRX Header Invalid
When I try to install an extension through the script, but I got this error and, it is not installed.

---

[ipeacocks]

@tim-hub with latest 73 version on ubuntu I have the same problem. But you can still use previous 72 version.

[Peacock365]

@tonowoe

Would it be possible to revise your script, to publish a new version of it? Up to and including Ungoogled Chromium 72 is worked fine, from version 73 onwards it only gives the error message CRX_HEADER_INVALID. Please fix, I rely on it.

[tim-hub]

@tonowoe

Would it be possible to revise your script, to publish a new version of it? Up to and including Ungoogled Chromium 72 is worked fine, from version 73 onwards it only gives the error message CRX_HEADER_INVALID. Please fix, I rely on it.

Tried on new v 74, same as 73.

[immanacled]

@Peacock365 @tim-hub @ipeacocks
I think you need to add &acceptformat=crx3 to var final_url, here is minified version with modified final_url. Works for me with 74.0.3729.108

[tim-hub]

&acceptformat=crx3

Great, thanks.

I created a gist too.
https://gist.github.com/tim-hub/4ee32f671de0ee38684ef6754335bb38

[Peacock365]

@immanacled

Thank your for the new script. Everything works without a hitch again. Well done!

[enolgor]

@tim-hub

Thank you for the gist it works like a charm.
I created a very simple extension that adds a contextual menu in the chrome webstore webpage of an extension that executes your gist with a click of a button.

https://github.com/enolgor/ungoogled-chromium-extension-installer

I think something like this could be added by default in the browser maybe?

[jlj2]

Using the compiled version of @enolgor's _ungoogled-chromium-extension-installer_, mentioned directly above, somehow had the added usefulness - for those who prefer it - of making the Google Translate extension work at least on my install of the Portable Linux 64-bit ungoogled-chromium 75.0.3770.100-1.2 binary version. The Google Translate extension perhaps did not work in another installation, nor for me at least when installing the Google Translate extension by renaming the .crx extension to .zip, extracting it and installing the unpacked version using the Extension webpage in Developer mode (after setting chrome://flags/#extension-mime-request-handling to 'Always prompt for install'). If I recall correctly, another extension that reported "package invalid: crx header is invalid" for me when attempting to be installed by unpacking was able to be installed correctly when using the _ungoogled-chromium-extension-installer_ method.
Proviso: I haven't checked the integrity of that installer's code.

[jieggii]

Hi everyone. I have created website, using one you can easily install extensions from Chrome Web Store. I hope it will help someone. Just paste addon's url from store into input and press install!

[SkyNinja]

@enolgor
I can't get your extension to work on 76.0. It can't be installed as is because of the change to CRX3, and when loaded unpacked, it sometimes tries to install, producing a error about this site not being allowed to install addons, or does nothing at all. Using the gist through the console works without an issue, though.

[afterdelight]

There is already a working extension installer and updater on https://github.com/NeverDecaf/chromium-web-store

[enolgor]

@afterdelight
Nice!

@SkyNinja
I recommend you to use that extension, mine was just a quick workaround :)