How to Install Vivaldi Browser on Debian

Vivaldi browser offers extensive customization for tab management, workspaces, and interface layout. This flexibility makes it popular among users who want more control over their browsing experience. Whether you need split-screen browsing for research, tab stacking for project organization, or built-in tools like notes and screenshot capture, Vivaldi provides these features without extensions. By the end of this guide, you will have Vivaldi installed on Debian with automatic updates configured through the official repository.

Choose Your Vivaldi Installation Method

Vivaldi is available through the official APT repository or as a Flatpak from Flathub. The APT method integrates with your system package manager for seamless updates, while Flatpak provides sandboxing and works independently of your Debian version.

Method	Channel	Version	Updates	Best For
APT Repository	Vivaldi Official Repo	Stable and Snapshot	Automatic via apt upgrade	Most users who want native integration
Flatpak	Flathub	Stable	Automatic via flatpak update	Users who prefer sandboxed applications

We recommend the APT repository method for most users because it provides direct system integration and automatic security updates through the standard Debian package manager. The Flatpak method offers a good alternative if you prefer application sandboxing or want to avoid adding third-party repositories.

Install Vivaldi via APT Repository

Update Debian System Packages

First, update your existing packages to ensure compatibility and reduce potential conflicts before adding new repositories:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

Once the system is updated, install the required packages for downloading and verifying the repository:

sudo apt install curl gnupg ca-certificates -y

These packages provide secure file downloads (curl), GPG key management for package verification (gnupg), and SSL certificate validation (ca-certificates).

Import Vivaldi GPG Key and Repository

To begin, download and install Vivaldi’s GPG signing key, which APT uses to verify package authenticity:

curl -fsSL https://repo.vivaldi.com/archive/linux_signing_key.pub | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/vivaldi.gpg

Next, add the Vivaldi repository to your system using the modern DEB822 format:

cat <<EOF | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/vivaldi.sources
Types: deb
URIs: https://repo.vivaldi.com/stable/deb/
Suites: stable
Components: main
Architectures: amd64 arm64 armhf
Signed-By: /usr/share/keyrings/vivaldi.gpg
EOF

All current Debian releases (Debian 11 Bullseye, Debian 12 Bookworm, and Debian 13 Trixie) fully support the DEB822 .sources format. Debian 13 uses it by default, while Debian 11 and 12 commonly used the legacy .list format in older documentation.

With the repository configured, refresh the package index to make Vivaldi packages available:

sudo apt update

After the update completes, verify that APT recognizes the Vivaldi repository:

apt-cache policy vivaldi-stable

Expected output showing the repository works:

vivaldi-stable:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 7.x.xxxx.xx-1
  Version table:
     7.x.xxxx.xx-1 500
        500 https://repo.vivaldi.com/stable/deb stable/main amd64 Packages

The version number shown is a placeholder. Your output will display the current Vivaldi release version available at the time of installation.

Install Vivaldi Stable or Snapshot

Now that the repository is active, install the stable release for daily use:

sudo apt install vivaldi-stable

Alternatively, install the snapshot (development) version to test upcoming features:

sudo apt install vivaldi-snapshot

You can install both versions simultaneously. Use the stable version for regular browsing. The snapshot version may contain bugs, so avoid it for sensitive tasks.

After installation completes, verify it succeeded by checking the version:

vivaldi --version

Expected output:

Vivaldi 7.x.xxxx.xx stable

If you installed the snapshot version instead:

vivaldi-snapshot --version

Sample output:

Vivaldi 7.x.xxxx.x snapshot

Install Vivaldi via Flatpak

Flatpak provides Vivaldi in a sandboxed environment that runs independently of your system packages. If you do not have Flatpak configured, see how to install Flatpak on Debian first.

Run the following command to install Vivaldi from Flathub:

sudo flatpak install flathub com.vivaldi.Vivaldi -y

The -y flag automatically confirms the installation prompt. Using sudo installs Vivaldi system-wide, making it available to all users on the machine.

After the installation finishes, verify it succeeded:

flatpak info com.vivaldi.Vivaldi

Expected output showing the installed application:

Vivaldi - Feature-packed web browser

          ID: com.vivaldi.Vivaldi
         Ref: app/com.vivaldi.Vivaldi/x86_64/stable
        Arch: x86_64
      Branch: stable
     Version: 7.x.xxxx.xx
     License: LicenseRef-proprietary
      Origin: flathub
  Collection: org.flathub.Stable

To launch the Flatpak version from the terminal, use flatpak run com.vivaldi.Vivaldi. Alternatively, find Vivaldi in your applications menu as described in the next section.

Launch Vivaldi Browser

Launch Vivaldi from Terminal

To run Vivaldi directly from the command line:

vivaldi

Or, if you installed the snapshot version:

vivaldi-snapshot

Launch Vivaldi from Applications Menu

Open your desktop environment’s application menu and search for “Vivaldi.” The exact location varies by desktop environment:

• GNOME: Click Activities in the top-left corner, then search for “Vivaldi”
• KDE Plasma: Open the Application Launcher and search for “Vivaldi”
• Xfce: Open the Whisker Menu or Applications Menu and look under Internet

Click the Vivaldi icon to launch the browser. If you installed both versions, you will see separate entries for Vivaldi and Vivaldi Snapshot.

Manage Vivaldi Browser

Update Vivaldi Browser

Vivaldi receives updates through your standard system update process. To update all packages including Vivaldi, run:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

Alternatively, to update only Vivaldi without upgrading other packages:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade vivaldi-stable

If you installed the Flatpak version, update it with:

sudo flatpak update com.vivaldi.Vivaldi

Remove Vivaldi Browser

To uninstall the Vivaldi stable version:

sudo apt remove vivaldi-stable && sudo apt autoremove

For the snapshot version, remove it with:

sudo apt remove vivaldi-snapshot && sudo apt autoremove

For the Flatpak version, use this command instead:

sudo flatpak uninstall com.vivaldi.Vivaldi

After removing the Flatpak, you can optionally remove unused runtimes that Flatpak installed as dependencies:

sudo flatpak uninstall --unused

Remove Vivaldi Repository and GPG Key

If you no longer need the Vivaldi repository, remove it along with the GPG key. The installer may have created both .sources and .list files, so remove both:

sudo rm -f /etc/apt/sources.list.d/vivaldi.sources /etc/apt/sources.list.d/vivaldi.list
sudo rm -f /usr/share/keyrings/vivaldi.gpg

Next, refresh the package index to confirm you removed the repository:

sudo apt update

Then verify that APT no longer recognizes the repository:

apt-cache policy vivaldi-stable

Expected output confirming removal:

N: Unable to locate package vivaldi-stable

Remove Vivaldi User Data

Warning: The following commands permanently delete your Vivaldi profile data, including bookmarks, saved passwords, browsing history, and custom settings. Export any data you want to keep before proceeding.

To remove configuration and cache directories for the APT-installed version:

rm -rf ~/.config/vivaldi ~/.config/vivaldi-snapshot
rm -rf ~/.cache/vivaldi ~/.cache/vivaldi-snapshot

For Flatpak installations, remove the sandboxed data directory:

rm -rf ~/.var/app/com.vivaldi.Vivaldi

Troubleshoot Vivaldi Browser

Proprietary Media Codecs Warning

When launching Vivaldi from the terminal, you may see a message about proprietary media support:

'Proprietary media' support is not installed. Attempting to fix this now.

Typically, Vivaldi attempts to download the necessary codecs automatically. However, if the automatic download fails, install xz-utils first:

sudo apt install xz-utils

Afterward, restart Vivaldi. The browser will attempt the codec download again on launch.

Duplicate Repository Sources Warning

After installing Vivaldi, you may see warnings during apt update about duplicate sources:

W: Target Packages (main/binary-amd64/Packages) is configured multiple times in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/vivaldi.list:3 and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/vivaldi.sources:1

This occurs because Vivaldi’s installer automatically creates a vivaldi.list file during installation, even when you have already configured vivaldi.sources. To fix this, remove the redundant file:

sudo rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/vivaldi.list

Then verify the fix worked:

sudo apt update

Regular package upgrades (apt upgrade) do not regenerate this file. Only a fresh install or reinstall would recreate it, so this is a one-time fix.

Hardware Acceleration Issues

If you experience graphics glitches or poor video performance, your system may lack proper hardware acceleration configuration. First, check the status by navigating to vivaldi://gpu in the address bar.

NVIDIA users should install the proprietary drivers. See how to install NVIDIA drivers on Debian for detailed instructions.

As a workaround, you can temporarily disable hardware acceleration for troubleshooting by launching Vivaldi with:

vivaldi --disable-gpu

Migrate Data from Other Browsers

If you are switching from another browser, Vivaldi can import your bookmarks, browsing history, and saved passwords. The browser supports migration from Firefox, Chromium, Google Chrome, and other Chromium-based browsers. To access the import wizard, open the Vivaldi menu and navigate to File → Import from Applications or Files.

Conclusion

You now have Vivaldi browser installed on Debian with automatic updates configured through either the official APT repository or Flatpak. The APT method provides direct system integration, while Flatpak offers application sandboxing. For further customization, explore Vivaldi’s settings for tab stacking, workspaces, and the sidebar panel to tailor the browser to your workflow. If you prefer a different browser, see guides for Brave or Firefox on Debian.