Deploying Connect Extensions in Closed Environments

Method: Manual deployment Using Drag and Drop

1. Download the Connect extension CRX file from Google. To do so, right-click this link and select Save Link As: Connect extension for Chrome
2. Open chrome://extensions
3. Enable developer mode.
4. Drag-and-drop the CRX file into the chrome://extensions window to install.

Method: Background Deployment Using the Windows registry

Requires network access to the Chrome update URLs:

https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx

1. Download the Connect extension CRX file from Google. To do so, right-click this link and select Save Link As: Connect extension for Chrome
2. Create a .reg file containing the registry script below. Update the location of the CRX file. Make sure the location is accessible to all users. Backslashes must be escaped as shown in the example.
3. Merge the registry keys above. Detailed instructions are here:

   https://www.techwalla.com/articles/how-to-merge-registry-files

   Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
   
   [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Google\Chrome\Extensions\kpoecbkildamnnchnlgoboipnblgikpn]            
   "update_url"="https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx"
   
   [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Google\Chrome\Extensions\kpoecbkildamnnchnlgoboipnblgikpn]
   "update_url"="https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx"

4. Restart Chrome. Users must approve the new extension on startup.

Method: Manual deployment

1. Download the Connect extension XPI file from Mozilla. To do so, right-click this link and select Save Link As: Connect extension for Mozilla
2. Open about:addons
3. From the menu, select Install Add-on From File.

Method: Background deployment via Windows registry

1. Obtain a copy of the Connect Firefox XPI file. See Method: Manual deployment above.
2. Create a .reg file containing the registry script below. Update the location of the XPI file. Make sure the location is accessible by all users. Backslashes must be escaped as shown in the example:

   Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
   
   [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Mozilla\Firefox\Extensions]
   "connect@aspera.ibm.com"="C:\\Users\\aspera\\Desktop\\connect@aspera.ibm.com.xpi"
   
   [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Mozilla\Firefox\Extensions]
   "connect@aspera.ibm.com"="C:\\Users\\aspera\\Desktop\\connect@aspera.ibm.com.xpi"

3. Merge the registry keys above. Detailed instructions can be found here:

   https://www.techwalla.com/articles/how-to-merge-registry-files

4. Restart Firefox.
5. Open the Firefox add-ons:
   
   
6. Enable the extension.

Background deployment using a roaming profile

1. Obtain a copy of the Connect Firefox XPI file. See Method: Manual deployment above.
2. Copy the xpi file to:

   C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Extensions\{ec8030f7-c20a-464f-9b0e-13a3a9e97384}\

3. Restart Firefox.
4. Open the Firefox add-ons:
   
   
5. Enable the extension.

Method: Background deployment via preference file

1. Obtain a copy of the Connect Firefox XPI file. See Method: Manual deployment above.
2. For user installs, modify the XPI_FILE variable to point to the XPI file. Run the following script:

   #!/usr/bin/env bash
   XPI_FILE=INSERT_XPI_PATH_HERE
   EXT_ROOT="$HOME/Library/Application Support/Mozilla/Extensions/{ec8030f7-c20a-464f-9b0e-13a3a9e97384}"
   mkdir -p "$EXT_ROOT"
   cp $XPI_FILE "$EXT_ROOT"

3. For machine-installs, modify the XPI_FILE variable to point to the XPI file. Run this script using sudo:

   #!/usr/bin/env bash
   XPI_FILE=INSERT_XPI_PATH_HERE
   EXT_ROOT="/Library/Application Support/Mozilla/Extensions/{ec8030f7-c20a-464f-9b0e-13a3a9e97384}"
   mkdir -p "$EXT_ROOT"
   cp $XPI_FILE "$EXT_ROOT"

4. Restart Firefox.
5. Open the Firefox add-ons:
   
   
6. Enable the extension.

Method: Deploying Aspera Connect add-on with custom build of Firefox

See Mozilla documentation:

https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Add-ons/WebExtensions/Distribution_options/Add-ons_in_the_enterprise#Bundling_add-ons_with_a_custom_Firefox

1. Download and install Chrome policy template .adm or .admx files and add the templates to your Group Policy editor. Detailed instructions can be found here:

   https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/187202?hl=en

2. Open your Group Policy editor and navigate to the Chrome extensions settings:

   Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Google > Google Chrome > Extensions

   On Windows 7 or 10: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Classic Administrative Templates > Google > Google Chrome

3. Edit your Chrome extension policy settings. Detailed instructions can be found here:

   https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/7532015?hl=en

Find the Windows registry location and set the value to the Connect extension ID:

Software\Policies\Google\Chrome\ExtensionInstallWhitelist\1 = "kpoecbkildamnnchnlgoboipnblgikpn"