How to Install Google Chrome on Manjaro Linux

Google’s Chrome browser is the most popular worldwide and is known for being fast, reliable, and secure and has a vast ecosystem of extensions and apps. By default, it is not installed on Manjaro Linux but is available from the AUR, which is short for Arch Linux user repository. The following tutorial will demonstrate using the terminal cli how to install all three builds of Google Chrome stable, beta, and developer (unstable) on Manjaro Linux using the command line terminal.

Update Manjaro

First, update your system to ensure all existing packages are up to date. This will ensure no conflicts arise as best as possible during the installation.

sudo pacman -Syu

Sometimes, you may need a complete database download if you have not upgraded your Arch Linux system for a while; use the following command if the above update command does not work.

sudo pacman -Syyu

Lastly, for users that have Pamac installed, which most Manjaro desktops do, I would optionally suggest running an update; this will ensure that your Arch Linux and Manjaro packages are fully up-to-date.

sudo pamac checkupdates -a

sudo pamac upgrade -a

Troubleshooting Updating Manjaro Packages

Manjaro/Arch Linux is a rolling release; occasionally, updating packages with Pacman GPG keys can become invalid or corrupt. If both commands do not work, use the following command.

Note, this is only if you have errors updating with the first two commands above if you can skip these.

sudo pacman -S archlinux-keyring manjaro-keyring

sudo pacman-key --populate archlinux manjaro

The above should work in nearly all cases, but if it does not, use the following steps as a last resort.

sudo rm -r /etc/pacman.d/gnupg

sudo pacman-key --init

sudo pacman-key --populate manjaro

sudo pacman-key --populate archlinux

sudo pacman -Syvv manjaro-keyring

Then repeat the update process.

Install Google Chrome – (stable, beta, developer)

Now you will install Chrome using the natively installed Manjaro package manager Pamac.

Situational – Enable AUR for ‘pamac’

First, by default, AUR is disabled. You will first need to enable it, which you can do with the following command.

sudo sed -Ei '/EnableAUR/s/^#//' /etc/pamac.conf

Lastly, for users that enabled pamac and then had second thoughts about using it and instead wanted to use something else, you can easily disable it using the following command.

sudo sed -Ei '/EnableAUR/s/^/#/' /etc/pamac.conf

With the AUR enabled, you can install Google Chrome using one of three methods.

Install Google Chrome Stable

pamac install google-chrome

Confirm the version build installed using the following command.

google-chrome-stable --version

Example output:

Google Chrome 108.0.5359.124 

For Linux newcomers, the version outputs in my tutorials are just examples, these will change very quickly, but your output should be similar to the above minus the different numbers.

Install Google Chrome Beta

pamac install google-chrome-beta

Confirm the version build installed using the following command.

google-chrome-beta --version

Example output:

Google Chrome 109.0.5414.74 beta

Install Google Chrome Developer (Unstable)

pamac install google-chrome-dev

Confirm the version build installed using the following command.

google-chrome-unstable --version

Example output:

Google Chrome 110.0.5478.4 dev

How to Launch Google Chrome

The Chrome browser can be launched from your terminal, but the easiest way to open the browser is by using the path.

Taskbar > Internet > Google Chrome {version}.

Example:

The first time you open Chrome, a pop-up will appear informing you if you want to set it as the default browser and send usage statistics, etc., to Google.

Choose your preferences, and click OK.

Example:

Once open, the first time you launch the browser, you may encounter prompts for basic setups of bookmarks and wallpaper and to sign in to sync your Google account and devices.

Example:

One of the options that may interest you is to change the wallpaper to have a bit of a colorful browser. More options are available; these are just the default first-time options.

Example:

Once configured, you will arrive at the famous Google search window, and from here, you can begin your Google search. Congratulations, you have successfully installed Google Chrome.

Example:

Additional Commands & Tips

Update Google Chrome

The best way to upgrade the browser, depending on what versions you have installed, is using the following command that should all the requirements from standard to nightly.

sudo pamac checkupdates -a

sudo pamac upgrade -a

How to Remove Google Chrome

When you no longer want to remove Chrome from your system or a particular version, you can remove the browser using one of the commands below that suit your installed version.

Remove Google Chrome Stable

pamac remove google-chrome

Remove Google Chrome Beta

pamac remove google-chrome-beta

Remove Google Chrome Developer

pamac remove google-chrome-unstable

Lastly, this is optional but good practice, clear up orphans and clear your cache to reduce clutter.

Clear orphan leftovers that are no longer required.

pamac remove -o

Clear packages deleted from the package cache.

pamac clean -uv -k 0

Clear redundant package versions from the package cache (keep the last two versions)

pamac clean -v -k 2

Conclusion

The tutorial has demonstrated how to install three alternative versions of the Google Chrome browser using the command line terminal on Manjaro Linux. Most users will only need the stable version, and this is what most users should have, but the best part you can install the beta and developer versions. I advise constantly checking for updates to avoid security issues and not being surprised if bugs are introduced to your browser or environment in the worst case.