22.04: cannot get gnome shell extensions to work

[Old Jimma]

Hello Ubuntuers:

I installed the encrypted version of 22.04

I've not been able to get gnome extensions to work.

I saw the claims that gnome extensions do not work with the Firefox snap that comes with the installation. So, I installed firefox from deb and removed the snap.

Here is evidence that only the deb Firefox is installed

for i in $(pgrep firefox); do cat /proc/$i/cmdline ; echo ; done

Output:

output
/usr/lib/firefox/firefox

Then, I updated and upgrded 22.04:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade

... and found my gnome version:

gnome-shell --version

Output:

GNOME Shell 42.9

Then, I installed gnome shell extensions:

sudo apt remove gnome-shell-extensions

.. and installed the gnome shell extension manager:

sudo apt install gnome-shell-extension-manager

And, then I rebooted.

When I go to the gnome extensions web site

https://extensions.gnome.org/

There is an error in a pink dialog box that says, "An unexpected error occurred."

And, I'm not able to install any gnome extensions... either form the web site, nor from the green Extensions app that can be found under "the 3x3 grid of boxes in the lower left corner that is the "Show Applicaions" app.

Can anybody provide a suggestion how I might get gnome extensions to work?

Do you think it may not be working because I'm trying to use it with an encrypted verions of 22.04? I have not had this problem with the unencrypted version.

Thank you,
Old

[currentshaft]

Full volume encryption has nothing to do with this.

"To control GNOME Shell extensions using this site you must install GNOME Shell integration that consists of two parts: browser extension and native host messaging application."

Did you install the browser extension as required?

[Old Jimma]

Yes: I installed the Firefox extension "Gnome Shell Integration" that usese a black footprint as an icon.

Whe I click on that icon, it takes me to the website:

https://extensions.gnome.org/

that continues to hve the error message, ""An unexpected error occurred."

Thank you for your question.

[tea for one]

You can install extensions directly from gnome-shell-extension-manager.
When you open the application, do you see Installed and Browse?

Edit: Whoops, I've just noticed that you are using Ubuntu 22.04.
My comments apply to Ubuntu 24.04.

Edit: Correction - gnome-shell-extension-manager version 0.3.0 can install extensions directly using Ubuntu 22.04

[Old Jimma]

Hello Tea for One,

Thanks for your reply. I have an app that is labeled "Extentions" installed that has an icon that is square, and colored green in the lower left corner, and then differing shades of grey in the other corners. I access it thru the 3x3 array of squares that is in the lower left cornder of my computer screen... that seems to be named "Show Applications" when my mounse hovers over it.

When I click on that Extentions app, ta page pops up that ahs a magnifying glass in its upper right corner. When I type "date" in the grey quesiton box, there are no matches. WHen I type "weather" in that box, there is no matches.

However, when I click on the "black foot" Gnome shell extentions icon on the Firefox browser, the URL

https://extensions.gnome.org/

opens... that has a message that says, "An unexpected error occurred."

However, if I type "date" into the box on that web site, I get many hits. When I enter my gnome verson (42) and extension version, a zip file is downloaded and nothing more. There is no "on/off switch" that I'm used to to really get the app installed.

[Dennis N]

To use Firefox or Chromium to install shell extensions, you need the Gnome Shell Integration plugin AND the chrome-gnome-shell package from the Ubuntu Repository.

It's arguably easier to use the Gnome Shell Extensions Manager.

Package: chrome-gnome-shell
Version: 10.1-5
Priority: optional
Section: universe/gnome
Origin: Ubuntu
Description: GNOME Shell extensions integration for web browsers
 Provides integration with GNOME Shell extensions repository for
 Chromium (and derivatives) and Firefox
 .
 This package provides the connector that talks with the browser
 extension

Does not work with snap packages.

[tea for one]

Thanks for your reply. I have an app that is labeled "Extentions" installed that has an icon that is square, and colored green

This application is not gnome-shell-extension-manager
The default icon for gnome-shell-extension-manger is blue (jigsaw piece shape)

More info https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2022/01/...p-easy-install
More up-to-date info https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/03/...er-app-updated

You can use Extensions if you follow the good advice mentioned by Dennis N in post 6

[donald187]

Actually, I believe that Gnome extensions do work with the snap Firefox package now. I've used it to install the OpenWeather extension in the past on Ubuntu 22.04. You still have to follow the instructions by Dennis N in post #6. (I don't want to double check that it works now because I don't want any Gnome extensions on my machine now.) This depends on Native Messaging Support in the snap package. Not that I have any idea what this means but here's a Discourse thread where they were working on it. Here's the post where oSoMoN announces the availability of Native Messaging Support in the Stable channel of Firefox.

https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/call-...snap/29759/105

(One peculiarity was that the Gnome Shell Integration extension for Firefox didn't seem to check whether there were updates available for Gnome Extensions. It was set to but after waking from sleep or maybe a reboot the timer was set to zero.)

[Old Jimma]

Hello DennisN:

Thank you for your reply, DennisN. I"m grateful for it.

Both the gnome shell integration and the chrome-gnome-shell package are installed.

I think I'm going to give up and close the query I initiated.

Thanks for your comment.

Sincerely,
Old

[Old Jimma]

You are right!

I went to https://itsfoss.com/extension-manager/ and installed Extentions... then they worked very well!!

Thanks you!
OLD