Google Chrome is the most popular web browser. It’s fast, secure, and packed with features that provide you with the best browsing feel.
Ubuntu comes with the Firefox browser as pre-installed. Firefox has recently improved and is a good choice, especially from a privacy perspective. But if you’re a big supporter of Google Chrome, I wouldn’t force you to switch to Firefox.
As you undoubtedly know, Google Chrome is not pre-installed on Ubuntu by default, and you cannot install Chrome on Ubuntu using the Ubuntu Software app.
So how to install Google Chrome on Ubuntu?
You can do these two ways:
- Install Google Chrome graphically
- Install Google Chrome in the command box
- Installing Google chrome graphically on ubuntu
To install Google Chrome on Ubuntu, you should note that it is not available for 32-bit operating systems. You should ensure that you are using a 64-bit operating system, and you need an active and fast internet connection.
- Go to the Google Chrome website.
- You will find a download link; you must click on it.
- After clicking the download button, it gives you two options to download the file. You need to download the .deb file, which is appropriate for ubuntu.
- On the next screen, save the file to your computer rather than open it in Software Center for installation.
If you don’t and there are some problems from Software Center, you need to download the deb file again.
- The deb file you downloaded should be in the Downloads folder.
- Installing the deb file is very simple. Select this folder and double-click on the deb file.
- This will open Ubuntu’s Software Center, and you should now see an option to install Google Chrome. Click the Install button.
TROUBLESHOOT:
- In Ubuntu 20.04, you must right-click on the deb file and select Open Top Software Center.
- It will ask for your password before the installation starts.
- Enter your account password.
- Google Chrome installation will take less than a minute to complete.
- You should now see an uninstall option indicating that the software is installed.
- Once you install Chrome on Ubuntu, you can search for it in the menu, press the Windows key, and start typing chrome.
- Install google chrome in the ubuntu terminal
The procedure you saw in’ Installing Google chrome graphically on ubuntu’ can also be done in the Terminal. Many people choose the GUI method, but if you prefer to use the command line, you can install Google Chrome through Terminal.
It’s more complex than using App-Gate to install Chrome, but it’s simple too.
- If you need to install Google Chrome from the terminal, you must get the DEB file using the wget command:
https://dl.google.com/linux/direct/google-chrome- stable_current_amd64.deb
- Then you can use dpkg to install Chrome from the( downloaded) DEB file:
sudo dekg -i google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb
- That’s it. Now you can find Google Chrome in the menu and launch it there.
Here are a few tips on using Google Chrome on Ubuntu:
1. Set Up Google Chrome
- The first time you run Chrome on Ubuntu, it will ask if you want to ‘make Google Chrome the default browser. If you’re going to do this, you can check the box.
- You can automatically choose to ‘send usage statistics and crash reports to Google. ‘ Whether or not you want to enable this is up to you, but it will help Chrome devs to know what’s not working so they can resolve the problem.
- When you use Chrome for the first time, you will see a (mostly empty) browser window that welcomes you to the browser and asks if you want to sign in.
- Sign in with any valid Google account like your Gmail to sync bookmarks, passwords, and Chrome extensions across all devices you need to use the browser on and your mobile phone.
2. Add chrome to your favorite.
If you use Google Chrome frequently, add it to your favorites in the Ubuntu 18.04 default Gnome version so you can access it quickly from the left-hand launcher.
3. Stay Always Updated
The official Google repository is added to your system when you install Google Chrome on Ubuntu. This lets you spontaneously install future Google Chrome updates as announced, using the Software Update tool or your favorite command line package manager.
4. Google Chrome Crash
If you see an error like google chrome stopped working unexpectedly, don’t be scared. Your system is safe and secure. Your Chrome browser is safe and fully functional. Maybe there was a temporary problem, and some browser tabs or extensions crashed for some reason, But this is not fatal.
If you see pop-ups every time you start Google Chrome on Ubuntu, you can use “Ignore future issues with this program version.”
It depends on you if you need to send a crash report. It won’t be a problem if you don’t send it.
How To Uninstall Google Chrome From Ubuntu?
If you installed Google’s web browser but later decided it wasn’t for you, that’s okay: you can easily uninstall Chrome on Ubuntu the same way you installed it.
Open a new terminal window and execute:
Sudo apt remove google-chrome
Removal is fast, but some configuration files may be left on your system. If you want to clean them, you’ll need to delete them by hand or use a tool like a bleachbit.
13 keyword shortcuts that ubuntu users should know:
- Super Key:( Opens Activities Search)
- Ctrl+Alt+T: (Ubuntu Terminal Shortcut)
- Super+L or Ctrl+Alt+T:( Locks the screen)
- Super+D or Ctrl+Alt+D: (Show desktop)
- Super+A: (Shows the application menu)
- Super+Tab or Alt+Tab ( Switch between running applications)
- Super+Arrow Key:( Snap Windows)
- Super+M: (Toggle notification tray)
- Super+Space: (Change input keyboard) (for multilingual setup)
- Alt+F2:( Run console)
- Ctrl+Q: (Close an application window)
- Ctrl+Alt+Arrow: (Move between workspaces)
- Ctrl+Alt+Del: (Log out)
Summary
Installing Google Chrome in Ubuntu is easy. It’s not available in the Software Center, but you can download and install it like Windows and macOS.
