Offline google chrome extensions

Question

Background:

• I manage an offline network of workstations.
• I have written a chrome extension that needs to be in the browser for our webapp to function
• I have published it through the chrome store (but not made it public)

Question:

• How do I install this extension without the internet

What I've tried:

• Windows GPO: Requires the update URL to be http://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx
• Windows Registry: same URL problem
• Unpacked extensions: prompts users, requires developer tools, and disables the extension when chrome is restarted.
• install crx: disables the extension when chrome is restarted.

Any other ideas, or ways around this? Chrome version 48.

Answer 1

I was able to do this on a regular chrome installation by doing the following:

1. Download the extension in crx format - how to download a crx file from the chrome web store for a given id
2. Unzip the crx file
3. I had to rename the _metadata folder to metadata
4. Open the chrome extensions page
5. Enable Developer mode
6. Click "Load unpacked extension..."
7. Select the unzipped folder

This worked for me when I needed to install Advanced REST client.