Start an external application from a Google Chrome Extension?

Question

How to start an external application from a Google Chrome Extension?

So basically I have an executable file which does the job when you launch it. I need to be able to start it without a window (it is a console application) and pass the current URL to it in an argument,

Apostatize

If there is a god then Google will never allow anyone to do this under any circumstances. – Windle

Question has a good pagerank on google, so for anyone who's looking for answer to this question this might be helpful. There is an extension in google chrome marketspace to do exactly that: chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/… – Hanghangar

Possible duplicate of Execute a program from a Chrome Extension – Annulate

@Annulate Since the question you mention is posterior to this one it should be considered as the duplicate. – Ulmaceous

Answer 1

Previously, you would do this through NPAPI plugins.

However, Google is now phasing out NPAPI for Chrome, so the preferred way to do this is using the native messaging API. The external application would have to register a native messaging host in order to exchange messages with your application.

Malinowski

I actually think you can, using FileIO: developer.chrome.com/native-client/pepper_stable – Uropygium

Answer 2

You can't launch arbitrary commands, but if your users are willing to go through some extra setup, you can use custom protocols.

E.g. you have the users set things up so that some-app:// links start "SomeApp", and then in my-awesome-extension you open a tab pointing to some-app://some-data-the-app-wants, and you're good to go!

Gora

The link has expired. – Gamester

Archived page for the dead "custom protocols" link: web.archive.org/web/20210601082308/https://… – Lacreshalacrimal

Answer 3

Native messaging host

Chrome-extensions

{
  "name": "AppName",
  "description": "",
  "version": "1.0",
  "manifest_version": 3,
  "permissions": [
    "nativeMessaging"  // 👈 https://developer.chrome.com/docs/extensions/mv3/declare_permissions/
  ]
  // ...
}

Host

Add schema

@echo off
:: If you add "/f" then you can force write.
REG ADD "HKCU\Software\Google\Chrome\NativeMessagingHosts\com.my_company.my_application" ^
 /ve /t REG_SZ ^
 /d "%~dp0Mymanifest.json"

// Mymanifest.json
{
  "name": "com.my_company.my_application",
  "description": "My Application",
  "path": "relative_dir/my.exe",
  "type": "stdio",
  "allowed_origins": [
    "chrome-extension://nbjjflbnekmabedahdolabcpahfjojjb/"
  ]
}

chrome.runtime.sendNativeMessage

example:

// your.js
chrome.runtime.sendNativeMessage("com.my_company.my_application",
  {key1: "value1", key2: "value2"}, // 👈 Send those parameters to your program.
  (response) => {
    console.log(response)
  }
)

Example repository

I have created a project thunder/e11fde9 whose ultimate goal is to be able to use a browser as input and then open a specified file locally (without a mouse, if possible)

It is still in development, but I think the early code is enough. The link is below.

• chrome-ext A test Chrome extension.
• go I built an EXE with Golang and put it on the host/bin to simulate the local program.
• host Install the schema and specify the program. (see manifest.json)

Which already has a log that records the results of the browser's transmission, while the browser can also get the program's return value.

Reference

• GoogleChrome/chrome-extensions-samples It's useful, and it provides a way to use python to communicate.
• jfarleyx/chrome-native-messaging-golang use golang to communicate.

Biamonte

Answer 4

I go for hypothesys since I can't verify now.

With Apache, if you make a php script on your local machine calling your executable, and then call this script via POST or GET via html/javascript?

would it function?

let me know.

Interrogate

Of course this would work if the Apache process had the required permissions, but what's the point when you would then need to install Apache and open webserver ports on the user's computer.... – Otalgia