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 on Rocky Linux 8.
Table of Contents
Prerequisites
- Recommended OS: Rocky Linux 8.+
- User account: A user account with sudo or root access.
- Required Packages: curl or wget
Updating Operating System
Update your Rocky Linux 8 operating system to make sure all existing packages are up to date:
sudo dnf update && sudo dnf upgrade -yInstall GPG Key and Repo on Rocky Linux 8
The first step you will need to do is download the GPG key, or else your installation of Microsoft Edge will break.
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.ascInstall the Microsoft Edge Repo
Next, add the repo as follows:
sudo dnf config-manager --add-repo https://packages.microsoft.com/yumrepos/edgeExample output:
[[email protected] ~]$ sudo dnf config-manager --add-repo https://packages.microsoft.com/yumrepos/edge
Adding repo from: https://packages.microsoft.com/yumrepos/edgeInstall Microsoft Edge on Rocky Linux 8
Microsoft Edge can be installed either using the DNF or YUM package manager commands. To keep a standard in our tutorials, it is always preferred to run DNF.
Install Microsoft Edge with the following terminal command:
sudo dnf 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.
Verify if Microsoft Edge repository is installed on your repository system:
dnf repolistExample output:
Note that Microsoft Edge is still in beta for Linux-based systems so that you will get the dev (beta) version. No stable version to this date is available. However, this will change in the future.
Confirm the version and build of the Microsoft Edge version installed on your Rocky Linux 8 operating system using the following command:
microsoft-edge -versionExample output:
[[email protected] ~]$ microsoft-edge -version
Microsoft Edge 94.0.975.1 dev
Run Microsoft Edge on Rocky Linux 8
To run Microsoft Edge, you can use the terminal command in your console:
microsoft-edgeHowever, this isn’t practical, and you would use the following path on your Rocky Linux 8 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 Rocky Linux 8
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 updateIf one is available, use the upgrade option:
sudo dnf upgrade microsoft-edgeUninstall Microsoft Edge on Rocky Linux 8
To remove Edge from Rocky Linux 8, execute the following terminal command:
sudo dnf remove microsoft-edge*Example 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 RPM 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.
