ExtensionInstallForcelist with locally stored extensions

[Mindaugas Simukaitis]

ExtensionInstallForcelist registry can not be used to automatically install locally stored extensions? Extensions that can be acquired from google webstore work flawlessly and can be automatically installed just fine.

Can I specify a value like: 

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa;file:///__path_to_update_manifest_xml.xml

and in the specified path I have an xml file like :

<gupdate 

   xmlns='http://www.google.com/update2/response' protocol='1.0'>

      <app appid='aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa'>

        <updatecheck codebase='file:\\\path\to\extension\file.crx' version='2.0'/>

      </app>

</gupdate>

which points to my .crx extension file? Would this approach work if I want a locally stored extension to be automatically installed and irremovable? I've tried this approach but it didn't work, maybe I've made a mistake somewhere, or is automatically installing locally stored extension even possible anymore? I know non-google webstore extensions are no longer allowed (https://developer.chrome.com/docs/apps/autoupdate/) but is this also the case for local extensions as well? If possible, what would I need to do to automatically install a local extension?

Resources looked at: ExtensionInstallForcelist keep blocking a local Extension https://chromeenterprise.google/policies/#ExtensionInstallForcelist

[hrg...@gmail.com]

Organizations can force-install extensions hosted in their intranet (i.e. not in the CWS) to all computers in their domain.

This works if you use HTTP urls. But I've never heard of it working with file:// urls.

You can make sure of it by using http URLs first, and once you have all properly set up and working, you can change the URLs to file://. If upon doing that sole change, it stops working, then you are out of luck.