How to install google chrome extensions though Terminal

Question

I want to install chrome extensions in chrome browser through Terminal instead of doing in GUI. Is there any way to install the extensions from Terminal?

Solution

Here is the script, you gonna need extension ids, they can be found in the address bar when you go to the details of the extension on the market or at chrome://extensions. The script will also install chrome if it is not installed, remove the middle part if that's not needed.

1. Save this script to the install-chrome.sh file:

   #!/bin/bash
   
   install_chrome_extension () {
     preferences_dir_path="/opt/google/chrome/extensions"
     pref_file_path="$preferences_dir_path/$1.json"
     upd_url="https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx"
     mkdir -p "$preferences_dir_path"
     echo "{" > "$pref_file_path"
     echo "  \"external_update_url\": \"$upd_url\"" >> "$pref_file_path"
     echo "}" >> "$pref_file_path"
     echo Added \""$pref_file_path"\" ["$2"]
   }
   
   if ! which "google-chrome" ; then
     wget -q -O - https://dl-ssl.google.com/linux/linux_signing_key.pub \
     | sudo apt-key add -
     echo 'deb [arch=amd64] http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb/ stable main' \
     | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-chrome.list
     sudo apt-get update
     sudo apt install google-chrome-stable
   else
     echo Chrome already installed
   fi
   
   install_chrome_extension "cfhdojbkjhnklbpkdaibdccddilifddb" "adblock plus"
   install_chrome_extension "fmkadmapgofadopljbjfkapdkoienihi" "react dev tools"
   install_chrome_extension "anmidgajdonkgmmilbccfefkfieajakd" "save pinned tabs"
   install_chrome_extension "dbepggeogbaibhgnhhndojpepiihcmeb" "vimium"
   

2. Run

   sudo bash install-chrome.sh
   

3. Restart chrome.

More scripts at https://github.com/grabantot/scripts

Comments

[Admin]

Related: stackoverflow.com/questions/16800696/… Related for Chromium: superuser.com/questions/528551/…

[Rajendra]

Hi @Akhil thanks for your response, can you please give an example with the proper commands. Because am unable to find /opt/google/chrome/extensions/

[wjandrea]

You could simplify those three echos greatly with printf: printf '{\n "external_update_url": "%s"\n}\n' "$upd_url" > "$pref_file_path"

[Jishan]

@grabantot Is there any way so that the startup page for adblocker can be avoided?

[skyclouder]

Hi, thanks for your sharing, I have a question, can the script install the plugins to a specific Google account? If I open 2 browsers, one is using account1, and the other is using account2, how does the script know in which browser the extensions should install?