Ubuntu users currently, by default, are only limited to the Firefox Internet Browser. However, many alternatives can be installed. Microsoft Edge is one alternative that has been in development for over a year and has been getting quite a lot of good reviews amongst many Linux distribution communities and maybe an alternative compared to just switching to Google Chrome.
In the following tutorial, you will learn how to install Microsoft Edge on Ubuntu 20.04.
Table of Contents
Prerequisites
- Recommended OS: Ubuntu 20.04 or higher
- User account: A user account with sudo or root access.
Update Operating System
Update your Ubuntu operating system to make sure all existing packages are up to date:
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -yThe tutorial will be using the sudo command and assuming you have sudo status. To verify sudo status on your account:
sudo whoamiExample output showing sudo status:
[[email protected] ~]$ sudo whoami
rootIf you have not set up a sudo user account and would like to, visit our tutorial on How to Add a User to Sudoers on Ubuntu.
To use the root account, use the following command with the root password to log in.
suInstall Required Packages
To successfully install the Edge Browser, you will need to install the following packages; run this command if you are unsure; it will not harm your system.
sudo apt install apt-transport-https ca-certificates curl software-properties-common wget -yThese are pretty generic dependencies that may be already installed. Run the command regardless if unsure, as many other installations will require these on your system.
Import Edge GPG Key and Repository
Import the Microsoft Edge GPG Key
In the first step, you will need to download the GPG key to verify the package’s authenticity.
curl https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc | gpg --dearmor > microsoft.gpg
sudo install -o root -g root -m 644 microsoft.gpg /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/Import the Microsoft Edge Repo
Next, add the repo as follows:
sudo sh -c 'echo "deb [arch=amd64] https://packages.microsoft.com/repos/edge stable main" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/microsoft-edge-dev.list'
sudo rm microsoft.gpgNow you have completed the imports, refresh your repository list to reflect the new additions.
sudo apt updateInstall Microsoft Edge Browser
Microsoft Edge can be installed now using the apt command as below:
sudo apt install microsoft-edge-devExample output:
Type “Y”, then press the “ENTER KEY” to proceed with the installation.
Currently, microsoft-edge or microsoft-edge-dev is the same version due to no stable version released.
Confirm the version and build of the Microsoft Edge version installed on your operating system using the following command:
microsoft-edge -versionExample output:
Microsoft Edge 96.0.1032.0 devHow to Launch Microsoft Edge Browser
To run Microsoft Edge, you can use the terminal command in your console:
microsoft-edgeAlternatively, run microsoft-edge command in the background to free up the terminal:
microsoft-edge &However, this isn’t practical, and you would use the following path on your Ubuntu system to open with the path: Activities > Show Applications Microsoft Edge (dev). If you cannot find it, use the search function in the Applications menu.
Example:
The first time you open Microsoft Edge, you will be greeted by the following:
Untick or leave the Microsoft improvement tracking, then click the OK button to continue.
Afterward, you will find three options Inspiration, Informational or Focused. Selecting each tab will preview what the view will look like in your Edge browser background.
Choose one style, and click the confirm button.
Lastly, the optional sign-in and sync across multiple devices. Unless you need this, click Continue without signing in, as most users would do by clicking the X in the top right-hand corner of the pop-up screen.
Now you will see The Microsoft Edge Internet Browser finally as per below:
How to Update Microsoft Edge Browser
To update Microsoft Edge Internet Browser, run the APT update command in your terminal as you would check your entire system for any updates.
sudo apt updateIf one is available, use the upgrade option:
sudo apt upgradeAlternatively, you can upgrade the Edge package by itself.
sudo apt upgrade microsoft-edge-devHow to Remove (Uninstall) Microsoft Edge Browser
To remove Edge from Ubuntu, execute the following terminal command:
sudo apt autoremove microsoft-edge-dev --purgeExample output:
Type “Y”, then press the “ENTER KEY” to proceed with the uninstall.
Note, unused dependencies will also be removed.
Lastly, you will need to remove the GPG key that was imported. To do this, use the following command.
sudo rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/microsoft.*
sudo apt updateAnd that is it, and you have successfully removed the Microsoft Edge Browser from your Ubuntu 20.04 system.
Comments and Conclusion
In the tutorial, you have learned how to import the APT binary package and the GPG key to install Microsoft Edge. Overall, the Edge Beta has been in development for over a year and should see a stable version released alongside a dev future closer in the future. Microsoft is keeping the beta up to date and seems to be focusing on its security and development, so it’s a good alternative if you get tired of Google Chrome or Firefox.
