akaBot Commander (Command Line)

Commander.exe is the command-line tool that akaBot Studio uses behind Options > Extensions. IT administrators can run it directly to:

install, check and remove the akaBot Web Extension for Chrome, Edge and Firefox in User, Policy or Policy (Offline) mode, for example from a deployment script on many robot machines;
turn the Java Access Bridge on or off;
manage Windows child sessions and start a program.

For what each installation mode does and which policies it writes, see Browser Group Policies.

1. Before you start

1.1 Location

Commander.exe is in the akaBot Studio installation folder. With the default installation:

File	Default location
Commander	`C:\Program Files\FPT Software\akaBot Platform\Commander.exe`
Extension packages	`C:\Program Files\FPT Software\akaBot Platform\akaBot\MV3\`
Native messaging host files	`C:\Program Files\FPT Software\akaBot Platform\akaBot\NativeHost\`

The extension packages are named akaBot-Chrome-<version>.crx, akaBot-Edge-<version>.crx and akaBot-Firefox-<version>.xpi. To see which versions are shipped with your installation, run:

dir /b "C:\Program Files\FPT Software\akaBot Platform\akaBot\MV3"

1.2 Administrator rights

Command	Run as administrator
`install-…` / `remove-…` with `--scope:user`	No. Run it as the Windows user who uses the browser — it changes that user's settings only.
`install-…` / `remove-…` with `--scope:policy` or `--scope:policyoffline`	Yes. Open Command Prompt with Run as administrator.
`status-…`	No
`install-java` / `remove-java`	Yes, when Java is installed in `C:\Program Files`
`child-session --enable` / `--disable`	Yes

1.3 Syntax

Commander.exe <command> --<option>:<value> --<option>:<value> ...

Options use a colon (:) between the name and the value. Option names are not case-sensitive.
Put values that contain spaces in quotes: --file:"C:\Program Files\...\akaBot-Chrome-3.0.3.crx".
Boolean options need an explicit value: --silent:true, not --silent.
Run Commander.exe --help to print the list of commands.
Messages are written to the console. The result is the exit code (see section 6). In Command Prompt, read it with echo %ERRORLEVEL%; in PowerShell, with $LASTEXITCODE.

Tip: Run the examples in this guide from the Commander folder, so that the relative paths akaBot\MV3\... and akaBot\NativeHost\... work:
cd /d "C:\Program Files\FPT Software\akaBot Platform"

2. Extension identifiers

Every extension command needs the extension ID and the native messaging host of the browser.

Browser	`--id`	`--nativeHostId`	`--fileNativeHost`
Chrome	`pflniglmkbjhmlcpcgpnhnpicdfalkjb`	`com.akarpa.chromenativemsg`	`akaBot\NativeHost\com.akarpa.chromenativemsg.json`
Edge	`idcmnficjddehpcjmkfcmomijikkgdgh`	`com.akarpa.edgenativemsg`	`akaBot\NativeHost\com.akarpa.edgenativemsg.json`
Firefox	`support@akabot.com`	`com.akarpa.firefoxnativemsg`	`akaBot\NativeHost\com.akarpa.firefoxnativemsg.json`

3. Install the extension

Commander.exe install-chrome | install-edge | install-firefox
    --scope:<user|policy|policyoffline>
    --id:<extension id>
    --version:<version>
    --file:<path to .crx or .xpi>
    --nativeHostId:<native host id>
    --fileNativeHost:<path to native host .json>
    [--silent:<true|false>]
    [--noConfirm:<true|false>]

Option	Required	Description
`--scope`	Yes	Installation mode: `user`, `policy` or `policyoffline` (Chrome and Edge). Firefox supports `user` and `policy`.
`--id`	Yes	Extension ID (section 2).
`--version`	Yes	Version of the package, for example `3.0.3`. Must match the package file.
`--file`	Yes	Extension package: `.crx` for Chrome and Edge, `.xpi` for Firefox. For `policyoffline`, the package must be the akaBot extension with the same `--id`.
`--nativeHostId`	Yes	Native messaging host (section 2).
`--fileNativeHost`	Yes	Native messaging host manifest (`.json`).
`--silent`	No	`true`: no dialog at all — running browser processes of the current user are closed without asking. Use it in deployment scripts. Default `false`: Commander asks to confirm the installation and asks before closing the browser.
`--noConfirm`	No	`true`: skip only the "install extension?" confirmation; closing the browser is still asked. Chrome and Edge only.

Note: The browser must be closed during installation. Save your work in the browser before you run an install command.

3.1 Example: User mode (current user, no administrator rights)

cd /d "C:\Program Files\FPT Software\akaBot Platform"

Commander.exe install-chrome --scope:user --id:pflniglmkbjhmlcpcgpnhnpicdfalkjb --version:3.0.3 --file:"akaBot\MV3\akaBot-Chrome-3.0.3.crx" --nativeHostId:com.akarpa.chromenativemsg --fileNativeHost:"akaBot\NativeHost\com.akarpa.chromenativemsg.json"

After a User-mode install, open Chrome and click Enable extension in the notification (see How to install akaBot Web Extension).

3.2 Example: Policy mode (all users, from the store)

In an elevated Command Prompt:

cd /d "C:\Program Files\FPT Software\akaBot Platform"

Commander.exe install-edge --scope:policy --id:idcmnficjddehpcjmkfcmomijikkgdgh --version:3.0.3 --file:"akaBot\MV3\akaBot-Edge-3.0.3.crx" --nativeHostId:com.akarpa.edgenativemsg --fileNativeHost:"akaBot\NativeHost\com.akarpa.edgenativemsg.json" --silent:true

Edge downloads the extension from Edge Add-ons the next time it starts, so the machine needs access to the store.

3.3 Example: Policy (Offline) mode (all users, no store access)

In an elevated Command Prompt, on a machine joined to a domain or enrolled in MDM:

cd /d "C:\Program Files\FPT Software\akaBot Platform"

Commander.exe install-chrome --scope:policyoffline --id:pflniglmkbjhmlcpcgpnhnpicdfalkjb --version:3.0.3 --file:"akaBot\MV3\akaBot-Chrome-3.0.3.crx" --nativeHostId:com.akarpa.chromenativemsg --fileNativeHost:"akaBot\NativeHost\com.akarpa.chromenativemsg.json" --silent:true

Commander copies the package to C:\ProgramData\akaBot\Extensions\chrome and force-installs it from there. If the command ends with exit code 14, the machine is not managed — use --scope:policy instead. Exit code 15 means the package could not be copied: delete C:\ProgramData\akaBot\Extensions and run the command again.

3.4 Example: Firefox in Policy mode

In an elevated Command Prompt:

cd /d "C:\Program Files\FPT Software\akaBot Platform"

Commander.exe install-firefox --scope:policy --id:support@akabot.com --version:2.0.1 --file:"akaBot\MV3\akaBot-Firefox-2.0.1.xpi" --nativeHostId:com.akarpa.firefoxnativemsg --fileNativeHost:"akaBot\NativeHost\com.akarpa.firefoxnativemsg.json" --silent:true

Note: Replace the versions in the examples with a version from your akaBot\MV3 folder (section 1.1).

4. Check the status

Commander.exe status-chrome | status-edge | status-firefox --id:<extension id> --nativeHostId:<native host id>

Example:

Commander.exe status-chrome --id:pflniglmkbjhmlcpcgpnhnpicdfalkjb --nativeHostId:com.akarpa.chromenativemsg
echo %ERRORLEVEL%

Output	Exit code	Meaning
`Installed. Scope: User`	`0`	Installed for the current user.
`Installed. Scope: Policy`	`0`	Force-installed from the store, and all required policies are present.
`Installed. Scope: PolicyOffline`	`0`	Force-installed from `C:\ProgramData\akaBot\Extensions`, and all required policies and files are present.
`Not installed`	`6`	The extension is not installed.
`Not installed. Scope: Policy (incomplete: ...)`	`6`	The extension is force-installed (for example by your organization's GPO), but something it needs is missing, so Indicate does not work. The text after `incomplete:` lists what is missing. Run `install-…` with the same scope as administrator to fix it.

For Chrome and Edge, the status is what Indicate sees: when the extension is force-installed by policy, the policy installation is reported even if a User-mode installation also exists.

5. Remove the extension

Commander.exe remove-chrome | remove-edge | remove-firefox --scope:<user|policy|policyoffline> --id:<extension id> --nativeHostId:<native host id>

Use the same scope as the installation (see status-…). Policy scopes require an elevated Command Prompt.

Commander.exe remove-chrome --scope:policyoffline --id:pflniglmkbjhmlcpcgpnhnpicdfalkjb --nativeHostId:com.akarpa.chromenativemsg

Policy scopes remove only the akaBot entries from the policy lists; entries of other products are kept. policyoffline also deletes the files in C:\ProgramData\akaBot\Extensions\<browser>.
The browser removes a force-installed extension the next time it starts.
remove-firefox asks to close Firefox if it is running.

6. Exit codes

Code	Name	Meaning
`0`	Success	The command succeeded. For `status-…`: the extension is installed.
`1`	CancelledByUser	You clicked No or Cancel in a confirmation dialog. Nothing was changed.
`2`	UnexpectedError	The command failed; the reason is printed. Common causes: a policy scope run without administrator rights, a missing option, or a package file that does not exist.
`6`	ExtensionNotInstalled	`status-…`: the extension is not installed, or its policy setup is incomplete.
`10`	OperationNotSupported	Unknown command.
`14`	MachineNotManaged	`--scope:policyoffline` on a machine that is not joined to a domain or enrolled in MDM. Nothing was changed. Use `--scope:policy`.
`15`	StagingFailed	`--scope:policyoffline`: the package could not be copied to `C:\ProgramData\akaBot\Extensions`, or the package is not the akaBot extension for this `--id`, or `--version` is missing.

child-session commands use their own codes (section 7.2).

7. Other commands

7.1 Java Access Bridge

Turns the Java Access Bridge on or off for every Java installation found (JAVA_HOME and the folders under C:\Program Files\Java and C:\Program Files (x86)\Java). akaBot needs it to automate Java applications.

Commander.exe install-java
Commander.exe remove-java

Restart the Java application after running the command.

7.2 Child sessions

Manages Windows child sessions, used to run automations in a separate session on the same machine.

Command	Description	Exit code on failure
`Commander.exe child-session --is-enable`	Prints `True` or `False`.	`10`
`Commander.exe child-session --get-id`	Prints the child session ID of the current user.	`11`
`Commander.exe child-session --enable`	Turns child sessions on (administrator).	`12`
`Commander.exe child-session --disable`	Turns child sessions off (administrator).	`13`
`Commander.exe child-session --logoff:<id>`	Signs out the given child session of the current user.	`14`

7.3 Start a program

Commander.exe run-program --path:<path\to\app.exe> [--arguments:<Base64>] [--working-dir:<folder>]

Starts a program without waiting for it. --arguments is the command line of the program, encoded in Base64 (UTF-8). The working folder defaults to the folder of the program.

Example — open C:\Temp\report.txt in Notepad. First encode the arguments in PowerShell:

[Convert]::ToBase64String([Text.Encoding]::UTF8.GetBytes('"C:\Temp\report.txt"'))
# IkM6XFRlbXBccmVwb3J0LnR4dCI=

Then run:

Commander.exe run-program --path:"C:\Windows\System32\notepad.exe" --arguments:IkM6XFRlbXBccmVwb3J0LnR4dCI=

1. Before you start​

1.1 Location​

1.2 Administrator rights​

1.3 Syntax​

2. Extension identifiers​

3. Install the extension​

3.1 Example: User mode (current user, no administrator rights)​

3.2 Example: Policy mode (all users, from the store)​

3.3 Example: Policy (Offline) mode (all users, no store access)​

3.4 Example: Firefox in Policy mode​

4. Check the status​

5. Remove the extension​

6. Exit codes​

7. Other commands​

7.1 Java Access Bridge​

7.2 Child sessions​

7.3 Start a program​