Chrome on Linux – How to Install Userscripts

chromedrag and dropfile-manager

Help! The only way that Chrome allows userscripts to be installed now is by downloading the file to my local system then dragging and dropping it into the extension manager interface. However when I try to drag it over, nothing happens!

I've tried using the file managers in both Gnome and KDE environments, neither one works.

Best Answer

If you've just downloaded the user script and its name is appearing in the bottom bar, open the Extensions page (Menu > Tools > Extensions, chrome://chrome/extensions/), then drag-and-drop from the download bar to the middle of the Extensions page. (Thanks to balpha for this method.)

If you've got the script on your system somewhere, you can use dragbox to make it available for drag-and-drop:

dragbox foo.user.js

Drag the file into Chrome's extensions page.

Alternatively, you can allow extensions from other websites through a custom ExtensionInstallSources policy, to be set in /etc/opt/chrome/policies. There's a bug with respect to userscripts as of Chrome 21, though. Another method is to pass the --enable-easy-off-store-extension-install option when you start Chrome. See How to install a private user script in Chrome 21+? for more information.

Related Solutions

Which configuration option controls whether Nautilus “copies” or “moves” a file/folder on drag and drop for a remote target directory

From Nautilis help

Drag files to copy or move

Open the file manager and go to the folder which contains the file you want to copy.

Click Files in the top bar, select New Window (or press Ctrl+N) to open a second window. In the new window, navigate to the folder where you want to move or copy the file.

Click and drag the file from one window to another.

This will move it if the destination is on the same device, or copy it if the destination is on a different device.

For example, if you drag a file from a USB memory stick to your Home folder, it will be copied, because you're dragging from one device to another.

You can force the file to be copied by holding down the Ctrl key while dragging, or force it to be moved by holding down the Shift key while dragging.

Drag-and-drop without the drag

2019 now but stil...

This is my current screenshot tool. The xdotool commands are relevant regarding how to automate a file drag.

2.bin$ cat drag_into
#!/usr/bin/env bash
doc="$0 <filename|'shot'>

Drags a given file to where the mouse is using dragon. Click to drop it (anywere).
If filename is 'shot' then the file will be a shot of a an area to be selected.
"

cmd_shot="shot"
file=

exit_help () { echo -e "$doc"; exit 1; }

select_shot_area () {
    # create screen shot
    notify-send "Select area - we'll shoot it and drag to where the mouse is."
    cd "$HOME/Pictures/shots/" || exit 1
    rm -f "latest.png"
    scrot -s '%Y-%m-%d_$wx$h_scrot.png' -e 'ln -s $f latest.png'
    file="`readlink latest.png`"
}

main () {
    file="$1"
    test -z "$file" -o "$file" == "-h" && exit_help
    eval "$(xdotool getmouselocation --shell)" # into $X and $Y
    test "$file" == "$cmd_shot" && { select_shot_area || return 1; }
    killall dragon 2>/dev/null # No accidential drops of wrong items ...
    dragon --and-exit "$file" &
    while true; do
        xid="$(xdotool search --onlyvisible --class  dragon | head -n 2)"
        test -z "$xid" || break
        sleep 0.05
    done
    xdotool mousemove --sync -w "$xid" 1 1 mousedown 1 mousemove $X $Y
    notify-send "Click to drop $file..."
}

main "$@"