How to set CLI flags for Google Chrome?

Question

Where can I set CLI flags for Google Chrome on Unity?

Solution 1

Look in /opt/google/chrome/google-chrome.desktop or /usr/share/applications/google-chrome.desktop for the following line:

Exec=/opt/google/chrome/google-chrome %U

Add the flag you need in there, save it, then run Chrome again and pin it to your launcher, that should do the trick.

Solution 2

A way is to set flags in the environment variable CHROMIUM_USER_FLAGS:

export CHROMIUM_USER_FLAGS="insert_content_here"

Solution 3

For xubuntu/xfce4, though it might work similarly elsewhere:

cp /usr/share/applications/google-chrome.desktop ~/.local/share/applications/google-chrome.desktop

and modify the three Exec= lines in ~/.local/share/applications/google-chrome.desktop to include the arguments you want. Because it has the same filename, xfce4-whiskermenu will pick up only your modified google-chrome.desktop.

If Chrome is your default browser, another application opening a URL will still cause Chrome to launch without your arguments. To fix this, create a new file ~/bin/google-chrome with these contents:

/usr/bin/google-chrome YOUR_EXTRA_ARGS "$@"

and chmod +x ~/bin/google-chrome. Then, in Preferred Applications, set your Web Browser to Other... and enter:

/home/YOUR_USERNAME/bin/google-chrome "%s"

Also, to avoid having to change the arguments in four places in the future, you can point the Exec= lines in google-chrome.desktop to your /home/YOUR_USERNAME/bin/google-chrome.

Solution 4

I'm running Xubuntu and I was trying to figure this one out as well. I tried the solution to edit the .desktop file. I haven't updated, but I have the same concern as you (will it get overwritten). I tried a different option where I added an alias to my .bashrc file.

alias chromium-browser="/usr/bin/chromium-browser [FLAGS]"

Solution 5

For chromium, you can create a script in /etc/chromium-browser/customizations

For instance i have a script with one line

CHROMIUM_FLAGS="${CHROMIUM_FLAGS} --enable_hidpi=1 --process-per-site"

I imagine chrome has something similar.

View more solutions

Comments

[Simon]

Do you mean how to set command line options for Chrome?

[Guilherme]

I want the flag to be used every time I open Google Chrome from launcher.

[Guilherme]

Isn't there just a .desktop file somewhere that I can edit?

[Aaron Hill]

I am not currently aware of a .desktop file you can edit. I would suggest you use Unity Launcher Editor as explained above to add CLI flags to the Google Chrome Launcher icon.

[Vaibhav Mishra]

some problem with the project, answer need to be updated

[Dragon warrior]

...just until the next upgrade overwrites it :(

[user.dz]

This could be flagged as low quality. It will better if you can add a reference for this?

[David Foerster]

Welcome to Ask Ubuntu! I recommend editing this answer to expand it with specific details about how to do this. (See also How do I write a good answer? for general advice about what sorts of answers are considered most valuable on Ask Ubuntu.)

[Ivan Kozik]

This makes dpkg error out on upgrades of Chrome. unable to make backup link of './usr/share/applications/google-chrome.desktop' before installing new version: Operation not permitted followed by dpkg-deb: error: subprocess paste was killed by signal (Broken pipe)

[Ivan Kozik]

CHROMIUM_USER_FLAGS seems to have no effect on Chrome 46.

[matt2000]

Run sudo chattr -a /usr/share/applications/google-chrome.desktop then do the dpkg update, then re-do the steps above.

[jesjimher]

This should be the accepted answer. It persists between package updates and doesn't involve any desktop file hackery.

[Rick James]

Install menulibre as a way to get to the "launcher".