Google Chrome is the most popular browser in the world. However, it’s not in Ubuntu’s standard software repositories, as it’s not open source. You can, however, install Chrome on Ubuntu.
Graphical installation of Google Chrome
The Ubuntu apt Package Manager uses installation packages called “.deb” files. Our first step is to get the “.deb” file from Google Chrome. Visit the official website Google Chrome download page and click the “Download Chrome” button.
Note that there is no 32-bit version of Google Chrome. Select the “64-bit .deb (for Debian/Ubuntu)” option, then click the “Accept and Install” button. The “.deb” file will be downloaded.
Unless you’ve changed the default location for downloaded files, it will be in your “Downloads” folder after the download is complete.
Double-click on the “.deb” file. The Ubuntu Software application will launch. It displays details of the Google Chrome package. Click the “Install” button to start the installation process.
You will be asked for your password. Enter your password and click on the “Authenticate” button.
To start Google Chrome, press the “Super” key. This is usually between the “Ctrl” and “Alt” keys on the left side of the keyboard. Type “chrome” in the search bar and click on the “Google Chrome” icon that appears or press Enter.
The first time you start Chrome, you’ll have the option to make Google Chrome your default browser and decide if you want crash reports and usage statistics to be passed to Google. Make your choices, then click the “OK” button.
Google Chrome will start. This is the full desktop version of Google Chrome, and it works just like on Windows, Mac, or Chrome OS.
To add Google Chrome to your dock, right-click the Chrome icon in the dock and select the “Add to Favorites” option from the pop-up menu.
Install Google Chrome with the command line
Installing Google Chrome from the command line only takes a few commands. we will use wget to download the “.deb” file.
wget https://dl.google.com/linux/direct/google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb
You will see a text progress bar and a percentage counter as the download progresses.
Once the download is complete, use the dpkg to install Google Chrome from the “.deb” file. Remember that you can use the “Tab” key to expand filenames. If you type the first few letters of the filename and press the “Tab” key, the rest of the filename will be added for you.
sudo dpkg -i google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb
You will be prompted to enter your password, then the installation will begin. It’s very fast, taking only a few moments.
If you see error messages complaining about unmet dependencies, use the following command to force apt to satisfy the dependencies. The computer this article was found on was running Ubuntu 21.04. There were no unmet dependencies using this release.
sudo apt -f install
Google Chrome Update
When a new version of Google Chrome is available, your Chrome installation will try to update. If it doesn’t succeed, it will display a message telling you that it tried to upgrade but couldn’t.
To note: If you run Ubuntu’s standard software update tool, it will update Google Chrome, as well as other apps on your system. It works because the Software Updater tool checks for updates in all of your system’s configured software repositories, including the Google repository that Chrome adds when you install it.
If you’re having trouble with the graphical update process, or just prefer the terminal, you can update Google Chrome from the command line.
Google Chrome adds a repository to the list of repositories that the apt command checks when it searches for installation files. So although Ubuntu doesn’t have Google Chrome in any of the standard Ubuntu repositories, you can still use apt to upgrade Chrome.
The command to use is:
sudo apt install google-chrome-stable
This will try to install Google Chrome. The apt command will realize that Chrome is already installed. It will check the version available in the repository and the version installed on your computer. If the version in the repository is newer than the version on your computer, the newer version will be installed for you.
If you run this command shortly after installing Google Chrome, the version in the repository and the version on your computer will be the same, so nothing will happen.
In this case, apt reports that the version on the computer is already the latest available. No changes are made and nothing is upgraded or installed.
Google Chrome everywhere
Ubuntu comes with the Firefox web browser as standard, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Firefox is an awesome and capable browser, and it’s also open source. But maybe you use Google Chrome on other platforms and want the same experience on Ubuntu. The methods described here will have your favorite browser installed on your Ubuntu computer in no time.
Google Chrome is the most popular browser in the world. However, it’s not in Ubuntu’s standard software repositories, as it’s not open source. You can, however, install Chrome on Ubuntu.
Graphical installation of Google Chrome
The Ubuntu apt Package Manager uses installation packages called “.deb” files. Our first step is to get the “.deb” file from Google Chrome. Visit the official website Google Chrome download page and click the “Download Chrome” button.
Note that there is no 32-bit version of Google Chrome. Select the “64-bit .deb (for Debian/Ubuntu)” option, then click the “Accept and Install” button. The “.deb” file will be downloaded.
Unless you’ve changed the default location for downloaded files, it will be in your “Downloads” folder after the download is complete.
Double-click on the “.deb” file. The Ubuntu Software application will launch. It displays details of the Google Chrome package. Click the “Install” button to start the installation process.
You will be asked for your password. Enter your password and click on the “Authenticate” button.
To start Google Chrome, press the “Super” key. This is usually between the “Ctrl” and “Alt” keys on the left side of the keyboard. Type “chrome” in the search bar and click on the “Google Chrome” icon that appears or press Enter.
The first time you start Chrome, you’ll have the option to make Google Chrome your default browser and decide if you want crash reports and usage statistics to be passed to Google. Make your choices, then click the “OK” button.
Google Chrome will start. This is the full desktop version of Google Chrome, and it works just like on Windows, Mac, or Chrome OS.
To add Google Chrome to your dock, right-click the Chrome icon in the dock and select the “Add to Favorites” option from the pop-up menu.
Install Google Chrome with the command line
Installing Google Chrome from the command line only takes a few commands. we will use wget to download the “.deb” file.
wget https://dl.google.com/linux/direct/google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb
You will see a text progress bar and a percentage counter as the download progresses.
Once the download is complete, use the dpkg to install Google Chrome from the “.deb” file. Remember that you can use the “Tab” key to expand filenames. If you type the first few letters of the filename and press the “Tab” key, the rest of the filename will be added for you.
sudo dpkg -i google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb
You will be prompted to enter your password, then the installation will begin. It’s very fast, taking only a few moments.
If you see error messages complaining about unmet dependencies, use the following command to force apt to satisfy the dependencies. The computer this article was found on was running Ubuntu 21.04. There were no unmet dependencies using this release.
sudo apt -f install
Google Chrome Update
When a new version of Google Chrome is available, your Chrome installation will try to update. If it doesn’t succeed, it will display a message telling you that it tried to upgrade but couldn’t.
To note: If you run Ubuntu’s standard software update tool, it will update Google Chrome, as well as other apps on your system. It works because the Software Updater tool checks for updates in all of your system’s configured software repositories, including the Google repository that Chrome adds when you install it.
If you’re having trouble with the graphical update process, or just prefer the terminal, you can update Google Chrome from the command line.
Google Chrome adds a repository to the list of repositories that the apt command checks when it searches for installation files. So although Ubuntu doesn’t have Google Chrome in any of the standard Ubuntu repositories, you can still use apt to upgrade Chrome.
The command to use is:
sudo apt install google-chrome-stable
This will try to install Google Chrome. The apt command will realize that Chrome is already installed. It will check the version available in the repository and the version installed on your computer. If the version in the repository is newer than the version on your computer, the newer version will be installed for you.
If you run this command shortly after installing Google Chrome, the version in the repository and the version on your computer will be the same, so nothing will happen.
In this case, apt reports that the version on the computer is already the latest available. No changes are made and nothing is upgraded or installed.
Google Chrome everywhere
Ubuntu comes with the Firefox web browser as standard, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Firefox is an awesome and capable browser, and it’s also open source. But maybe you use Google Chrome on other platforms and want the same experience on Ubuntu. The methods described here will have your favorite browser installed on your Ubuntu computer in no time.
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