How to Install Waterfox Browser on Ubuntu Linux

Waterfox Browser is a privacy-focused, open-source web browser built on Mozilla Firefox that removes telemetry and data collection while maintaining compatibility with legacy Firefox extensions. Common use cases include running legacy XUL extensions that Firefox no longer supports, syncing browsing data across devices without Mozilla telemetry, and customizing the browser interface with classic Firefox themes. This guide demonstrates installing Waterfox on Ubuntu using the community-maintained OpenSUSE Build Service repository, Flatpak from Flathub, or direct tarball installation. By the end, you will have Waterfox running with your preferred update method—automatic via package managers or manual control with tarball installations—and verified installation through version checks.

Choose Your Waterfox Installation Method

Waterfox supports three installation methods on Ubuntu: the OpenSUSE Build Service repository via APT, Flatpak from Flathub, and direct tarball installation from the official CDN. The repository method integrates with your system package manager for automatic updates, Flatpak provides containerized installation with sandboxing, and the tarball method offers a portable installation that you can place anywhere on your system. Choose based on your preference for system integration, sandboxing, or manual control.

Method	Channel	Version	Updates	Best For
APT Repository	OpenSUSE Build Service	Stable release	Automatic via apt upgrade	Users preferring native system integration with package manager
Flatpak	Flathub	Latest stable	Automatic via flatpak update	Users wanting containerized installation with sandboxing
Tarball	GitHub Releases	Latest release	Manual (re-download tarball or use update script)	Users wanting portable installation or testing latest releases

The APT repository method is recommended for most users because it integrates seamlessly with Ubuntu’s package management and receives updates alongside system packages. In contrast, Flatpak is ideal if you prefer sandboxed applications, while the tarball method works best when you need a portable installation or want to test the latest release immediately after it becomes available.

The OpenSUSE Build Service repository provides packages for Ubuntu 22.04 LTS and 24.04 LTS installations, while Flatpak and the tarball method remain compatible across all Ubuntu versions. Commands shown work identically on both supported LTS releases.

Method 1: Install Waterfox Browser via APT Repository

Update Ubuntu Packages Before Installation

First, update your system’s package index to ensure you install the latest available versions and avoid dependency conflicts:

sudo apt update

Next, upgrade any outdated packages to bring your system up to date:

sudo apt upgrade

Install Prerequisites for Repository Configuration

Before adding the repository, install the packages needed to add external repositories and download GPG keys. The software-properties-common package provides repository management tools, while curl downloads the GPG key from the OpenSUSE Build Service:

sudo apt install software-properties-common curl -y

Add Waterfox Repository and GPG Key

With the prerequisites installed, import the OpenSUSE Build Service GPG key to verify package authenticity, then add the Waterfox repository to your system. Choose the commands matching your Ubuntu version below.

Ubuntu 24.04 Noble Numbat LTS:

sudo install -m 0755 -d /usr/share/keyrings

curl -fsSL https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:hawkeye116477:waterfox/xUbuntu_24.04/Release.key | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/waterfox-archive-keyring.gpg

sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/waterfox.sources > /dev/null <<EOF
Types: deb
URIs: https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/hawkeye116477:/waterfox/xUbuntu_24.04/
Suites: /
Signed-By: /usr/share/keyrings/waterfox-archive-keyring.gpg
EOF

Ubuntu 22.04 Jammy Jellyfish LTS:

sudo install -m 0755 -d /usr/share/keyrings

curl -fsSL https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:hawkeye116477:waterfox/xUbuntu_22.04/Release.key | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/waterfox-archive-keyring.gpg

sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/waterfox.sources > /dev/null <<EOF
Types: deb
URIs: https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/hawkeye116477:/waterfox/xUbuntu_22.04/
Suites: /
Signed-By: /usr/share/keyrings/waterfox-archive-keyring.gpg
EOF

After adding the repository, refresh your package index to make the Waterfox packages available:

sudo apt update

Install Waterfox Browser

Now that the repository is configured, install Waterfox with the following command:

sudo apt install waterfox -y

After installation completes, verify the installation by checking the installed version:

waterfox --version

Expected output showing the version confirms successful installation:

BrowserWorks Waterfox 6.5.10

Method 2: Install Waterfox via Flatpak and Flathub

Alternatively, Flatpak provides an alternative installation method with containerized deployment and automatic sandboxing. This approach isolates Waterfox from your system while maintaining access to necessary resources.

If Flatpak is not already installed on your system, follow our Flatpak installation guide for Ubuntu to set up the Flatpak framework and enable the Flathub repository—this typically takes under five minutes.

Enable Flathub Repository

Once Flatpak is installed, ensure Flathub is enabled. If you have not already enabled Flathub during the initial Flatpak setup, add it now with the following command. The --if-not-exists flag prevents errors if Flathub is already configured:

sudo flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

Install Waterfox via Flatpak

With Flathub enabled, you can now install Waterfox using the following command:

flatpak install flathub net.waterfox.waterfox -y

Once the installation finishes, verify the installation succeeded by checking the installed version:

flatpak info net.waterfox.waterfox | grep Version

Expected output confirms the Flatpak installation:

     Version: 6.6.5.1

Method 3: Install Waterfox via Tarball (Portable)

For those seeking maximum flexibility, the tarball method provides a portable installation of Waterfox that you can install to any directory on your system. This method uses the GitHub API to automatically detect and download the latest version, making it easy to stay current with releases. However, tarball installations do not update automatically—you must manually download new versions or use the provided update script.

Install Prerequisites for Tarball Extraction

First, install the packages needed to download and extract the Waterfox tarball. The curl package downloads files from the web, while tar and bzip2 handle tarball extraction:

sudo apt install curl tar bzip2 -y

Download Latest Waterfox Tarball

Next, query the GitHub API to get the latest Waterfox version, then download the corresponding Linux tarball from the official CDN. The following commands automatically detect the current version and construct the download URL:

LATEST_VERSION=$(curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/BrowserWorks/Waterfox/releases/latest | grep -oP '"tag_name": "\K[^"]+')
echo "Latest version: $LATEST_VERSION"

DOWNLOAD_URL="https://cdn1.waterfox.net/waterfox/releases/${LATEST_VERSION}/Linux_x86_64/waterfox-${LATEST_VERSION}.tar.bz2"
curl -Lo waterfox-${LATEST_VERSION}.tar.bz2 "$DOWNLOAD_URL"

Expected output showing the download progress:

Latest version: 6.6.6
  % Total    % Received % Xferd  Average Speed   Time    Time     Time  Current
                                 Dload  Upload   Total   Spent    Left  Speed
100 82.4M  100 82.4M    0     0  15.2M      0  0:00:05  0:00:05 --:--:-- 17.8M

Extract Waterfox to System Directory

Once the download completes, extract the tarball to /opt/waterfox where system-wide applications are typically installed. This location makes Waterfox accessible to all users on the system:

sudo tar -xjf waterfox-${LATEST_VERSION}.tar.bz2 -C /opt

Verify the installation by checking the Waterfox directory contents:

ls -lh /opt/waterfox/waterfox
du -sh /opt/waterfox/

Expected output confirming the installation:

-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 730K Dec  9 15:43 /opt/waterfox/waterfox
297M    /opt/waterfox/

Create Symbolic Link for System-Wide Access

After extraction, create a symbolic link in /usr/local/bin so you can launch Waterfox from anywhere without specifying the full path. This makes the waterfox command available system-wide:

sudo ln -sf /opt/waterfox/waterfox /usr/local/bin/waterfox

Verify the symbolic link creation and test the command:

which waterfox
waterfox --version

Expected output showing successful installation:

/usr/local/bin/waterfox
BrowserWorks Waterfox 6.6.6

Create Desktop Entry for Application Menu

Finally, create a desktop entry file so Waterfox appears in your application menu and launcher. This allows you to launch Waterfox through your desktop environment’s interface:

sudo tee /usr/share/applications/waterfox.desktop > /dev/null << 'EOF'
[Desktop Entry]
Name=Waterfox
Comment=Privacy-focused web browser
Exec=/opt/waterfox/waterfox %u
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Icon=/opt/waterfox/browser/chrome/icons/default/default128.png
Categories=Network;WebBrowser;
MimeType=text/html;text/xml;application/xhtml+xml;application/xml;application/vnd.mozilla.xul+xml;x-scheme-handler/http;x-scheme-handler/https;
StartupNotify=true
StartupWMClass=Waterfox
EOF

After creating the desktop entry, update the desktop database to register the new application:

sudo update-desktop-database

After creating the desktop entry, Waterfox will appear in your application menu alongside other installed browsers.

Launch Waterfox Browser

You can launch Waterfox from the terminal or through your desktop environment’s application menu.

Launch Waterfox from Terminal

Launch Waterfox directly from the terminal using the appropriate command for your installation method.

APT or Tarball installation:

waterfox

Flatpak installation:

flatpak run net.waterfox.waterfox

Launch Waterfox from Applications Menu

Waterfox appears in your desktop environment’s application menu after installation. Open your application launcher (the method varies by desktop environment—typically a grid icon or menu button), search for “Waterfox,” and click the icon to launch the browser.

Getting Started with Waterfox Browser

Waterfox removes telemetry and data collection by default, but you can further enhance privacy through the browser settings. On first launch, review the privacy settings to ensure they match your preferences. Additionally, Waterfox maintains compatibility with Firefox extensions from addons.mozilla.org, including legacy XUL extensions that standard Firefox no longer supports. Navigate to Menu > Add-ons to install extensions, or Menu > Preferences to adjust privacy settings like blocking trackers, managing cookies, and configuring DNS over HTTPS.

Manage Waterfox Browser

Keeping Waterfox updated ensures you receive the latest security patches and feature improvements. This section covers updating and removing Waterfox for all three installation methods. For related browser management, see our guides on installing Brave Browser, Firefox Beta and Nightly channels, and Vivaldi Browser on Ubuntu.

Update Waterfox Browser

Keeping Waterfox up-to-date ensures you receive the latest security patches and features. However, update procedures vary by installation method—APT and Flatpak handle updates automatically, while tarball installations require manual updates or use of the provided update script.

Update via APT Repository

For Waterfox installed via the APT repository, update only the Waterfox package with the following command:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade waterfox

This updates Waterfox without upgrading other system packages. Alternatively, run sudo apt upgrade to update all packages system-wide, which includes Waterfox alongside other updates.

Update via Flatpak

For Waterfox installed via Flatpak, update all Flatpak applications with the following command:

flatpak update

This updates all Flatpak applications, including Waterfox. Similarly, Flatpak automatically checks Flathub for new releases.

Update via Tarball (Manual Method)

Unlike APT and Flatpak, tarball installations do not update automatically. To update Waterfox installed from a tarball, download the latest version using the same commands from the installation section, then extract it to /opt to replace the existing installation:

LATEST_VERSION=$(curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/BrowserWorks/Waterfox/releases/latest | grep -oP '"tag_name": "\K[^"]+')
DOWNLOAD_URL="https://cdn1.waterfox.net/waterfox/releases/${LATEST_VERSION}/Linux_x86_64/waterfox-${LATEST_VERSION}.tar.bz2"
curl -Lo waterfox-${LATEST_VERSION}.tar.bz2 "$DOWNLOAD_URL"
sudo tar -xjf waterfox-${LATEST_VERSION}.tar.bz2 -C /opt

The extraction automatically replaces the existing /opt/waterfox directory with the new version. Afterward, verify the update succeeded by checking the version:

waterfox --version

Update via Tarball (Automated Script)

For easier updates, create a bash script that automates the download and installation process. Save the following script to ~/update-waterfox.sh:

Unlike APT or Flatpak installations, tarball deployments require manual intervention to check for and install updates. This script automates version checking and download but still requires you to run it manually—there is no background update mechanism.

cat > ~/update-waterfox.sh << 'EOF'
#!/bin/bash
set -e

echo "Checking for latest Waterfox version..."
LATEST_VERSION=$(curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/BrowserWorks/Waterfox/releases/latest | grep -oP '"tag_name": "\K[^"]+')

if [ -z "$LATEST_VERSION" ]; then
    echo "Error: Failed to fetch latest version"
    exit 1
fi

CURRENT_VERSION=$(waterfox --version 2>/dev/null | grep -oP '\d+\.\d+\.\d+' || echo "Not installed")
echo "Current version: $CURRENT_VERSION"
echo "Latest version: $LATEST_VERSION"

if [ "$CURRENT_VERSION" = "$LATEST_VERSION" ]; then
    echo "Waterfox is already up to date"
    exit 0
fi

echo "Downloading Waterfox $LATEST_VERSION..."
DOWNLOAD_URL="https://cdn1.waterfox.net/waterfox/releases/${LATEST_VERSION}/Linux_x86_64/waterfox-${LATEST_VERSION}.tar.bz2"
TEMP_DIR=$(mktemp -d)
cd "$TEMP_DIR"
curl -Lo waterfox.tar.bz2 "$DOWNLOAD_URL"

echo "Extracting to /opt/waterfox..."
sudo tar -xjf waterfox.tar.bz2 -C /opt

echo "Cleaning up temporary files..."
cd ~
rm -rf "$TEMP_DIR"

echo "Update complete! Waterfox $LATEST_VERSION is now installed"
waterfox --version
EOF

Once saved, make the script executable and run it to update Waterfox:

chmod +x ~/update-waterfox.sh
~/update-waterfox.sh

The script checks your current Waterfox version against the latest release, downloads and installs updates only when a new version is available, and automatically cleans up temporary files after installation. Therefore, run this script periodically to keep your tarball installation current.

The update script requires an active internet connection and sudo privileges. Unlike APT or Flatpak installations, you must manually run the script to check for updates—there is no automatic background update mechanism for tarball installations.

Remove Waterfox Browser

If you no longer wish to have Waterfox installed on your system, follow the appropriate steps for your installation method.

Remove via APT Repository

To remove Waterfox installed via APT, first uninstall the package:

sudo apt remove --purge waterfox

Next, remove any orphaned dependencies that were automatically installed with Waterfox:

sudo apt autoremove

Expected output showing the packages that will be removed:

Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
The following packages will be REMOVED:
  fonts-noto-color-emoji fonts-symbola libdbus-glib-1-2
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 3 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
After this operation, 5,432 kB disk space will be freed.

This removes dependencies that were installed alongside Waterfox but are no longer needed by any other package on your system.

After that, remove the repository configuration and GPG key:

sudo rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/waterfox.sources
sudo rm /usr/share/keyrings/waterfox-archive-keyring.gpg

Finally, refresh your package index and verify the repository removal:

sudo apt update

apt-cache policy waterfox

Expected output confirming complete removal:

waterfox:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: (none)
  Version table:

For additional repository management guidance, see our guide on removing PPAs and external repositories from Ubuntu.

Remove via Flatpak

To uninstall Waterfox installed via Flatpak, run the following command:

flatpak uninstall net.waterfox.waterfox

This removes the Waterfox application and its associated data from your system. Additionally, to also remove unused Flatpak runtimes and dependencies, run:

flatpak uninstall --unused

Remove via Tarball

To remove a tarball installation, delete the Waterfox directory, remove the symbolic link, delete the desktop entry, and clean up any remaining configuration files:

sudo rm -rf /opt/waterfox
sudo rm /usr/local/bin/waterfox
sudo rm /usr/share/applications/waterfox.desktop

Then, update the desktop database to remove Waterfox from your application menu:

sudo update-desktop-database

Optionally, remove user-specific configuration and cache files stored in your home directory:

Warning: The following commands permanently delete your Waterfox browsing data, including bookmarks, history, saved passwords, and installed extensions. Back up ~/.waterfox before proceeding if you want to preserve this data.

rm -rf ~/.waterfox
rm -rf ~/.cache/waterfox

Verify complete removal by checking that the command is no longer available:

which waterfox

Expected output confirming removal:

which: no waterfox in (/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin)

Closing Thoughts

You now have Waterfox installed on Ubuntu using either the APT repository, Flatpak, or tarball method. The APT repository provides seamless system integration with automatic updates, Flatpak offers containerized isolation with sandboxing, and the tarball method gives you a portable installation with manual update control. Regardless of your installation method, configure your privacy settings through the browser preferences and consider enabling hardware acceleration for improved performance. Furthermore, for APT and Flatpak installations, updates arrive automatically through regular system updates, while tarball installations require periodic manual updates using the provided script or re-downloading the latest release.