claude code for "chromium" -- fix for extension not detected. tested on cachy-os + basic chromium

claude-chromium-setup.sh

#!/bin/bash
: '
# Claude Code Browser Extension for Chromium-based Browsers (Linux)

A workaround script to enable the **Claude in Chrome** extension to work with Chromium-based browsers on Linux. This was generated in part by Claude! 

https://gist.github.com/zerkz/a7cd6c1eb1c13141f8069699516272a8

## The Problem

Claude Code extension detection logic hardcodes the Google Chrome config path (`~/.config/google-chrome/`). If you use a different Chromium-based browser, the extension works but Claude Code cannot detect it.

## The Solution

This script creates the necessary symlinks and copies the native messaging config so Claude Code can find your extension.

## Tested Browsers

- Chromium (CachyOS, pacman installed user-level)

## Untested Browsers, may work
- Brave
- Vivaldi
- Microsoft Edge
- Opera

## Prerequisites

1. **Claude Code CLI** installed and run at least once
   ```bash
   npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
   claude --version
   ```

2. **Claude in Chrome extension** installed in your browser
   - Install from: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/claude-code/fcoeoabgfenejglbffodgkkbkcdhcgfn

## Usage

```bash
# Auto-detect browser and set up
./claude-chromium-setup.sh

# Specify a browser
./claude-chromium-setup.sh -b brave
./claude-chromium-setup.sh -b chromium

# Use a different profile
./claude-chromium-setup.sh -p "Profile 1"

# Dry-run (preview changes without applying)
./claude-chromium-setup.sh -n

# Show help
./claude-chromium-setup.sh -h

# Show this full README
./claude-chromium-setup.sh --readme
```

## Options

| Option | Description |
|--------|-------------|
| `-b, --browser` | Specify browser (chromium, brave, vivaldi, edge, opera) |
| `-p, --profile` | Specify profile name (default: "Default") |
| `-n, --dry-run` | Show what would be done without making changes |
| `-h, --help` | Show help message |
| `--readme` | Display this full documentation |

## What It Does

1. **Copies native messaging config** from Chrome directory to your browser directory
2. **Creates a symlink** from your browser extension location to Chrome expected location

This allows Claude Code to detect the extension while it remains installed in your preferred browser.

## After Running

1. Restart your browser completely (close all windows)
2. Open Claude Code CLI
3. Run `/chrome` to verify connection

Expected output:
```
Status: Enabled
Extension: Installed
```

## Troubleshooting

### "Chrome native messaging host not found"

Claude Code CLI needs to be installed and run at least once to create the native messaging host config.

```bash
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
claude
```

### "Claude extension not found"

Install the Claude in Chrome extension from the Chrome Web Store in your browser.

### Wrong profile

If you use a non-default profile, specify it with `-p`:
```bash
./claude-chromium-setup.sh -p "Profile 1"
```

Check your profile name in `~/.config/<browser>/` directory.

## Tested On

- **OS**: Linux (CachyOS)
- **Kernel**: 6.18.2-3-cachyos
- **Browser**: Chromium

Should also work on other Linux distributions with standard XDG config paths (`~/.config/`).

## References

- [GitHub Issue #14391](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/14391) - Original Brave/macOS workaround
- [Claude in Chrome Extension](https://claude.ai/chrome)

## License

MIT
'

# --- Script starts here ---

set -euo pipefail

# Colors for output
RED='\033[0;31m'
GREEN='\033[0;32m'
YELLOW='\033[1;33m'
BLUE='\033[0;34m'
NC='\033[0m' # No Color

# Default values
DRY_RUN=false
PROFILE="Default"
BROWSER=""

# Native messaging host filename
NATIVE_HOST_FILE="com.anthropic.claude_code_browser_extension.json"

# Browser config paths (relative to ~/.config/)
declare -A BROWSER_PATHS=(
    ["chromium"]="chromium"
    ["brave"]="BraveSoftware/Brave-Browser"
    ["vivaldi"]="vivaldi"
    ["edge"]="microsoft-edge"
    ["opera"]="opera"
)

declare -A BROWSER_NAMES=(
    ["chromium"]="Chromium"
    ["brave"]="Brave"
    ["vivaldi"]="Vivaldi"
    ["edge"]="Microsoft Edge"
    ["opera"]="Opera"
)

# Display the embedded README (extract from the multiline comment above)
show_readme() {
    sed -n "/^: '/,/^'/p" "$0" | sed '1d;$d'
}

usage() {
    cat << 'EOF'
Claude Code Browser Extension Setup for Chromium-based Browsers (Linux)

Usage: claude-chromium-setup.sh [OPTIONS]

Options:
    -b, --browser BROWSER   Specify browser (chromium, brave, vivaldi, edge, opera)
                            If not specified, will auto-detect installed browsers
    -p, --profile PROFILE   Specify profile name (default: "Default")
    -n, --dry-run           Show what would be done without making changes
    -h, --help              Show this help message
    --readme                Show full documentation in markdown

Examples:
    claude-chromium-setup.sh                     # Auto-detect browser
    claude-chromium-setup.sh -b brave            # Setup for Brave
    claude-chromium-setup.sh -b chromium -n      # Dry-run for Chromium
    claude-chromium-setup.sh -p "Profile 1"      # Use non-default profile
    claude-chromium-setup.sh --readme            # View full documentation

Requirements:
    - Claude Code CLI installed (provides native messaging host)
    - Claude in Chrome extension installed in your browser

Based on: https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/14391
EOF
}

log_info() {
    echo -e "${BLUE}[INFO]${NC} $1"
}

log_success() {
    echo -e "${GREEN}[OK]${NC} $1"
}

log_warn() {
    echo -e "${YELLOW}[WARN]${NC} $1"
}

log_error() {
    echo -e "${RED}[ERROR]${NC} $1"
}

run_cmd() {
    if [ "$DRY_RUN" = true ]; then
        echo -e "${YELLOW}[DRY-RUN]${NC} $*"
    else
        "$@"
    fi
}

# Parse command line arguments
while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
    case $1 in
        -b|--browser)
            BROWSER="$2"
            shift 2
            ;;
        -p|--profile)
            PROFILE="$2"
            shift 2
            ;;
        -n|--dry-run)
            DRY_RUN=true
            shift
            ;;
        -h|--help)
            usage
            exit 0
            ;;
        --readme)
            show_readme
            exit 0
            ;;
        *)
            log_error "Unknown option: $1"
            usage
            exit 1
            ;;
    esac
done

# Validate browser choice if specified
if [ -n "$BROWSER" ] && [ -z "${BROWSER_PATHS[$BROWSER]:-}" ]; then
    log_error "Unknown browser: $BROWSER"
    echo "Supported browsers: ${!BROWSER_PATHS[*]}"
    exit 1
fi

# Check for Chrome native messaging host config
CHROME_NATIVE_HOST_DIR="$HOME/.config/google-chrome/NativeMessagingHosts"
CHROME_NATIVE_HOST="$CHROME_NATIVE_HOST_DIR/$NATIVE_HOST_FILE"

if [ ! -f "$CHROME_NATIVE_HOST" ]; then
    log_error "Chrome native messaging host not found at:"
    echo "  $CHROME_NATIVE_HOST"
    echo ""
    echo "This file is created by Claude Code CLI. Please ensure:"
    echo "  1. Claude Code is installed (npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code)"
    echo "  2. Run 'claude' at least once to initialize"
    echo "  3. The native messaging host was registered"
    exit 1
fi

log_success "Found Chrome native messaging host config"

# Auto-detect browser if not specified
detect_browser() {
    for browser in "${!BROWSER_PATHS[@]}"; do
        local browser_path="$HOME/.config/${BROWSER_PATHS[$browser]}"
        if [ -d "$browser_path" ]; then
            echo "$browser"
            return 0
        fi
    done
    return 1
}

if [ -z "$BROWSER" ]; then
    log_info "Auto-detecting browser..."
    if BROWSER=$(detect_browser); then
        log_success "Detected ${BROWSER_NAMES[$BROWSER]}"
    else
        log_error "No supported Chromium-based browser found"
        echo "Looked for: ${!BROWSER_NAMES[*]}"
        echo "Use -b to specify browser manually"
        exit 1
    fi
fi

BROWSER_CONFIG_PATH="$HOME/.config/${BROWSER_PATHS[$BROWSER]}"
BROWSER_NAME="${BROWSER_NAMES[$BROWSER]}"

# Verify browser directory exists
if [ ! -d "$BROWSER_CONFIG_PATH" ]; then
    log_error "$BROWSER_NAME config directory not found at:"
    echo "  $BROWSER_CONFIG_PATH"
    exit 1
fi

# Find Claude extension in browser
find_extension() {
    local extensions_dir="$BROWSER_CONFIG_PATH/$PROFILE/Extensions"

    if [ ! -d "$extensions_dir" ]; then
        log_error "Extensions directory not found: $extensions_dir"
        echo "Make sure the profile name is correct (current: $PROFILE)"
        return 1
    fi

    local manifest
    manifest=$(find "$extensions_dir" -name "manifest.json" -exec grep -l -i "claude" {} \; 2>/dev/null | head -n1)

    if [ -z "$manifest" ]; then
        log_error "Claude extension not found in $BROWSER_NAME"
        echo ""
        echo "Please install the Claude in Chrome extension:"
        echo "  1. Open $BROWSER_NAME"
        echo "  2. Go to: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/claude-code/fcoeoabgfenejglbffodgkkbkcdhcgfn"
        echo "  3. Click 'Add to $BROWSER_NAME'"
        echo "  4. Re-run this script"
        return 1
    fi

    # Extract extension ID from path
    # Path format: .../Extensions/EXTENSION_ID/VERSION/manifest.json
    local extension_id
    extension_id=$(echo "$manifest" | sed -E 's|.*/Extensions/([^/]+)/.*|\1|')
    echo "$extension_id"
}

log_info "Looking for Claude extension in $BROWSER_NAME..."
if ! EXTENSION_ID=$(find_extension); then
    exit 1
fi
log_success "Found extension: $EXTENSION_ID"

# Step 1: Copy native messaging config to browser
BROWSER_NATIVE_HOST_DIR="$BROWSER_CONFIG_PATH/NativeMessagingHosts"
BROWSER_NATIVE_HOST="$BROWSER_NATIVE_HOST_DIR/$NATIVE_HOST_FILE"

log_info "Copying native messaging config to $BROWSER_NAME..."
run_cmd mkdir -p "$BROWSER_NATIVE_HOST_DIR"
run_cmd cp "$CHROME_NATIVE_HOST" "$BROWSER_NATIVE_HOST"
log_success "Native messaging config copied"

# Step 2: Create Chrome extensions directory structure
CHROME_EXTENSIONS_DIR="$HOME/.config/google-chrome/$PROFILE/Extensions"

log_info "Ensuring Chrome extensions directory exists..."
run_cmd mkdir -p "$CHROME_EXTENSIONS_DIR"
log_success "Chrome extensions directory ready"

# Step 3: Create symlink for extension detection
BROWSER_EXTENSION_PATH="$BROWSER_CONFIG_PATH/$PROFILE/Extensions/$EXTENSION_ID"
CHROME_EXTENSION_LINK="$CHROME_EXTENSIONS_DIR/$EXTENSION_ID"

log_info "Creating symlink for Claude Code detection..."

if [ -L "$CHROME_EXTENSION_LINK" ]; then
    log_warn "Symlink already exists, updating..."
    run_cmd rm "$CHROME_EXTENSION_LINK"
elif [ -e "$CHROME_EXTENSION_LINK" ]; then
    log_error "Path exists but is not a symlink: $CHROME_EXTENSION_LINK"
    echo "Please remove it manually and re-run this script"
    exit 1
fi

run_cmd ln -sf "$BROWSER_EXTENSION_PATH" "$CHROME_EXTENSION_LINK"
log_success "Symlink created"

# Summary
echo ""
echo -e "${GREEN}========================================${NC}"
echo -e "${GREEN}Setup complete!${NC}"
echo -e "${GREEN}========================================${NC}"
echo ""
echo "Configuration:"
echo "  Browser:    $BROWSER_NAME"
echo "  Profile:    $PROFILE"
echo "  Extension:  $EXTENSION_ID"
echo ""
echo "Next steps:"
echo "  1. Restart $BROWSER_NAME completely (close all windows)"
echo "  2. Open Claude Code CLI"
echo "  3. Run /chrome to verify connection"
echo ""

if [ "$DRY_RUN" = true ]; then
    echo -e "${YELLOW}This was a dry run. No changes were made.${NC}"
    echo "Run without -n to apply changes."
fi