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As I was using my desktop running Ubuntu 14.10, out of the blue a Cairo-Dock indicator appeared asking if I wanted to use the newly installed "Google Wallet" application. Cairo-dock does this whenever a new application is installed or a new .desktop file is added to /usr/share/applications.

I was not in the process of installing software and no software updates had occurred today to my knowledge.

Upon searching my computer, I could not find "Google Wallet," except via the Cairo-Dock:

Google wallet mysteriously appeared on Ubuntu 14.10

It is not in /usr/share/applications or /opt. It is not located by searching Nautilus.

Does anyone know what this is and how to get rid of it?

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  • Same Problem (Virus?) found it in /usr/bin/chromium-browser --profile-directory=Default --app-id=nmmhkkegccagdldgiimedpiccmgmieda never seen befor
    – user384530
    Mar 3, 2015 at 22:29
  • Same happened to me in Debian! it is the most weird moment I ever got while working on my computer!
    – iTech
    Mar 4, 2015 at 5:22
  • I've just had the same thing happen to me - any explanation, yet? Currently running clamav recursively across my entire system just in case. EDIT: Also, I can also confirm that curious app thing /usr/bin/chromium-browser with that strange id - that's what the strange added .desktop file points to.
    – Glen O
    Mar 4, 2015 at 9:12

2 Answers 2

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It is a plug-in for Chromium browser. I guess it comes from google itself to introduce their payment system Google Wallet. I deleted this plug-in (the folder) at ~/.config/chromium/Default/Extensions/nmmhkkegccagdldgiimedpiccmgmieda. Is not new published.

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  • 1
    Thanks for the tip. I removed all extensions from ~/.config/google-chrome/Default/Extensions w/o any side effects
    – WooDzu
    Mar 5, 2015 at 8:05
  • 1
    The same happened to me on Ubuntu 14.04 - the only googely thing I was aware of is that Chromium was running. WTF is google doing?
    – Alexander
    Mar 11, 2015 at 21:54
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As locke said - Google Wallet is a plug-in for Googles payment system of Google Chrome(ium).

What really happened was that the browser "installed" an application starter (a .desktop file) in the users directory:

~/.local/share/applications/chrome-nmmhkkegccagdldgiimedpiccmgmieda-Default.desktop

This starter simply launches Chrome with the wallet app. Cairo-dock keeps an eye on /usr/share/applications as well as ~/.local/share/applications so it noticed the new application and informed us about it.

#!/usr/bin/env xdg-open
[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Name=Google Wallet
Exec=/usr/lib/chromium/chromium --profile-directory=Default --app-id=nmmhkkegccagdldgiimedpiccmgmieda
Icon=chrome-nmmhkkegccagdldgiimedpiccmgmieda-Default
NoDisplay=true
StartupWMClass=crx_nmmhkkegccagdldgiimedpiccmgmieda

Pay attention to the "NoDisplay" entry which hides this application in all menus. Programs like alacarte show all available entries so it's easy to remove the starter with a menu editor.

If you're brave you can execute the following command in a terminal to get rid of the starter:

rm ~/.local/share/applications/chrome-nmmhkkegccagdldgiimedpiccmgmieda-Default.desktop

I have to state that it's the first time that I'm very happy about this (otherwise nagging) feature - I went like "WTF?!!1" o0 when it happened. I think it's an absolute no-go to secretly slip me an unwanted browser app and the corresponding starter. Even if it was done clearly visible and without this clandestine behavior it is an affront.

Don't touch my home you Google tools!

Seems it's time to set up a virtual box for this program. If I wouldn't need it for development it would have been purged from my machine now.

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    The first half of your answer is fine the second half unnessary opinion maybe you can improve it
    – damien
    Mar 14, 2015 at 1:47

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