How to Install Wireshark on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

Wireshark is a powerful and popular network communication tool that allows viewing individual recorded data packets or sorting them according to specific content. This networking software lets you see what’s going on on your computer, and it helps take apart any encrypted messages being sent around it through analysis of their contents with ease!

Some of the most common tasks Wireshark is used for amongst software users include troubleshooting networks with performance issues and cybersecurity tracing connecting, viewing contents of suspect network transactions, and identifying bursts of network traffic for further analysis.

The following tutorial will teach you how to install WireShark on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS Jammy Jellyfish Linux using the command line terminal.

Update Ubuntu

First, ensure your system is up-to-date using the following terminal command to avoid any conflicts.

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Install Wireshark

By default, Wireshark is available on Ubuntu 22.04’s repository making the installation straightforward and keeping the software up-to-date without remembering to download packages or compile from scratch.

Use the following command to begin the installation.

sudo apt install wireshark -y

For installations that did not allow no-super users to run Wireshark, you will need to enable each username to the Wireshark user group individually, or else you will have insufficient permissions to run Wireshark.

It is recommended to select <Yes> over <No>, but this is your choice and what security precautions you require.

Example:

First, log into the root account.

su

For users who forgot their root password or have never set one, use the following command to set your root password.

sudo passwd root

Then re-use the su command.

Now, run the following command to give Wireshark the correction permission for the username you will be running Wireshark on.

usermod -a -G wireshark _your_username_

Example command with my username:

usermod -a -G wireshark joshua

Once done, relog back to your usual account.

su <account name>

Example command with my username:

su joshua

Handy, reboot your system if any issues occur with processes. The easiest solution besides killing processes is if you encounter any problems open up Wireshark first and then create the privileges above.

Check Wireshark Version

Once the installation is complete, check if the installation was successful and what version of Wireshark is installed using the following command.

wireshark -v

Example output:

How to Launch Wireshark

Now that you have the Wireshark installed, launching can be done in a few options.

First, if your terminal is open, you can launch the application immediately with the following command.

wireshark

However, this can be a pain to load the terminal for desktop users, but it is much easier to launch using the application icon that you can pin to your taskbar if required for even quicker access.

Activities > Show Applications > Wireshark.

Example:

Next, you will arrive at the default screen of Wireshark. From here, you can begin recording or configuring and play around to get a feel for what you can accomplish.

Example:

Begin using Wireshark by clicking on the shark flipper icon in the top left-hand corner to start a recording session, and you can watch or continue working on your system.

Example:

Furthermore, you can filter traffic from recording sessions such as a protocol, destination, etc., that you consider suspicious, which you can find in the “Record“ menu under the entry “Recording filter. “

How to Remove (Uninstall) Wireshark

For users that no longer require Wireshark, you can remove the software using the following command.

sudo apt autoremove wireshark -y

This will also remove all unused dependencies and clean up your system.

Comments and Conclusion

With all of these powerful features and capabilities, it’s no wonder that Wireshark is such a popular tool for technical professionals. Capturing local networks and storing the data offline for later analysis makes this software an essential part of any tech-savvy individual’s toolkit. Whether you’re interested in security, networking, or want to know what’s going on under the hood of your computer, Wireshark is sure to impress. So what are you waiting for? Start using Wireshark today!