40,000 More Extensions!
Monday, February 01, 2010
Labels: extensions
One thing that got lost in the commotion of the extensions launch is a feature that is near and dear to my heart: Google Chrome 4 now natively supports Greasemonkey user scripts. Greasemonkey is a Firefox extension I wrote in 2004 that allows developers to customize web pages using simple JavaScript and it was the inspiration for some important parts of our extension system.
Ever since the beginning of the Chromium project, friends and coworkers have been asking me to add support for user scripts in Google Chrome. I'm happy to report that as of the last Google Chrome release, you can install any user script with a single click. So, now you can use emoticons on blogger. Or, you can browse Google Image Search with a fancy lightbox. In fact, there's over 40,000 scripts on userscripts.org alone.
Installation is quick and easy, just like installing an extension. That's because under the covers, the user script is actually converted into an extension. This means that management tasks like disabling and uninstalling work just like they do with extensions.
Note that user scripts are powerful software and have full access to your private data on any web site. So, for example, they could read all your web mail or access your online bank. Be sure to read the comments on any user scripts in order to decide whether you trust the author with this power.
Also keep in mind that some user scripts won't work in Google Chrome yet, because of differences between it and Firefox. Based on some analysis that the current maintainers of Greasemonkey did, I expect between 15%-25% of scripts to not work in Google Chrome. If you find such a script, you should consider letting the author know. There may be something he or she can do to easily fix the problem. In the meantime, we'll keep working on bugs on our side to bring our implementation closer to Greasemonkey.
Have fun trying out the thousands of available scripts. And don't worry - If you get bored, there's lots more extensions at Google Chrome's extension gallery.
42 comments:
Vinny said...
I have tried 5 6 user scripts as of now which I was using on firefox. But they are not working on Google Chrome's stable vesion. Am i suppose to use the latest dev build??
February 1, 2010 1:24 PM
Vinny said...
I have tried with latest dev build also and I have also tried few more scripts. But still not even a single script worked for me!
February 1, 2010 1:32 PM
LePeR said...
Latest release seems to be working for me.. Nice job i have to say
YouTube Enhancer + the fancy lightbox are working for moi :)
February 1, 2010 1:50 PM
JP said...
I've been having problems with a few scripts that use Greasemonkey functions.
BOB for Conquer Club is the primary example:
http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/13076
February 1, 2010 2:18 PM
Yatahonga said...
What about the much awaited support for GM_xmlhttpRequest in scripts?
February 1, 2010 3:50 PM
r0cketman22 said...
Nail in the coffin for Firefox!
February 1, 2010 4:17 PM
GR said...
Mac too?
February 1, 2010 4:59 PM
karlzt said...
this is exactly what's going to make me switch from Firefox to chromium
February 1, 2010 6:24 PM
Zikes said...
Will Chrome also be restricting users to an ancient implementation of JavaScript, as the existing GM does?
February 1, 2010 6:44 PM
spiffwalker said...
Is it just me or did the pinned tab feature disappear with this release?
February 1, 2010 7:33 PM
Bloggler said...
While I have installed Chrome replacing IE8 as my back-up browser, as an avid Firefox loyalist I've not been taken to Chrome quickly or easily.
But Chrome has really started to pique my interest with its grease monkey capability I see as a breakthrough feature versus Firefox being very pleased, impressed that most of but not all of my favorite Firefox scripts do work on Chrome as well.
February 1, 2010 8:29 PM
Leo said...
When will this make it to the Mac version?
February 2, 2010 1:57 AM
sauronsmatrix said...
Nail in the coffin for Firefox? Hardly. Google Chrome's extension system is still on lockdown, whereas Firefox's is quite open.
February 2, 2010 2:15 AM
dsjkvf said...
I have Chrome v.5.0.307.1 (dev channel, I suppose), and it just doesn't work, neither Greased Lightbox, nor Naruto Emoticons for Blogger.
February 2, 2010 5:03 AM
Nicolas said...
je ne trouve plus la fonction dans le menu de Google Chrome "effacer mes traces" ou effacer l'historique avec la mémoire cache.
February 2, 2010 5:03 AM
mamama said...
does if they implement support for GM_ functions it'll be awesome...
February 2, 2010 6:48 AM
Ediv said...
Very glad to see this feature, however I miss being able to easily edit the userscripts in the browser.
Any chance we'll see something similar to what Greasemonkey had on that front in Chrome?
Or is there already such a feature, but I've just missed it?
February 2, 2010 7:21 AM
Ian Draper said...
I have today added my extensions to my browser and they are great. So long waited but browsing is a dream but will add more later.
As with everything l do l need to test them out fully first, but so far great one google team.
February 2, 2010 12:23 PM
Jimmy said...
I've tried 5 0r 6 and cant get any one of them to work. If i use Firefox they work just fine, but not in Chrome.
February 2, 2010 12:45 PM
Chris said...
How can I install my own GM scripts?
February 2, 2010 1:11 PM
Yerko said...
Thanks a lot!! this was the last reason that kept me using Firefox instead of Chrome.
Is there any way to add exceptions for every script manually? I hope this function keeps getting better in the near future. Again, thanks for the good work on Chrome and the beloved Greasemonkey ;)
February 2, 2010 2:23 PM
Almosapuka said...
LOL.
SOME of userscripts worked a few month ago, but only the simpliest.
Missing @require and cross site request feature. Most of the script I use in FF needs both of this features.
(mostly @require jquery for maniplate the document and fetch some data form different site)
February 3, 2010 3:25 AM
Curt said...
Is there a way to create a new script or maintain installed scripts like you can do in Firefox by right clicking the Greasemonkey icon in the task bar?
February 3, 2010 7:24 AM
recover said...
How can I *download* a .user.js file?
It's impossible, it only asks me if I want to install it as an extension. :(
February 3, 2010 10:11 AM
paulgermana said...
Don't take this the wrong way but, should Google Chrome be the best browser? Anytime I use it, it clicks and ticks, until it finally freezes up. Not to mention that it can't even run add ons without having a conniption fit. My God, someone needs to come up with something better than Firefox. (the biggest 'crash baby' on earth.
Sincerely,
Concerned
February 3, 2010 6:11 PM
tech4computer said...
Note that user scripts are powerful software and have full access to your private data on any web site. So, for example, they could read all your web mail or access your online bank. Be sure to read the comments on any user scripts in order to decide whether you trust the author with this power.
The Greasemonkey support has been working for a while in Chrome. I have couple of my GM scripts working fine except the ones that use GM_xmlhttprequest.
I think the next natural step for Chrome would be to implement some sort of basic security check on GM userscripts (installable on Chrome) to protect user from installing malicious scripts.
February 3, 2010 6:41 PM
Colar said...
The "pin tab" function did disappear with 5.0.317.0. Is it a bug or a feature? Should we use an extension instead? If so, where can I find it?
Thanks for Chromium btw, it's awesome.
February 4, 2010 5:38 AM
think said...
I found a error for Chrome.
When I open IE tab there are some error happened
February 4, 2010 5:52 AM
blogger2009 said...
I must say that GOOGLE CHROME is the best browser over the internet and i very much like to update it automatically to avoid the slow in browsing(if possible without the need of automatic update by microsoft)..thank you
February 6, 2010 5:58 AM
Igor said...
hi. i have a question about an extension.
i use Google Chrome 5.0.317.2 (Official Build 38193) dev on Win XP.
i have not installed Google Translate extension, but it is there and pops up a question whether i d'like to translate a page. it is not visible among the other installed extensions though. it will not translate anything, how can i uninstall it?
February 8, 2010 2:15 AM
Çince Tercüman said...
I want to translate Google Chrome in Uyghur language.
what shou I do?
please help me..
February 13, 2010 8:01 AM
Nobu said...
"How can I *download* a .user.js file?"
Right-click on the link and select "Save as"?
Otherwise, view-source and manually copy the link and use your own download manager. ;)
February 13, 2010 8:42 AM
Reco said...
I just want to give my encouragement to keep up the good work. I love Chrome!
February 19, 2010 4:48 PM
Pud said...
I second what colar said, " What happened to 'pin tab' in the dev releases?
February 24, 2010 3:54 PM
niknah said...
Yes about 15% won't work but unfortunately these are the biggest & most popular scripts that take advantage of the GM_ functions. The other 85% of scripts are simple small scripts that not many people use.
February 27, 2010 5:30 PM
Vizion Interactive, Inc. said...
I can't get a single extension to work either. Wondering if there's some sort of setting to change.
March 2, 2010 2:24 PM
GloMaYol said...
it's wonderful!
But, I can't find any method to get a userscript working on Chrome.
It's my problem, I'm not a programmer.
Please, let me kno how to do it :)
March 6, 2010 10:30 AM
✖ sldx ✖ said...
Awww
Google chome tricked me :(
GM was the thing that I was waiting for to finally get rid of firefox. Sadly, just found out (the hard way) that only some of the scripts actually work.
Eh, I guess I can wait a little longer.
Couldn't you make some sort of "importing" to convert scripts from GM to Chrome or at least warn you that it will not work? I suspect most of the problems cold be solved with some searh/replace, some not.
still waiting
(and great work, btw ;)
March 27, 2010 6:25 PM
ijia said...
Many institutions limit access to their online information. Making this information available will be an asset to all.
data recovery
April 18, 2010 2:27 AM
charles said...
Quite a few extensions for such an early stage of a product. Looking promising indded,
Smith
May 20, 2010 11:07 AM
HID Conversion Kit said...
I completely disagree with this. When I read the second paragraph it made absolutely no sense to me, maybe Im being too critical. Anyways, still a great read.
hid kit
June 22, 2010 9:11 PM
dfx27 said...
it's wonderful!
But, I can't find any method to get a userscript working on Chrome.
It's my problem, I'm not a programmer.
Please, let me kno how to do it :)
Thanks,
pete
July 5, 2010 6:10 PM
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