How to Install Microsoft Edge on Rocky Linux 8

Rocky Linux 8 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 stable, beta, or developer (nightly build) on Rocky Linux 8 Workstation desktop using the command line terminal and update and remove the browsers if required.

Update Rocky Linux

Firstly, run a quick update to ensure all your packages are up-to-date to avoid any conflicts during the installation.

sudo dnf upgrade --refresh

Import Microsoft Edge GPG Key and Repository

Import the Microsoft Edge GPG Key

First, run the following command to import the GPG Key for the RPM Import:

sudo rpm --import https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc

Import the Microsoft Edge Repository

Next, add the repo as follows:

sudo dnf config-manager --add-repo https://packages.microsoft.com/yumrepos/edge

Install Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Edge can be installed now using the dnf command as below:

sudo dnf install microsoft-edge-stable

Confirm the version and build of the Microsoft Edge version installed on your operating system using the following command:

microsoft-edge -version

Example output:

Microsoft Edge 96.0.1054.53

Optional. Install Microsoft Edge Browser Beta or Dev Version

Alternatively, you can install the Microsoft Edge Brower beta or dev (nightly) build if you have downloaded the repositories. These two versions are not recommended for daily use, especially not on a main desktop or production server. However, you can install alternative versions for those who want to live on the edge.

WARNING – BETA OR DEV EDGE BROWSER CAN POTENTIALLY BE UNSTABLE.

Install Microsoft Edge Browser Beta:

sudo dnf install microsoft-edge-beta

Install Microsoft Edge Browser Dev (Nightly):

sudo dnf install microsoft-edge-dev

Note that these do not replace your stable version, and they are installed separately.

Next, verify the beta installation or unstable; use the following command.

Verify Microsoft Edge Browser Beta:

microsoft-edge-beta --version

Example output:

Microsoft Edge 97.0.1072.28 beta

Verify Microsoft Edge Browser Dev (Nightly):

microsoft-edge-dev --version

Example output:

Microsoft Edge 98.0.1093.6 dev

Additionally, if you just want to install all three versions at once, use the following command.

sudo dnf install microsoft-edge* -y

How to Launch Microsoft Edge

To run Microsoft Edge, you can use the terminal command in your console:

microsoft-edge

Alternatively, run the microsoft-edge & command in the background if you wish to use the existing terminal session.

microsoft-edge &

However, this is not practical for most desktop users to open the terminal every time, and you would use the following path.

Activities > Show Applications > Microsoft Edge {browser version}.

Example:

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 do.

Now you will see The Microsoft Edge Internet Browser finally as per below.

How to Update Microsoft Edge

To update Microsoft Edge Internet Browser, run the DNF update command in your terminal as you would check your entire system for any updates.

sudo dnf update

If one is available, use the upgrade option:

sudo dnf upgrade

Alternatively, you should use an updated all-in-one command.

sudo dnf upgrade --refresh

How to Remove (Uninstall) Microsoft Edge

If you no longer require the browser, you can remove Edge by executing the following command.

sudo dnf autoremove microsoft-edge-stable -y

Note, that unused dependencies will also be removed.

Alternatively, if you have beta or unstable alternative installations, use the following.

Remove Microsoft Edge Beta:

sudo dnf autoremove microsoft-edge-beta -y

Remove Microsoft Edge Dev:

sudo dnf autoremove microsoft-edge-stable-dev -y

Comments and Conclusion

In the tutorial, you have learned how to import the RPM binary package and the GPG key to install Microsoft Edge on the Rocky Linux 8 workstation desktop.

Overall, Microsoft Edge is a solid option. However, many open-source and FOSS fans will not have a bar of it due to using a Windows product in a historical sense on Linux and the long history of Microsoft vs. Linux. Some of it is justifiable. Indeed it is; some of it is just political rubbish.

However, ranking Edge for performance and speed lands this among the top Internet Browser, and it truly does work well on Linux. If you can get over the fact, Microsoft owns it.