Bug#717593: Can't install gnome shell extensions from extensions.gnome.org because of root privilege

[William R]

Package:gnome-shell
Version:3.4.2-7

This problem will be the same in version 3.8.3-1.

If I go to extensions.gnome.org, and try to install an extension, the 
on/off slider moves to "on", then there is a prompt asking if I want to 
install the extension, I answer yes, but then nothing happens, and 
nothing is created in ~/.local/share/gnome-shell/extensions. Reloading 
the page shows the on/off slider in "off" position.

This is due to the fact that gnome shell tries to save the file in 
/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions,
which is a root only access directory (computer at work, I do not have 
root privilege).

could gnome-shell be packaged so that local users can install extensions 
without root privilege,
for example in "~/.local/share/gnome-shell/extensions/" ?

I filed a bug at gnome-shell, and the answer was :

"We use the standard environment variable $XDG_DATA_HOME to get the user data
directory at runtime. Make sure nothing is setting that."

see bug report : https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=704509


If that was not the good answer, two actions to solve the problem :

- tell gnome-shell to install user extensions in local directory
~/.local/share/gnome-shell/extensions

- but also tell gnome-shell to read packaged extensions (for example from
gnome-shell-extensions package) in /usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions

Thanks
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