Chrome Extension - Part 2

We already wrote about Chrome Extension. It's main purpose is to enable workstation operators to save personal preferences and to improve user experience. Last time we wrote about macro support. Today we will write about Chrome omnibox and Web Terminal connection configurations.

Omnibox

Omnibox is Chrome browser address bar with additional features available through extension. With Chrome extension we can register unique command for omnibox for custom processing. In a case of our extension, omnibox enables quick access to Web Terminal without need to open login page.

After installing Green Screens Chrome Extension, just start typing **webterm ** and address bar will change to omnibox as shown on image below. Continue typing uuid and host name then press enter and omnibox will open Web Terminal for that configuration.

Connection configurations

Many users asked us how it is possible to store connection configurations so that they don't have to go to login page and type UUID and Host every time.

There is a standard browser approach to create bookmark from generated web terminal URL. But this approach have limitations as Web Terminal supports special security measures like URL connection timeout and browser fingerprinting. In other words, bookmarked URLs might become invalidated.

To solve that problem, we introduced feature to create session configurations as shown at image below. Once created configurations are available through browser context menu.

Just right click on any web page to open context menu, go to "Green Screen Sessions" and select one of configurations. Chrome extension will open Web Terminal at another tab.

And if username and password is saved in Chrome Extension, bypass signon is available. Username and password are encrypted localy and never send over the network directly. Even if user share link to web terminal, bypass signon is valid only for current workstaion and browser instance.

NOTE: For both options to work correctly, Service URL is required under Session options.