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docs: add native messaging troubleshooting #655

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docs: add native messaging troubleshooting
Siedlerchr Aug 11, 2026
0acb700
add user install path as well
Siedlerchr Aug 12, 2026
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22 changes: 22 additions & 0 deletions en/collect/jabref-browser-extension.md
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Expand Up @@ -172,6 +172,28 @@ With Firefox installed as a flatpak:

3. Check that the Python script works. In Terminal run `/Applications/JabRef.app/Contents/Resources/jabrefHost.py`. If there are no errors the script is working properly. Stop the script by pressing `Ctrl + D`.

#### Native messaging host not found in Chrome

If Chrome reports `Specified native messaging host not found.`, its registered JabRef host manifest may refer to an old location for `jabrefHost.py`. Reinstall the manifest bundled with the currently installed JabRef application in the Chrome manifest location you use:

* For a system-wide Chrome installation (all users), run:

```sh
sudo mkdir -p "/Library/Google/Chrome/NativeMessagingHosts"
sudo cp "/Applications/JabRef.app/Contents/Resources/native-messaging-host/chromium/org.jabref.jabref.json" \
"/Library/Google/Chrome/NativeMessagingHosts/org.jabref.jabref.json"
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```

* For a per-user Chrome installation (current user only), run:

```sh
mkdir -p "$HOME/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/NativeMessagingHosts"
cp "/Applications/JabRef.app/Contents/Resources/native-messaging-host/chromium/org.jabref.jabref.json" \
"$HOME/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/NativeMessagingHosts/org.jabref.jabref.json"
```

Quit Chrome completely and reopen it afterwards. This assumes JabRef is installed in `/Applications`; adjust the first path if it is installed elsewhere.

#### Local JabRef installs

org.jabref.jabref.json directs the browser extension to a python script in the JabRef app, which is set to the most common install path by default (`/Applications/JabRef.app/Contents/Resources/jabrefHost.py`). If you have installed JabRef somewhere else, most likely to your local applications folder (`~/Applications/JabRef`), then you will need to update this path to the correct location. For example, in local installs this would be `/Users/USER/Applications/JabRef.app/Contents/Resources/jabrefHost.py`, where `USER` is your username.
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