How to install Gnome Shell Extensions from ZIP file using command line on Ubuntu 18.04 Bionic Beaver Linux

Objective

The objective is to install Gnome Shell Extensions from ZIP file using command line on Ubuntu 18.04 Bionic Beaver Linux. The installation of Gnome Shell Extensions from ZIP file using command line can be considered as an alternative to a standard way of Gnome Shell Extensions installation.

Operating System and Software Versions

• Operating System: - Ubuntu 18.04 Bionic Beaver
• Software: - GNOME Shell 3.26.2 or higher

Requirements

Apart of the install GNOME Shell there are no special requirements

Conventions

• # - requires given linux commands to be executed with root privileges either directly as a root user or by use of sudo command
• $ - requires given linux commands to be executed as a regular non-privileged user

Other Versions of this Tutorial

Ubuntu 20.04 (Focal Fossa)

Instructions

Download Gnome Extension

Let's start by downloading a Gnome Extension you wish to install. As an example, in this tutorial we will install OpenWeather Gnome extension. Open up terminal and check your Gnome Shell version:

$ gnome-shell --version
GNOME Shell 3.26.2

Select an appropriate gnome shell version and extensions version:



The extension's zip file has been downloaded into Downloads directory:

$ ls ~/Downloads/
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Obtain Extension UUID

The following linux command will read included metadata.json file to retrieve extension's UUID:

$ unzip -c Downloads/This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. metadata.json | grep uuid | cut -d \" -f4
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The UUID of your extension is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Create Destination Directory

Create a new directory into which we will unzip the content of the previously downloaded gnome extension. Make sure to change the directory name with the UUID of your Gnome extension:

$ mkdir -p ~/.local/share/gnome-shell/extensions/This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Unzip Gnome Extension

Now it is time to Unzip Gnome extension into previously created directory:

$ unzip -q Downloads/This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. -d ~/.local/share/gnome-shell/extensions/This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it./

Enable Gnome Extension

Next, enable the newly installed extension:

$ gnome-shell-extension-tool -e This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.' is now enabled.

What has left is to restart gnome-shell. At the time of writing I did not find any reasonable non-intrusive way of restarting gnome shell on Wayland apart of login out and login back in. If you have some tips please leave them using below comment section.