Chrome plugin sync across multiple devices: Any way to disable a plugin on a particular device without disabling globally?

Question

I use chrome across about 4 different workstations (2 laptops, 2 desktops) and I have my plugins / extensions synced across all of these.

The problem I have is that one of the plugins (Gestures for Chrome) works great if you've got an actual mouse, but on a trackpad on Ubuntu, it just gets in the way.

If I disable it on that machine, it disables the extension on all of the Chrome installs.

Can I selectively disable an extension on just a single machine?

Answer 1

Based on the security concern, Chrome doesn't sync any extension which contains an NPAPI plugin.

^Source

What is a NPAPI plugin?

Code running in an NPAPI plugin has the full permissions of the current user and is not sandboxed or shielded from malicious input by Google Chrome in any way. You should be especially cautious when processing input from untrusted sources, such as when working with content scripts or XMLHttpRequest.

^Source

Theory

If we modify your extension in a way that Chrome recognize the extension using NPAPI, you should be fine.

How to

• To do that, we search the extension folder of Gestures for Chrome
  ...\profile\Default\Extensions\jpkfjicglakibpenojifdiepckckakgk\1.12.1_0
• customize the manifest.json and background.html. You need to register a random .dll as described on Stackoverflow
• you get a dummy .dll from any NPAPI extension like Screen Capture by Google
  After installation, look into the corresponding extension folder
  \profile\Default\Extensions\cpngackimfmofbokmjmljamhdncknpmg\5.0.5_0\plugin\screen_capture.dll

From here you are on your own.

Answer 2

May be this is not what you are looking for but you can try this. Open the settings menu within Chrome by clicking on tri-line/wrench icon on right corner. Now open the Advanced sync settings..

Now select the option choose what to sync and then unmark the Extensions option. Now your extension will not sync with other PC's.

Answer 3

This is not to be a resolute answer, but another prospective to examine the problem.

The Chrome sync system does not allow in any way, customizing the ratings by a single machine; And any solution with extra extensions that operates with the flag of disable/enable in your extention, will be fail!

Because another machine that is simultaneously using the same user account, will reflect the change.

A way to avoid this exchange of information is how well he proposed @avirk is disable the sync on extensions, but it seems that this solution is not appropriate for your environment.

Then I will propose two more ideas that can be adopted to obtain the required result:

• Create a second account would allow you to customize your own group of extentions (this solution I personally use to have a different profile of ScriptSafe on different machines)

The other proposal is a little less conventional and could be considered a bad hack, but I will describe it in every way, so that you have a wider choice.

• Navigate to the folder of the plugin in question: .config/google-chrome/Default/Extensions/jpkfjicglakibpenojifdiepckckakgk/versionfolder and clears the contents into the file "background_page.html"
  "This example can be applied only to the plugin: Gestures for Chrome (TM)"

This generates an exception when loading a page, that will not allow to the event code in your extension run correctly. So we will have the local disablement for this extension.

Remember that any time you receive a new update for your extension,you must redo this operation in the new version folder.

Answer 4

Can I selectively disable an extension on just a single machine?

The simple answer is: No.