This tutorial shows how to install the most recent Chromium web browser as native .deb package in Ubuntu 24.04 and Ubuntu 22.04.
Like Firefox and Thunderbird, the popular Chromium web browser in Ubuntu repository is a Snap package that runs in sandbox environment.
For those who don’t like Flatpak and Snap packages, there are few other sources to install the Chromium browser via native Deb package.
Debian and Linux Mint repositories are the trustworthy repositories that I used to use, which however either has few different dependency libraries or lacks of arm64/armhf platform support.
So, in my opinion an Ubuntu PPA can be the better choice for beginners. It’s easy to install and maintain, though less trustworthy since Chromium does not have an official PPA.
For Chromium user, the popular web browser is finally to allow VA-API hardware decoding for video playback in Linux Wayland.
Chromium so far does NOT officially support VA-API Video Acceleration API on Linux. However, there are experimental flags to enable this feature, which might work on certain configurations, but without guarantees (See the official Docs).
This experimental feature however does not work in Linux with Wayland session. Meaning the most recent Ubuntu, Fedora, & other Linux with GNOME Desktop.
VaapiWrapper has been updated to remove the usage of libva-x11 and the legacy VaapiVideoDecodeAccelerator, in favor of libva-drm only. This means now Linux Ozone/Wayland can share the same code path as Linux Ozone/X11. See CL:4938496.
This CL removes the remaining libva-x11 codes from Ozone and VaapiWrapper, and allows VA-API by default on Linux Ozone/Wayland.
This simple tutorial shows how to install ungoogled chromium web browser in Ubuntu 22.04, Ubuntu 24.04, and their based systems.
Ungoogled-chromium is a free open-source variant of Chromium web browser, that removes all Google web services.
The project was started in 2015. It retains the default Chromium experience as closely as possible. But disables functionality specific to Google domains, including Google Safe Browsing, blocks internal requests to Google at runtime by replacing Google web domains in the source code with non-existent alternatives, and strips binaries from the source code.
It also features tweaks to enhance privacy, control, and transparency. However, almost all of these features must be manually activated or enabled.
How to Install Ungoogled Chromium in Ubuntu
The project refers to OBS repository for Debian and Ubuntu packages, however, no longer updated for long time.
As far as I know, there are still community maintained Flatpak and Ubuntu PPA available for choices.
Option 1: Flatpak package
The flatpak package can be installed in most Linux, but run in sandbox and take more disk space due to run-time library.
Tips: Linux Mint 21 can directly search for and install the Flatpak package from Software Manager.
All current Ubuntu releases can open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run 2 commands below to install the browser as Flatpak:
First, run command to install the flatpak daemon:
sudo apt install flatpak
Then, install the browser package by running command:
If you’re first time installing a software package as Flatpak, then you need log out and back in to make the app icon visiable.
Option 2: Ubuntu PPA
For Ubuntu 22.04, Ubuntu 24.04, the xtradebs PPA also contains the browser packages for amd64 (Intel/AMD), arm64/armhf (Apple Silicon/Raspberry Pi) CPU architecture types.
First, press Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard to open terminal. Then, run command to add the PPA:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:xtradeb/apps
Type user password when it asks (no asterisk feedback) and hit Enter to continue.
Linux Mint 21 users need to manually refresh system package cache after adding PPA. To do so, run command:
sudo apt update
Finally, install the web browser as .deb package by running command:
sudo apt install ungoogled-chromium
For choice, also install ungoogled-chromium-driver package for WebDriver support.
After installing the package, search for and launch the web browser from start/application menu or ‘Activities’ overview depends on your DE and enjoy!
Uninstall Ungoogled chromium
Depends on how you installed the software package, select remove it via:
For the Flatpak package, uninstall it by running command:
Since Ubuntu replaced Chromium in its universe repository with Snap package, users are looking for deb package or apt method to install the browser.
The Linux Mint team has been maintaining the chromium deb package for a while. You can install the package in Ubuntu and keep updated. It’s stable and trustworthy, however the installing process is not as easy as an Ubuntu PPA does.
Another Ubuntu PPA now contains the latest packages (90.0.4430.212 at the moment) for Ubuntu 20.04 and Ubuntu 20.10. The PPA also contains most recent versions of other useful apps, e.g., avidemux, filezilla, youtube-dl, and more. And it’s also trusty.
Chromium package in the PPA is backported from Debian Unstable repository. So it’s marked as ‘Developer build’. If you don’t want to add Linux Mint repository, the PPA can be a good alternative.
1.) Add the Ubuntu PPA:
Firstly open terminal from system app launcher. When it opens, run command to add the PPA:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:xtradeb/apps
2.) Install Chromium:
Same to Linux Mint, the package name has changed from chromium-browser to chromium. Simply run apt command in terminal to install it:
sudo apt install chromium
Add --install-suggests flag in the command if you want to enable minimal shell and WebDriver support.
Remove the PPA:
To remove the Ubuntu PPA, either open Software & Updates -> Other Software and remove the relevant line:
Prefer installing Chromium web browser via deb over the snap package? Linux Mint 20 now includes the browser and keeps it updated in its own repository for both Ubuntu based and LMDE editions.
Since Ubuntu 20.04, chromium browser in the main repository is a dummy package. It’s redirected to the SNAP (containerized software package) when you trying to install it.
The Linux Mint team argued against this change and removed the package from its main repositories.
When it starts replacing packages for no good reason though, when it starts harming our interaction with upstream projects and software vendors and reducing our choice, it becomes a threat.
Now the Chromium browser is back to the official repositories for both Linux Mint and LMDE. And it’s a deb package built by the Linux Mint team.
How to Install Chromium Deb Package in Ubuntu 20.04:
Though there’s already an Ubuntu PPA that maintains the deb package, the one from Linux Mint is available for choice:
Just click the button below, download the deb package, install it and you’re done!
Note: For Ubuntu grab the package with “ulyana” in filename. For Debian download the one with “debbie” in filename.
Add the Linux Mint repository & receive updates:
You can add the Linux Mint repository, so you’re able to receive the package updates through Software Updater.
1. Open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run command to add the Linux Mint 20 upstream repository:
sudo sh -c 'echo "deb http://packages.linuxmint.com ulyana upstream" >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mint.list'
2. Download and click install the key (its “linuxmint-keyring_2016.05.26_all.deb” so far):
3. Set the priority to make Ubuntu only install chromium from Linux Mint repository.
Run command to create and open the configuration file in text editor:
sudo gedit /etc/apt/preferences.d/mint-ulyssa-pin
When it opens, paste below lines and save the file.
# Allow upgrading only chromium from Ulyssa repository
Package: chromium
Pin: origin packages.linuxmint.com
Pin-Priority: 500
# Never prefer other packages from the Ulyssa repository
Package: *
Pin: origin packages.linuxmint.com
Pin-Priority: 1
4. Finally check updates and install the web browser:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install chromium
Note the package is chromium rather than chromium-browser.
To remove Linux Mint repository:
Simply go to Software & Updates -> Other Software tab and remove the repository line.
The Pepper Flash Player installer, pepperflashplugin-nonfree package, does not work any more for Chromium based browsers since Google Chrome 54 removed the latest PPAPI bundle.
failed to install PPAPI
For those who want to install the latest PPAPI Flash Player (so far it’s 23.0.0.185), you can download the source tarball from Adobe website and install it manually.
1. Go to link below:
Check your OS type from System Settings -> Details, then select in download page:
Linux (64-bit) or Linux (32-bit)
FP 23.0 PPAPI
2. Extract the downloaded .tar.gz package, and navigate to the result folder.
3.pepperflashplugin-nonfree is still required to work as a wrapper. Install it if you don’t have it via command (Press Ctrl+Alt+T to open terminal):
sudo apt install pepperflashplugin-nonfree
4. Now move the libpepflashplayer.so file from downloaded folder to /usr/lib/pepperflashplugin-nonfree directory.
If you’re using a Chromium based web browser in Ubuntu, you may find that the Adobe Flash Player installed from Ubuntu Software Center does not work all the time.
Because ‘Aura’ for Linux, which replaces GTK+, lacks coded support for NPAPI plugins, the “old” Adobe plugin in Ubuntu repositories does no longer play Flash content in Chromium based web browser.
As a workaround, you can use the ‘Pepper Flash’ which is bundled with Google Chrome that provides the latest Adobe Flash Player for Linux.
Chromium with Lastest Adobe Flash
1. Click the link below to bring up Ubuntu Software Center and click the install button:
This will install the package “Pepperflashplugin-nonfree“, which will download Chrome from Google, unpack it and make the included Pepper Flash Player available for use with Chromium.
2. After that, relaunch Chromium browser and Flash should now work. If not, close the browser and run below command in terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) to tell the plugin location:
Want the latest Adobe Flash Player in Ubuntu Chromium browser? After v11.2, the Flash Player plugin for Linux will only be available via the “Pepper” API as part of the Google Chrome. Adobe will continue to provide security updates to non-Pepper distributions of Flash Player 11.2 on Linux for five years from its release.
There’s a PPA contains installer packages which will download the latest Google Chrome package, extract the Pepper Flash files, and install them for Chromium (Google Chrome itself is not installed).
UPDATE: Since Ubuntu 14.04, you can directly install Pepper Flash installer from Ubuntu Software Center, or by click the link below:
To add the PPA, press Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard to open terminal and then run command below:
This tutorial shows how to install Chromium browser 31 via PPA in Ubuntu 13.10 Saucy, Ubuntu 13.04 Raring, Ubuntu 12.04 Precise, Linux Mint and their derivatives.
Chromium is an open-source web browser project from which Google Chrome draws its source code. The latest has reached version 31, it is available in Ubuntu Mozilla Security Team PPA for Ubuntu 12.04 and higher.
Chromium 31 changelog:
Include dmesg events mentioning chromium in apport reports.
Abandon nss transitional package as Dependency, and add real package with epoch version number.
Fix multiple memory corruption issues.
Use after free related to speech input elements.
Use after free related to media elements.
Out of bounds read in SVG.
Use after free related to “id” attribute strings.
Use after free in DOM ranges.
Address bar spoofing related to interstitial warnings.
Out of bounds read in HTTP parsing.
Issue with certificates not being checked during TLS renegotiation.
Various fixes from internal audits, fuzzing and other initiatives.
Read of uninitialized memory in libjpeg and libjpeg-turbo.
Read of uninitialized memory in libjpeg-turbo.
Use after free in libjingle.
debian/chromium-chromedriver.install: Drop unsupported, broken old chromedriver v1 and add chromedriver2.
Update webapps patches.
Disable chromedriver testing until the new server-test client dependencies are figured out.
Drop base_unittests and automated_ui_tests build and automatic test and from installation exclusion.
Include wildcat package ‘pepflashplugin-nonfree’ in apport reportting.
To get started installing Chromium, press Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard to open terminal. When it opens, run commands below one by one:
