Web browsers are essential tools for accessing and interacting with the internet, providing users with a gateway to a vast amount of information. For Ubuntu users, a smooth and efficient browsing experience is a top priority. Google Chrome is a popular choice due to its speed and user-friendly interface. This guide outlines the different methods available to install Google Chrome on Ubuntu 24.04.
Installing Google Chrome on Ubuntu 24.04
Google Chrome offers a seamless browsing experience on Ubuntu, integrating effortlessly with various web services. It also allows synchronization across devices and supports a wide range of extensions. Here are the methods to install Chrome on Ubuntu 24.04.
Through the Google Repository
If the default package installer doesn’t contain the software you’re trying to install, adding the software’s repository to your system can resolve this.
Step 1: Fetch the signing key from Google, convert it to ASCII format, and save it to the Ubuntu keyring file.
curl -fSsL https://dl.google.com/linux/linux_signing_key.pub | gpg --dearmor | sudo tee /usr/share/keyrings/google-chrome.gpg > /dev/null
Step 2: Add the Google Chrome repository configuration to Ubuntu’s repository list, which is stored in the sources.list.d directory.
echo deb [arch=amd64 signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/google-chrome.gpg] http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb/ stable main | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-chrome.list
Step 3: Update the package list database for your system’s package manager.
sudo apt update
Step 4: Install Google Chrome using the apt package manager. You can choose to install the stable, beta, or unstable version. This example installs the stable version.
sudo apt install google-chrome-stable
Step 5: Launch the browser from the command line.
google-chrome-stable
Note: The curl utility is used to fetch the signing key for the Google repository. If it is not pre-installed, you can install it using:
sudo apt install curl
Through Deb File
Using a .deb file is a straightforward way to install applications on Debian-based distributions like Ubuntu. The .deb file usually contains the latest version of the application.
Step 1: Download the Google Chrome .deb file from the official website or use wget in the terminal:
wget https://dl.google.com/linux/direct/google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb
Step 2: Navigate to the directory where the .deb file was downloaded and install Google Chrome.
sudo apt install ./google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb
Step 3: Launch Google Chrome from the terminal:
google-chrome-stable
Step 4: When the browser opens for the first time, you may be prompted to set it as your default browser. Choose your preferred option and proceed.
Through Flatpak
Flatpak is a universal package manager that allows you to install applications from the Flathub repository.
Step 1: Install Google Chrome using Flatpak.
flatpak install flathub com.google.Chrome
Step 2: Launch Google Chrome via Flatpak.
flatpak run com.google.Chrome
Removing Google Chrome From Ubuntu 24.04
The removal process varies depending on the installation method used.
Step 1: To remove Google Chrome installed via the .deb file or Google repository, use the following command:
sudo apt remove --autoremove google-chrome-stable
Step 2: To completely remove Google Chrome, delete its downloaded .deb file (if any) and remove the configuration directory:
sudo rm ~/.config/google-chrome/ -rf
Step 3: If Google Chrome was installed via its repository, remove the repository and its signing key. First, list the keys in the Ubuntu keyring to identify the Google Chrome key:
sudo apt-key list
Step 4: Delete the Google Chrome key using the apt-key del command, replacing EB4C 1BFD 4F04 2F6D DDCC EC91 7721 F63B D38B 4796 with the actual key ID:
sudo apt-key del EB4C 1BFD 4F04 2F6D DDCC EC91 7721 F63B D38B 4796
Step 5: Remove the Google Chrome repository file:
sudo rm -r /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-chrome.list
Step 6: If Google Chrome was installed via Flatpak, remove it with:
flatpak remove flathub com.google.Chrome
Installing Google Chrome on Ubuntu 24.04 can be achieved through various methods, including using a .deb file, the Flathub repository, or the official Google repository. The most recommended approach is often using the .deb file due to its simplicity and access to the latest stable version.