Debian 11 Bullseye 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 Debian 11 Bullseye.
Table of Contents
Prerequisites
- Recommended OS: Debian 11 Bullseye
- User account: A user account with sudo or root access.
- Required packages: wget or curl
Updating Operating System
Update your Debian 11 operating system to make sure all existing packages are up to date:
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgradeInstall CURL package
The tutorial will be using the curl command to install the package using the following command:
sudo apt install curlBy default, curl is missing from Debian 11 desktop installations; if you are unsure, run the command anyway. It won’t do any harm.
Install Edge GPG Key and Repository
Import the Microsoft Edge GPG Key
The first step you will need to do is download the GPG key, or else your installation of Microsoft Edge will break.
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 on Debian 11
Microsoft Edge can be installed now using the apt command as below:
sudo apt install microsoft-edge-devCurrently, microsoft-edge or microsoft-edge-dev is the same version due to no stable version released.
Example output below:
Type Y, then press the enter key to proceed with the installation.
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 94.0.982.2 devLaunch Microsoft Edge on Debian 11
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 Debian 11 desktop to open with the path: Activities > Show Applications > Edge. If you cannot find it, use the search function in the Show Applications menu if you have many applications installed.
The first time you open Microsoft Edge, you will be greeted by the following:
Untick or leave as is and 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 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.
Now you will see The Microsoft Edge Internet Browser finally as per below:
Updating Microsoft Edge on Debian 11
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 upgrade microsoft-edge-vUninstall Microsoft Edge on Debian 11
To remove Edge from Debian 11, execute the following terminal command:
sudo apt autoremove microsoft-edge-vExample output:
Type Y, then press the enter key to proceed with the uninstall.
Note, unused dependencies will also be removed.
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.
