Install Google Chrome extension from script - javascript

I have created my Google-chrome extension (crx file) but I don't want to upload it on Chrome web store.
Now how can I install this crx file in Google chrome programmatically (using JavaScript or chrome API) ?
I have searched all over the place and the only solution was to upload extension on chrome web store and the use chrome inline_installation.
Is there any other way ?
(and I don't want pre-installed-extensions I want to install when user visits my site and click on install button)

Here and here are instructions to hosting an installable .crx file on your own server.
Basically:
Google Chrome considers a file to be installable if either of the following is true:
The file has the content type application/x-chrome-extension
The file suffix is .crx and both of the following are true:
The file is not served with the HTTP header X-Content-Type-Options: nosniff
The file is served with one of the following content types:
empty string
"text/plain"
"application/octet-stream"
"unknown/unknown"
"application/unknown"
"*/*"
UPDATE
Chrome no longer allows extensions to be automatically installed from outside the app store. The user must download the .crx file drag the extension to the chrome://extensions page.
Source

There is a simple way to install locally-hosted Chrome extensions for personal use. I use this method for my own authoring, testing, and use on my machine.
If it is just an extension, you can put all of your files (background, manifest, etc) into a directory on your computer. Then, open Chrome and do the following:
Navigate to chrome:extensions in the omnibar.
Make sure the Developer Mode box is checked
Click on "Load unpacked extension
In the file browser, navigate to your directory and click Open
Chrome will install the extension to your machine. No need for the .crx file. To distribute this to colleagues, you could host the file for download in Dropbox or your Drive account. They would need to follow the same process to install the extension on their machine.
Do note that if you make updates to the extension for stability or other compatibility upgrades, each person with the extension will need to download the updated directory and then update the extension manually.

Related

how can I make my desktop application run from a browser?

I'm trying to make installer button like in visual studio website like there then you click in install it open vscode in your computer and start to install the extension
how is this possible ?.
In the case with vscode the website calls a file type already registered in Windows, it could be docx for a Word document, pdf or whatever. Here it is the file type for extensions in vscode.
If you want the same thing to happen you have to install the application first, register a file type for it with an installer and call a file of that type from the website
Making installers and choosing what type is a bit out of scope for this answer.

Firefox 53 extension, how can I write the proper extension structure and content [duplicate]

I put a lot of stuff in searching an easy way to develop a Firefox extension, but I am unable to create an extension. Kindly tell me the file structure of Firefox extensions and an easy way to install the extension.
.xpi file format (Extension Packaging)
The .xpi files that are used as containers for Mozilla (Firefox, Thunderbird, etc.) extensions are merely zip archives that have had the file extension changed to .xpi with the files added to the archive using either "deflate" compression, or uncompressed. If you use any other type of compression, other than "deflate", or "store" (uncompressed), you will get an error like:
This add-on cannot be installed because it appears to be corrupted
The files start in the root directory of the zip compressed archive (i.e. there is not an empty first level directory which then contains the files).
The contents of the archive could be only a few files to any number of files. The files that must be included depend on the type of add-on which you are packaging. If you are planning on using the Add-on SDK, then you probably don't need to know the format for these files, as much of it is abstracted by using the jpm tool. If you have no idea what I am talking about, you may want to read up on the different types of add-ons for Firefox (WebExtensions, Add-on SDK, Bootstrap/Restartless, and Overlay/Legacy/XUL).
WebExtensions:
At a minimum, you will have a manifest.json file which describes the extension. You will, almost certainly, have additional files. The chrome.manifest, install.rdf, and package.json files used in other types of add-ons are not used in WebExtension add-ons. You should not have those files.
Add-on SDK:
The .xpi file for a Firefox Add-on SDK extension should be created by executing jpm xpi. Add-on SDK extensions are described in a package.json file. When you run jpm xpi your add-on is translated to being a Bootstrap/Restartless add-on. This is done by translating the package.json file into a install.rdf, creating a chrome.manifest file and adding some wrappers to the JavaScript. You should not try to perform this process yourself, unless doing so is necessary for your add-on to function (which would be quite rare).
Bootstrap/Restartless and Overlay/legacy:
At a minimum, you have install.rdf, and chrome.manifest files. Bootstrap/Restartless add-ons will also have a bootstrap.js file. There will almost always be additional files. These types of add-ons do not use a package.json, nor a manifest.json.
My very simple Bootstrap/Restartless extension, Print Button is Print (changes the print button to print instead of print preview), has the following structure:
Archive contains:
bootstrap.js
chrome/
chrome/content/
chrome/content/options.xul
chrome/skin/
chrome/skin/printer-typeC128.png
chrome/skin/printer-typeC32.png
chrome/skin/printer-typeC48.png
chrome/skin/printer-typeC64.png
chrome.manifest
install.rdf
license.txt
Total 12 entries (42360 bytes)
There are the required install.rdf and chrome.manifest files.
The file bootstrap.js is required for Bootstrap/Restartless extensions. It contains the code that is run when the extension is installed, removed, enabled, disabled, or upon Firefox startup or shutdown. This extension is simple enough such that all the JavaScript code is contained in bootstrap.js.
There is a file chrome/content/options.xul which is a XUL definition of the options dialog.
The license.txt just explains that the extension was relased under the Mozilla Public License, v2.0.
The .png files are the icon for this extension at various resolutions.
Creating the .xpi file
You can use whatever method you desire to create the .zip file, which is renamed to .xpi. Keep in mind the requirement that the only compression method that is supported is "deflate", but files can also be added to the archive uncompressed. Your top level files (e.g. which ever you have of manifest.json (WebExtensions), or everything else: chrome.manifest, and install.rdf) should be in the root directory of the archive, not in a subdirectory.
To create the .xpi file I use a batch file, which uses a combination of DOS and Unix/Linux (actually Cygwin) commands:
mkxpi.bat:
rm -f PrintButtonIsPrint#makyen.foo.xpi
zip -1 -r PrintButtonIsPrint#makyen.foo.xpi * -x#xpi.ignore
pause
This removes any old version of the .xpi file. It then creates a new .xpi file using, -1, minimal compression (speed of access is more important than saving space), which forces only storing uncompressed or using "deflate". The new .xpi will contain all files and subdirectories *, but ignoring all the files in the xpi.ignore text file (-x#xpi.ignore). Ignoring files is used because I have other things in the directory (e.g. .git directory, .bak files auto-created from editor, etc.). Once the .xpi file is created the script executes pause so I can verify which files were included, that there were no errors, etc., instead of just having the window disappear and assuming that everything is fine.
My xpi.ignore file is a bit long, as it accumulates cruft from various projects and is rarely cleaned out:
*.com
*.class
*.dll
*.exe
*.o
*.so
*.7z
*.dmg
*.gz
*.iso
*.jar
*.rar
*.tar
*.zip
*.log
*.sql
*.sqlite
*.svg
*/.DS_Store
*/.DS_Store?
*/._*
._*
*/.Spotlight-V100
.Spotlight-V100
*/.Trashes
.Trashes
*/ehthumbs.db
*/Thumbs.db
*.ORIG
*.bak
*OLD*
OLD/*
*/OLD/*
*.OLD
*.OLD[0-9]
*/OLD/*
*/OLD[0-9]/*
*.unknown
*.unknown[0-9]
*.updated
*.updated[0-9]
*/Copy *
*/OLD
*/OLD*
*/OLD[0-9]
*/OLD[0-9][0-9]
*/test/*
*/not in xpi/*
*/tmp
*.tmp
*/foo
*.foo
*checkpoint
.git
*/.git
.gitignore
*/.gitignore
xpi.ignore
mkclean.bat
mkclean.bat.DONTRUN
mkxpi.bat
*.xpi
*/devtools-toolbox-window.ico
*/devtools-webconsole.ico
*/JSConsoleWindow.ico
*/main-window.ico
*/places.ico
*/viewSource.ico
Installing extensions
As normal extensions:
In order to install an extension as a normal add-on into a branded Release or Beta version of Firefox it must be signed by Mozilla. This is done by submitting it to AMO. You can install unsigned extensions as normal add-ons into other versions of Firefox (e.g. Firefox Developer Edition, Firefox Nightly, Unbranded Beta, or Unbranded Release) by setting xpinstall.signatures.required to false in about:config.
If you choose, in a particular installation of Firefox, you can completely disable the add-on signing requirement. For more information, you can see my answer: How can I disable signature checking for Firefox add-ons?
Installing an extension (i.e. the .xpi file) can be a simple matter of dragging and dropping it onto a Firefox window running the profile in which you desire it installed. For development/testing, you can have the extension be in a directory on your local drive by using a Firefox extension proxy file (create a file named as the extension's <em:id> (in install.rdf for Bootstrap/Restartless and Overlay/Legacy) in the profile's extensions directory containing one line with the complete path to the directory containing the extension's files). Depending on what your goal is (one profile, all profiles, all users, which OS, etc.), there are other options as to how to install extensions.
As temporary add-ons:
The only type of extension which can not be installed as a temporary add-on is Overlay/Legacy. Such extensions require the browser to be restarted after the install prior to being functional. As such, they can not be temporary.
To install an extension as a temporary, navigate to about:debugging. From that page, click on Load Temporary Add-on, then navigate popup to the appropriate folder and select either an .xpi file, or any file in the directory. If you select a file other than an .xpi file, it is assumed that the directory contains unpacked add-on files which will be automatically identified.
Generate a signed .xpi
Install web-ext with NPM, maybe you will need root privileges: npm install --global web-ext
Go to https://addons.mozilla.org/es/developers/addon/api/key/ and generate a new API KEY.
Go to your extension folder, open a terminal and execute: web-ext sign --api-key=$AMO_JWT_ISSUER --api-secret=$AMO_JWT_SECRET where $AMO_JWT_IUSSER and $AMO_JWT_SECRET are the keys you generated in the previous step.

Load local files on Chrome-os

I am trying to create a JavaScript pacman game, but whenever I try and load my script files or images, I get the error:
The browser I'm using is chrome, and the files are stored in the same directory. I am running CHROME OS, so I can't just go into files and edit an existing flag.
Same for the images, except the file name is different.
Does anyone know why I am getting an error Access Denied, or how I could test the files?
The files are loaded using this format
<script src="Scripts/gamescript.js"></script>
<body>
<div class="game" id="game">
<img src="/Images/ghosts/red.png" />
</div>
</body>
Per request, here is my file tree
/Javascript_Pacman_Game/
index.html
/Styles/
stylesheet.css
/Scripts/
gamescript.js
myCustomLibrary.js
setInterval.js
/Images/
/Ghosts/
red.png
blue.png
pink.png
orange.png
scared.png
/GameElements/
board.jpg
bloop.png
superBloop.png
The problem isn't spelling or file permissions, and I can't run a local host because of Chrome-OS.
Try installing Web server for Chrome, telling it to serve files from your /Javascript_Pacman_Game folder, and testing your app at http://127.0.0.1:8887/
If you have to handle this from chromium OS (specially with dual boot cloud ready), follow the steps
Step 1:
Go to the shell prompt Ctrl + Alt + T on shell open the chrome_dev.conf
$ sudo vi /etc/chrome_dev.conf
The sudo default password would be 'chrome', The file may be write protected follow these steps incase if you stuck in step 1
$ sudo cp /etc/chrome_dev.conf /usr/local
$ sudo mount --bind /usr/local/chrome_dev.conf /etc/chrome_dev.conf
$ sudo vi /etc/chrome_dev.conf
Step 2:
Once you open up the file write --allow-file-access-from-files on top of the file
Step 3:
Restart the UI (if you are using windows dual boot press CTRL + ALT + F2) from dev shell
$ sudo restart ui
Once its restart the changes will get affect in chromium OS chrome, to check type chrome://gpu on your chrome browser
Under command line Argument you can find argument options.
You really should be running a local server. Apache, IIS, etc. Than you can run off localhost and have no issues.
BUT if you really want to run off the file system, you need to start up chrome to allow it.
You need to set --allow-file-access-from-files
http://www.chrome-allow-file-access-from-file.com/
It sounds like your permissions have been edited (or defaulted) to restrict your current user from accessing those files.
I managed to reproduce this error by creating the same file structure you have and then
right clicking red.png > properties > security > edit...
then denying access to this file from my current user. It seems that if you deny access via the directory you get a File not found error instead since the browser isn't even able to navigate to the directory in the first place.
Try checking your individual file permissions. If this is a default file permissions issue you may want to ask about how to fix that on a different forum.
The error is from your spelling, the first one you said
gamescript.js
and you called it as
script src="Scripts/gamscript.js"></script>
Check your spelling, you did not include "e"
Use Chrome Dev Editor as your IDE, then you can just hit the run button in the top left.
You could also use this Server.
javascript doesn't have access to the filesystem of a computer for security reasons do
<script src="Scripts/gamescript.js"></script>

checking firefox addon installed

I want to check whether a firefox addon installed or not on my browser. I am following below articles
http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/28241/Detecting-a-Firefox-Extension-Using-JavaScript
http://webdevwonders.com/detecting-firefox-add-ons/
Both of them require change in chrome.menifest but I am not able to locate file in specified folder. I can see only xpi packed file there inside extensions folder. Is there any way to change chrome.menifest?
Alternatively is there any other way to detect addon installed.

Download files like mega.co.nz

Today I checked mega.co.nz and I'm excited about some features. For example in download page it will download files on browser and after that decrypt them with javascript.
for example see this link to download a png file :
https://mega.co.nz/#!7JRgFJzJ!efpJGWuPhYczLexY19ex82nuwfs4sR_DG4JXddeClH4
in this link it will start the download inside the browser. i checked network tab in inspect element it will download parts of file with AJAX after that completed all parts of file, will save all of them in one file on computer automatically!
i want to know what they do? can you explain or link to some resource about download files inside browser like that?
also can done it only with javascript or should use some flash plugins or something like that?
Mega uses several different methods to do this: (as of 27 Nov 2013)
Filesystem API (Chrome/Firefox Extension polyfill)
Adobe Flash SWF Filewriter (old browsers fallback)
BlobBuilder (IE10/IE11)
MEGA Firefox Extension (deprecated)
Arraybuffer/Blob (in memory) + a[download] (for browsers that support a[download])
MediaSource (experimental streaming solution)
Blob stored in IndexedDB storage + a[download] (Firefox 20+, improvement over the in-memory Blob method)
(source: https://eu.static.mega.co.nz/js/download_6.js)
A basic implementation of multipart in-browser downloader using Blob and URL APIs is brought here. It downloads a file on 4 concurrent requests and shows the progress also. Please note that it seems setting range header might generally not a good idea on XHR requests, have a look at this topic.
While downloading:
After the download:
Another interesting topic would be implementing Pause/Resume functionality from Mega. XHR API of current browsers doesn't offer that capability so the only chance you have is to do multiple small sized chunks downloading and giving up on the downloaded part of your small chunks, the way it seems is done on Mega also. But fetch streaming feature can be used for that purpose, I didn't explore that yet well enough but it is documented here.
Btw, have a look at these awesome projects:
https://github.com/eligrey/FileSaver.js
https://github.com/jimmywarting/StreamSaver.js
MEGAcmd
There is megacmd, the official command line interface. You can also build it from sources on github at https://github.com/meganz/MEGAcmd
megacmd is a wrapper around Mega SDK and if you decide to compile it on your own you'll need the same dependencies (on ubuntu) as the ones listed below for Mega SDK.
For details on usage see the MEGAcmd User Guide.
Mega SDK
Mega SDK which can be compiled by following the steps on the github page. It includes the megacli utility which is an interactive shell for synching and downloading/uploading.
## compilation steps for ubuntu
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/meganz/sdk megasdk
cd megasdk
sudo apt install libcurl4-openssl-dev libc-ares-dev libssl-dev libcrypto++-dev zlib1g-dev libsqlite3-dev libfreeimage-dev libswscale-dev
autogen.sh
./configure
make -j 8 ## pass the number of CPUs you have to speed up compilation
sudo make install
mega.py python module (deprecated)
For those who found this question searching for an actual recipe to download a link in text mode here is a simple python script that uses the mega.py module (install it with sudo pip install mega.py):
import sys
import getpass
#install the module with: 'sudo pip install mega.py'
from mega import Mega
email = '_your_megamail_#domain.com'
password = getpass.getpass(prompt='Mega password for {}:'.format(email))
mega = Mega({'verbose': True})
m = mega.login(email, password)
m.download_url(sys.argv[1])
The script works with python 2.7 and takes the URL of the mega.nz link.
getpass is used for securely entering the password in the console in order to avoid storing the password in the script — if you are comfortable hardcoding the password then set it in line #7.
megatools
On most Linux/posix boxes you can install megatools from standard repositories, i.e.
On ubuntu/debian:
apt install megatools
On MacOS:
brew install megatools
Once installed you will find a number of command line utilities, among which megadl which can download both shared files and your own files. See megadl -h for details.
As of 2020, you can use the Service Workers for seamlessly integrating your custom code with the browser's built-in download manager: https://developers.google.com/web/updates/2016/06/sw-readablestreams
I also guess you'd have the following headers in order for a file to be downloaded instead of being viewed:
headers: {
'Content-Type': 'application/octet-stream',
'Content-Disposition': 'attachment; filename="your_filename.bin"',
}
Personally I have found this approach to be working flawlessly in both Google Chrome in Firefox, and I'm already using it in production.

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