title: chrome extension auto-update from a local server
body: <p>I have created a chrome extension for the company I work for, and want to post updates to a local server within the office network.
  I have read <a href="http://code.google.com/chrome/extensions/autoupdate.html" rel="nofollow">http://code.google.com/chrome/extensions/autoupdate.html</a>, but to no avail.</p>
  
  <p><strong>manifest.json</strong></p>
  
  <pre><code>{
    "name": "My Helper",
    "version": "1.0",
    "description": "desc",
    "omnibox": { "keyword" : "bla" },
  
    "update_url": "\\\\serverName\\Dir\\updates.xml",
    "background_page" : "background.html",
    "browser_action": {
      "default_icon": "icon.png",
      "popup": "popup.html"
    },
  
    "permissions":
       ["tabs"]
  }
  </code></pre>
  
  <p><strong>updates.xml</strong></p>
  
  <pre><code>&lt;?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?&gt;
  &lt;gupdate xmlns='http://www.google.com/update2/response' protocol='2.0'&gt;
    &lt;app appid='abpjmfcmljpfhjpalecklgnndibgnjmp'&gt;
      &lt;updatecheck codebase='\\serverName\Dir\my_helper.crx' version='1.0' /&gt;
    &lt;/app&gt;
  &lt;/gupdate&gt;
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Now, after I make some changes, I do the following:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Update the version in <em>manifest.json</em> to 1.1</li>
  <li>Update the version in <em>updates.xml</em> to 1.1</li>
  <li>Pack the extension, specifying the directory which holds the source files and the <em>pem</em> file.</li>
  <li>Post the new <em>crx</em> file and the new <em>updates.xml</em> file to <code>\\serverName\Dir\</code></li>
  <li>Go to another computer on the network, and click <em>update extensions now</em> in the Chrome's extensions window.</li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>-> Nothing happens.</p>
  
  <p>Question is - how to make an extension auto-update from a shared server on the local network?</p>
  
  <p>P.S. I am pretty sure this is <em>not</em> a permissions issue. I have made sure I can access <code>\\serverName\Dir\</code> from all clients on this network.</p>