Portable Google Chrome Profile Privacy Hacks

:squirrel: Privacy for Mac users at work or on shared computers.

I occasionally need access to files or messages from my personal Google accounts at work. I got tired of constantly have to sign into Chrome Incognito tabs every time, and I didn't want my personal Chrome profile and account credentials written to disk on a computer that's not mine.

• Work computer is not mine.
• Don't want my personal Chrome profile and account credentials written to disk and accessible by another user.
• Tired of signing into Chrome Incognito tabs all the time.
• Tired of this shit.

Solution:

• Move Chrome profile to encrypted disk image.
• Symlink profile back to ~/Library/Application\ Support/Google/Chrome/Default
• Create Automator Application to mount img then open Chrome.

Automator Application > Run Shell Script:

hdiutil attach ~/Dropbox/*.sparsebundle && sleep 2 && open -a Google\ Chrome

hdiutil will try and mount the sparsebundle disk image and prompt you for the decryption password. If successfully mounted, it will open Chrome in 2 seconds.

⚠️ Remember to UNCHECK "Remember this password in my keychain"

🔥 Bonus:

• Put it in a Dropbox folder so you can remote wipe it.
• Use a dedicated free Dropbox account to limit data leakage.

Instructions

Create the disk image

You can create a sparse bundle using Disk Utility in Mac OS X, as shown below.

Launch Disk Utility and select File->New->Blank Disk Image…

Select the location to write the image, then choose “sparse bundle disk image” before setting the size. You can add encryption here, too, and the tool will ask for a passphrase when you click “Create”.

Copy profile and symlink it

Replace the environment variables at the top.

Eg. CHROMEPROFILE="Default" Replace Default with your Chrome profile; CHROMEPROFILE="Profile 5".

Also add the name of the disk image.

Eg. IMGNAME="Example" replace Example with defeatsweat or w/e your diskimage is called...

echo "SETTING ENV VARIABLES"
export IMGNAME="Example" ; echo $IMGNAME
export CHROMEPROFILE="Default" ; echo $CHROMEPROFILE
echo "MOUNTING AND UNLOCKING CHROME PRIVATE PROFILE DISK IMAGE"
hdiutil attach ~/Dropbox/"$IMGNAME".sparsebundle
echo "CREATING CHROME PROFILE DIRECTORIES"
mkdir /Volumes/"$IMGNAME"/Library /Volumes/"$IMGNAME"/Library/Application\ Support /Volumes/"$IMGNAME"/Library/Application\ Support/Google /Volumes/"$IMGNAME"/Library/Application\ Support/Google/Chrome /Volumes/"$IMGNAME"/Library/Application\ Support/Google/Chrome/"$CHROMEPROFILE"
echo "CREATING CHROME PROFILE CACHE DIRECTORIES"
mkdir /Volumes/"$IMGNAME"/Library /Volumes/"$IMGNAME"/Library/Caches /Volumes/"$IMGNAME"/Library/Caches/Google /Volumes/"$IMGNAME"/Library/Caches/Google/Chrome /Volumes/"$IMGNAME"/Library/Caches/Google/Chrome/"$CHROMEPROFILE"
echo "COPYING CHROME PROFILE"
cp -R ~/Library/Application\ Support/Google/Chrome/"$CHROMEPROFILE"/ /Volumes/"$IMGNAME"/Library/Application\ Support/Google/Chrome/"$CHROMEPROFILE"
echo "COPYING CHROME PROFILE CACHE"
cp -R ~/Library/Caches/Google/Chrome/"$CHROMEPROFILE"/ /Volumes/"$IMGNAME"/Library/Caches/Google/Chrome/"$CHROMEPROFILE"
echo "SYMLINKING CHROME PROFILE"
ln -s /Volumes/"$IMGNAME"/Library/Application\ Support/Google/Chrome/"$CHROMEPROFILE" ~/Library/Application\ Support/Google/Chrome/"$CHROMEPROFILE"
echo "SYMLINKING CHROME PROFILE CACHE"
ln -s /Volumes/"$IMGNAME"/Library/Caches/Google/Chrome/"$CHROMEPROFILE" ~/Library/Caches/Google/Chrome/"$CHROMEPROFILE"

Automator application launcher

Now you need a special button to prompt for the decryption password and then launch Google Chrome.

💾 Download Chrome Automator application

_{🔏 Minisign Signature - GPG Signature}

sha256 = 0c71b46d2696656135f8f7f8979fd55e0309c52baf7d274ad5b1e651cf09c4b2
sha512 = ae9dd73c7e7df57611ed7c6e49ef3a632f9532d7e938e29af1c681a840b760ea35788ac21ae7d53016af7c5a920953f4870f803e18c10aad4693a366f73a9f9d

What is the functional difference between a checksum and a signature?

hdiutil attach ~/Dropbox/*.sparsebundle && sleep 2 && open -a Google\ Chrome

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