Your message dated Sat, 22 Nov 2025 17:02:45 -0500
with message-id
<caaajcma2xkqcxxo_+wmtzogglwhs15w1a534ts2arxb3ing...@mail.gmail.com>
and subject line closing old gnome-shell bugs
has caused the Debian Bug report #717593,
regarding Can't install gnome shell extensions from extensions.gnome.org
because of root privilege
to be marked as done.
This means that you claim that the problem has been dealt with.
If this is not the case it is now your responsibility to reopen the
Bug report if necessary, and/or fix the problem forthwith.
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--
717593: https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=717593
Debian Bug Tracking System
Contact [email protected] with problems
--- Begin Message ---
Package:gnome-shell
Version:3.4.2-7
This problem will be the same in version 3.8.3-1.
If I go to extensions.gnome.org, and try to install an extension, the
on/off slider moves to "on", then there is a prompt asking if I want to
install the extension, I answer yes, but then nothing happens, and
nothing is created in ~/.local/share/gnome-shell/extensions. Reloading
the page shows the on/off slider in "off" position.
This is due to the fact that gnome shell tries to save the file in
/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions,
which is a root only access directory (computer at work, I do not have
root privilege).
could gnome-shell be packaged so that local users can install extensions
without root privilege,
for example in "~/.local/share/gnome-shell/extensions/" ?
I filed a bug at gnome-shell, and the answer was :
"We use the standard environment variable $XDG_DATA_HOME to get the user data
directory at runtime. Make sure nothing is setting that."
see bug report : https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=704509
If that was not the good answer, two actions to solve the problem :
- tell gnome-shell to install user extensions in local directory
~/.local/share/gnome-shell/extensions
- but also tell gnome-shell to read packaged extensions (for example from
gnome-shell-extensions package) in /usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions
Thanks
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
There have been many changes to Debian since this bug was originally
reported. If you are still experiencing this issue with Debian 13 (or
with Debian 12 or Testing or Unstable), please report a new bug.
Thank you,
Jeremy Bícha
--- End Message ---
