This scripts allows you to run Chrome on Linux, with a self contained profile and without a system wide install

standalonechrome

#!/bin/bash
# standalonechrome Version 0.2.1

# This script will extract the contents of a Google Chrome rpm package
# into a folder, from which it be can run in a self contained fashion,
# i.e. the profile (settings) will also be saved in the same location.

# I don't use Chrome for regular browsing but it is handy for
# comparative tests against Opera. :P

# Copyright 2014 Ruari Oedegaard, Oslo, Norway
# All rights reserved.
#
# Redistribution and use of this script, with or without modification, is
# permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
#
# 1. Redistributions of this script must retain the above copyright
#    notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
#
# THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS
# "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT
# LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR
# A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT
# HOLDER BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL,
# EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO,
# PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR
# PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF
# LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING
# NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS
# SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.


# Run some checks to see that we are ready to proceed:
if [ -z "$1" ]; then
  echo "You must specify the path to a locally stored Google Chrome rpm package." >&2
  echo "Example usage: $0 google-chrome-unstable_current_x86_64.rpm" >&2
  exit 1
fi

if ! echo "$1" | grep -q "google-chrome.*.rpm"; then
  echo "$1 is not name like a Google Chrome package" >&2
  exit 1
fi

if [ ! -r "$1" ]; then
  echo "$1 is either not present or cannot be read" >&2
  exit 1
fi


CHROMEVERSION=$(head -c96 "$1" | strings | sed -nr "s/^google-chrome-[a-z]+-([0-9\.]+)-[0-9]+$/\1/p")

if [ -z "$CHROMEVERSION" ]; then
  echo "Could not work out the Chrome version; exiting" >&2
  exit 1
fi

# Extract the contents of the rpm
mkdir -p chrome-$CHROMEVERSION || exit 1

RPMHDRINFO=$(LANG=C grep -abom1 '.7zXZ\|]'$'\000\000''....'$'\377\377\377\377\377\377''\|BZh9\|'$'\037\213\b' "$1")

case "$RPMHDRINFO" in
  *7zXZ) COMPRESSOR=xz ;;
  *]*)   COMPRESSOR=lzma ;;
  *BZh9) COMPRESSOR=bzip2 ;;
  *)     COMPRESSOR=gzip ;;
esac

echo "Extracting Chrome..."

tail -c+$[${RPMHDRINFO%:*}+1] "$1" | $COMPRESSOR -d | ( cd chrome-$CHROMEVERSION ; cpio --quiet -imd ./opt/* )

# Configure Chrome to run with no (system wide) install and a self contained profile
cd chrome-$CHROMEVERSION

if [ -r /etc/os-release ] && grep -qx 'ID=\(ubuntu\|linuxmint\)' /etc/os-release; then
  echo "Calling sudo ... If prompted, please enter your password to give chrome-sandbox sufficient permissions to function as it should."
  sudo chown root:root opt/google/chrome/chrome-sandbox
  sudo chmod 4755 opt/google/chrome/chrome-sandbox
else
  echo "Please enter your root password to give chrome-sandbox sufficient permissions to function as it should."
  su -c "sh -c \"chown root:root opt/google/chrome/chrome-sandbox && chmod 4755 opt/google/chrome/chrome-sandbox \""
fi

if ls -l opt/google/chrome/chrome-sandbox | grep -q "rws.*root root"; then
  sed -i '$ s,"\$@",--user-data-dir="\${0%/*}"/profile "\$@",' opt/google/chrome/google-chrome
  ln -s opt/google/chrome/google-chrome run
else
  echo "Failed to setup chrome-sandbox with correct ownership and permissions" >&2
  cd ..
  rm -fr chrome-$CHROMEVERSION
  exit 1
fi

# Inform the user that we are done
printf "\nThe directory chrome-$CHROMEVERSION has been created, issue the following to start Chrome:\n"
printf "\n    chrome-$CHROMEVERSION/run &\n\n"