olorin-browser-extension

Enterprise deployment

How to force-install the Olorin extension on managed staff workstations so librarians never have to install anything by hand. Pair this with deploying the Olorin Companion App (set to run at login) through your usual software distribution tool.

There is nothing else to pre-configure in the browser: all printer settings (mappings, page sizes, margins, copies, duplex) are stored by the companion app on each machine, not in the extension.

Chrome — ExtensionInstallForcelist

Chrome force-installs extensions listed in the ExtensionInstallForcelist policy. Each entry is the Chrome Web Store item ID, optionally followed by ; and the update URL. Replace EXTENSION_ID below with the 32-character ID from the extension’s Chrome Web Store listing URL.

Windows (registry / Group Policy)

Group Policy: Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → Google → Google Chrome → Extensions → Configure the list of force-installed apps and extensions, or set the registry directly:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome\ExtensionInstallForcelist]
"1"="EXTENSION_ID;https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx"

macOS (configuration profile / plist)

Manage the com.google.Chrome domain via MDM, or for a quick local test:

defaults write com.google.Chrome ExtensionInstallForcelist -array-add \
  "EXTENSION_ID;https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx"

The equivalent payload in a configuration profile:

<key>ExtensionInstallForcelist</key>
<array>
  <string>EXTENSION_ID;https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx</string>
</array>

Linux (managed policy JSON)

Create /etc/opt/chrome/policies/managed/olorin.json (/etc/chromium/policies/managed/olorin.json for Chromium):

{
  "ExtensionInstallForcelist": ["EXTENSION_ID;https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx"]
}

Firefox — policies.json ExtensionSettings

Firefox force-installs extensions through the ExtensionSettings enterprise policy, keyed by the add-on ID (olorin@kylehall.info). The install_url points at the addons.mozilla.org “latest version” XPI URL — replace AMO_SLUG with the slug (or numeric add-on ID) from the extension’s AMO listing URL:

{
  "policies": {
    "ExtensionSettings": {
      "olorin@kylehall.info": {
        "installation_mode": "force_installed",
        "install_url": "https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/downloads/latest/AMO_SLUG/latest.xpi"
      }
    }
  }
}

Save it as policies.json in Firefox’s distribution directory:

• Windows: C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\distribution\policies.json
• macOS: /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/Resources/distribution/policies.json
• Linux: /etc/firefox/policies/policies.json (distribution packages) or <install dir>/distribution/policies.json

The same policy can be delivered via Windows Group Policy (ADMX templates) or macOS configuration profiles if you already manage Firefox that way.

Force-installed extensions are granted their host permissions, so the Firefox “Grant Access” prompt from a manual install does not apply.

After deployment

On each workstation: run the companion app, click the Olorin toolbar icon (“Companion App Connected”), open Settings, and map the logical printers to the real printers attached to that machine. The mapping is per-machine and shared by every browser on it.

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