Google chrome ADM/ADMX

[computer_expert]

Just seen that google has released some GPO templates for chrome:

 

Policy Templates - The Chromium Projects

 

Source: Admin templates for Google Chrome make it more enterprise-friendly

[mavhc]

and there's msi installers for chrome and chrome frame now

[Arthur]

Some more links...

 

MSIs

Chrome: http://www.google.com/chrome/eula.html?msi=true

ChromeFrame: http://www.google.com/chromeframe/eula.html?msi=true

 

Deploying Chrome Extensions

http://code.google.com/chrome/extensions/external_extensions.html

 

Chromium Issue Tracker

http://code.google.com/p/chromium/issues/list?q=label:Enterprise

This website is pretty useful for keeping track of the enterprise-related features that will be implemented in future versions of Chrome.

[DrCheese]

I admit, this has always been one of the biggest reasons to not allow users choice when it comes to web browsers. Now that chrome allows this I'm considering the implications of allowing access to it..... The biggest issue now is support, i.e supporting two browsers is a bit of a pain.

But as a user, It would suck to be locked to IE only.

[MatthewL]

Thanks for this find, it will come in handy now I can manage things, I may consider rolling it out to certain areas.

[BackCat3]

Hi guys,

 

Ive tried applying these policies but they just dont seem to apply, has anyone got a tutorial?

I created a Group Policy for Terminal Server OU, and go to "Computer Configuration -> Policies -> Google -> Google Chrome" and configure it there but nothing gets applied.

Edited June 18, 2011 by BackCat3

[sted]

id suspect most chrome policies want applying to users rather than computers

[Gibbo]

I put mine in User Configuration and they work OK there.

[atamakosi]

Deploying Chrome Extensions

Other Deployment Options - Google Chrome Extensions - Google Code

 

I'm testing Chrome in my school right now and found a ton of great extensions to use but I've got a few questions about deploying them.

 

1. following the instructions linked above, how can you obtain a copy of the .crx file to place in a network share?

2. a lot of extensions require you to sign in to add. will all students then be required to have a google account to use and/or the account used to download the extension, will that be associated with the app for the entire school? (e.g. if i use my personal google account will any of my personal info be saved in the extensions settings?)

[Arthur]

1. Following the instructions linked above, how can you obtain a copy of the .crx file to place in a network share?

Prior to Google redesigning their extension website, it was really easy to download the CRXs. What you need to do now is this...

 

1. Go to the Chrome Web Store (in Chrome) and find the extension you want to download the CRX for. For the purposes of this example, I will be using the MixCloud extension.
   
2. Copy the extension ID from the URL (highlighted in red below). This will be different for each extension.
    
   

   https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/[color="#FF0000"]fdcenekolminfbkcbchinlcgfhpmggpk[/color]?hl=en-GB

   
    
   

3. Open another web browser (Internet Explorer or Firefox are fine, as long as it's not Chrome/Chromium) and paste the URL below into the address bar. Before you press enter, replace the underscores (highlighted in purple) with the extension ID you copied above.
    
   Before
   

   https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx?response=redirect&x=id%3D[color="#800080"]_________[/color]%26uc

   
    
   After
   

   https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx?response=redirect&x=id%3D[color="#FF0000"]fdcenekolminfbkcbchinlcgfhpmggpk[/color]%26uc

   
    
   

4. Once you have replaced the text, press Enter and you will be prompted to download the CRX file.
    
   * Credit goes to Wassim Guemri on the Chrome User Forums for finding this out.

 

2. A lot of extensions require you to sign in to add. Will all students then be required to have a Google account to use and/or the account used to download the extension, will that be associated with the app for the entire school?

No.

[mrbios]

Nice, i've not properly looked around the chrome apps before, tempted to roll this out to the languages department first and see if they like any of the language learning applications.

[mrbios]

This is somewhat annoying, i can't get chrome to work properly on a student account

 

I can tell the policies are applying, but when i load it up the home page sits on "loading..." and attempting to load any other pages just times out as well. frustrating.

 

EDIT: I'm yet to work out exactly which one it is, but one of the policies stops chrome work working properly, still trying to narrow down which one it is though, very annoying!

 

EDIT2: It's the setting "allow running plugins that are outdated"

Edited November 21, 2011 by mrbios

[atamakosi]

Thanks for the info, Arthur, I've got the apps i've wanted and working off my network. Unfortunately, I still can't quite get the chrome policies to implement. I've tried in both Computer and User config but neither apply. Something I've still got to work on, I reckon.

[tudorcrisp]

We are trying to get Google Chrome installed around the school, however we need to stop it from being able to look at the local drives (type c:/ into address bar and it displays the C drive, works for any mapped drive). Which policy do i need to alter?

 

Thanks

[mrbios]

We are trying to get Google Chrome installed around the school, however we need to stop it from being able to look at the local drives (type c:/ into address bar and it displays the C drive, works for any mapped drive). Which policy do i need to alter?

 

Thanks

 

Is it possible to do with the "Disable URL protocol schemes" option? Add the file one into there? Not tried it myself.

 

Not a massive issue for me personally, they can't access other peoples user folders and can't run regedit or cmd prompt, leaves them little else they can do, and all the map drives students can see are ones they're allowed to anyway

Edited November 23, 2011 by mrbios

[cpjitservices]

Brilliant we have Chrome rolled out for admins now as requested I can roll it out to the 'Users' using the ADM templates I can lock it down.

 

Excellent

[atamakosi]

Am I the only one having issues with the policies themselves? I've tried for hours yesterday to get them to implement without any luck.

 

I originally created a gpo with the msi and the adm to test on a small group of pc's. Chrome installs so I know the GPO works but looking at the RSoP, it doesn't appear any of the adm policies are going in. I decided to split the adm off that gpo and test it in it's own policy but had no different results. I'm testing on XP SP3 from a Server 2008 DC. (I got desperate and tried from our 2008 R2 DC with no luck as well.)

 

any thoughts on what could be going wrong?

[Davit2005]

Just seen that google has released some GPO templates for chrome:

 

Policy Templates - The Chromium Projects

 

Source: Admin templates for Google Chrome make it more enterprise-friendly

 

Was looking for ADM's the over day for Chrome considering Firefox and it's issues.

[psbresner]

I'm not having any luck with the ADM template either, just can't get it to apply.

 

Also an annoying windows pops up whenever you run chrome asking for you to choose your search engine, really annoying. Anyone know how to stop it?

 

Thanks

 

Paul

[mrbios]

I'm not having any luck with the ADM template either, just can't get it to apply.

 

Also an annoying windows pops up whenever you run chrome asking for you to choose your search engine, really annoying. Anyone know how to stop it?

 

Thanks

 

Paul

 

You can sort that...via policy

 

Are all of you who can't get it to work using the ADM rather than the ADMX method? I'm using ADMX and it works fine.

[DrCheese]

Yup, you have to set a default search engine on the ADM

i.e for google UK

 

Default search provider search URL http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl&q={searchTerms}

 

Default search provider suggest URL http://www.google.co.uk/complete/search?ix=sea&client=chrome&hl=en-US&q={searchTerms}

 

Those of you having problems getting the ADM to work, you are using the msi deployable version ya?

 

I've got this working perfectly here now, deployed to every machine and students can even email us if they want it changing to their default browser (I have some wizzy GPO preferences set on a group for this)

[psbresner]

I am using the ADM template rather than the admx, I wasn't sure whether you could use admx with Windows XP.

 

I have indeed deployed the msi through gpo.

 

Thanks

 

Paul

[atamakosi]

I'm also using the ADM as I'm rolling this out to XP machines. Maybe if my budget requests go through I can upgrade to Windows 7 but not there yet.

 

Like I've posted previously, I've deployed the msi through gpo just fine and was using the chrome adm templates on Users all in one policy to test on a small group of machines. Chrome installs but the policies aren't applied. I've tried several things to work around the problem or track it down but i'm not having any luck. It just refuses to recognize the chrome policies.

[Jollity]

I am using the ADM template rather than the admx, I wasn't sure whether you could use admx with Windows XP.

ADMX files do work for configuring Windows XP, though you have to input the settings on a Server 2008 machine or on Vista or 7 with the Remote Administration Pack. The features you are configuring have to be supported in XP of course. (Source: blogs.technet.com/b/grouppolicy/archive/2008/12/17/questions-on-admx-in-windows-xp-and-windows-2003-environments.aspx (sorry can't do a link, too new )). I thought you needed to install an update, which appeared in WSUS a while ago, but that must have been just for Group Policy Preferences.

[atamakosi]

I've switched over from the ADM to ADMX but the client machines are still not implementing the policies. The policies I'm trying to use are fairly simple so I don't believe it would be an issue of support in XP (make default browser, import data, etc.)