Introduces an additional extension loader that load extra extensions based on per-extension json fi…

chrome/common/extensions/docs/external_extensions.html

Index: chrome/common/extensions/docs/external_extensions.html
===================================================================
--- chrome/common/extensions/docs/external_extensions.html	(revision 133542)
+++ chrome/common/extensions/docs/external_extensions.html	(working copy)
@@ -207,6 +207,10 @@
               <ol>
               </ol>
             </li><li>
+              <a href="#per-extension-install">Using per-extension preference files (Linux only)</a>

[Finnur, 2012/04/25 13:33:45]

If you augment the current Pref provider instead of adding a new loader, as I
suggested, then you can actually change the docs to just talk about your method
(I think it is an improvement over the external_extensions.json method and will
become the default). We still would need to support external_extension.json, but
we don't need to point people to it if there is a cleaner way...

The same comment goes for all the changes in this file.

+              <ol>
+              </ol>
+            </li><li>
               <a href="#updating">Updating and uninstalling</a>
               <ol>
               </ol>
@@ -244,15 +248,16 @@
 <p>
 An extension that's installed automatically is known as an
 <em>external extension</em>.
-Google Chrome supports two ways of
+Google Chrome supports three ways of
 installing external extensions:
 </p>
 <ul>
   <li> Using a preferences JSON file </li>
   <li> Using the Windows registry (Windows only) </li>
+  <li> Using per-extension preference files (Linux only) </li>
 </ul>
 <p>
-Both ways support installing an extension from a <code>.crx</code> extension
+Each method supports installing an extension from a <code>.crx</code> extension
 file on the user's computer.  The preferences JSON file also supports installing
 an extension hosted at an
 <a href="autoupdate.html#H2-1">update URL</a>.
@@ -417,6 +422,38 @@
 <b>chrome://extensions</b>; you should
 see the extension listed. </li>
 </ol>
+<h2 id="per-extension-install">Using per-extension preference files (Linux only)</h2>
+<ol>
+<li>Make the <code>.crx</code> extension file available
+to the machine you want to install the extension on.
+</li>
+<li>Find or create the folder:
+<ul>
+  <li> For a Google Chrome build: <code>/usr/share/google-chrome/extensions</code> </li>
+  <li> For a Chromium build: <code>/usr/share/chromium/extensions</code> </li>
+</ul>
+</li>
+<li>Create a file under this folder with the following name:
+ <code>aaaaaaaaaabbbbbbbbbbcccccccccc.json</code> where the file name (without the extension)
+corresponds to your extension's ID.
+</li>
+<li>In the file created during step 4) above, specify the extension's
+associated <code>.crx</code> complete path along with the
+version your extension:
+<p>
+Example:
+</p><pre>  {
+    "external_crx": "/home/share/extension.crx",
+    "external_version": "1.0"
+  }
+</pre>
+<p></p>
+</li>
+<li>
+Launch the browser and go to <b>chrome://extensions</b>; you
+should see the extension listed with the proper version number.
+</li>
+</ol>
 <h2 id="updating">Updating and uninstalling</h2>
 <p>Google Chrome scans the metadata entries
 in the preferences and registry
@@ -477,6 +514,20 @@
   <li>Permissions problems on a network share </li>
 </ul>
 <br>
+<p><b>What are some common mistakes when installing with the per-extension file?</b> </p>
+<ul>
+  <li>Not specifying the same id/version
+    as the one listed in the <code>.crx</code> </li>
+  <li>Extension preference file created in the wrong location or with the wrong extension ID name </li>
+  <li>Extension entry points to the wrong path to the <code>.crx</code> file
+    (or path specified but no filename) </li>
+  <li>Permissions problems on a network share </li>
+  <li>
+    Syntax error in JSON file
+    (forgetting to separate entries with comma or
+    leaving a trailing comma somewhere) </li>
+</ul>
+<br>
 <p><b>What if the user uninstalls the extension?</b> </p>
 <p>If the user uninstalls the extension through the UI, it will no
 longer be installed or updated on each startup. In other words, the