{"id":139390,"date":"2024-10-19T09:09:54","date_gmt":"2024-10-19T09:09:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/linuxiac.com\/?p=139390"},"modified":"2024-10-19T09:10:06","modified_gmt":"2024-10-19T09:10:06","slug":"how-to-install-google-chrome-on-arch-linux","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/linuxiac.com\/how-to-install-google-chrome-on-arch-linux\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Install Google Chrome on Arch Linux"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

So, you’ve installed Arch<\/a>\u2014congratulations on that! One of the first things many users do after setting it up is installing a web browser. For a long time, Google Chrome has been the go-to choice for many people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Naturally, many Arch users want to install it, too. However, there’s a small challenge\u2014Chrome isn\u2019t available in the official Arch repositories. The reason for this is simple – since Google Chrome is closed-source, it is not included in the official Arch repositories when prioritized software is open-source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But there’s no room for worry because Chrome is available in Arch’s AUR (Arch User Repository<\/a>), a great collection of user-contributed and supported software that sets Arch apart from other Linux distributions. Now, I’ll show you how easy it is to install, and it will only take a few minutes. So, let’s jump right in!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Install Chrome Browser on Arch Linux<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are two options for installing Google Chrome on your Arch system: using an AUR helper or installing the browser directly. I highly recommend taking the first approach, and here\u2019s why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An AUR helper is a simple program that makes it easy to manage software packages from the AUR repository (installing, updating, and removing) with a single command. Think of it as your gateway to a vast collection of software available in the Arch’s AUR. Once installed, you can bet on it to access and manage any software from AUR.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, suppose you decide to install Chrome manually without using the AUR helper. In that case, you\u2019ll have to repeat the process for every other software you want from AUR, including manual updates (recompiling the software). In practice, almost all Arch users rely on an AUR helper to handle software from AUR efficiently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now that we’ve clarified those points, it’s time to start. You’re just one step away from installing Google Chrome on your Arch system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Installing Chrome Using AUR Helper<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Several AUR helpers are available, but one of the most popular and commonly used by Arch users, including myself, is yay<\/strong> (Yet Another Yogurt), an AUR helper written in Go. To install it, simply run the following four commands in order.<\/p>\n\n\n

sudo pacman -S git base-devel\ngit clone<\/span> https:\/\/aur.archlinux.org\/yay.git\ncd<\/span> yay\nmakepkg -si<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Bash<\/span> (<\/span>bash<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Everything will be set up in just 1-2 minutes, and the AUR helper will be installed and ready to go!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Installing<\/a>
Installing the yay AUR helper on Arch Linux.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Now, you can safely exit the “yay<\/em>” directory and delete it without any worries, as you no longer need it.<\/p>\n\n\n
cd<\/span> ..\nrm -rf yay\/<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Bash<\/span> (<\/span>bash<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
And we get to the beauty and convenience that yay<\/code> offers: We install the Google Chrome web browser on our Arch Linux system with just one short command.<\/p>\n\n\n
yay -S google-chrome<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Bash<\/span> (<\/span>bash<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
As the helper works, you\u2019ll be asked to choose between a few options. Simply press “Enter<\/em>” to accept the default ones. In about a minute, Google Chrome will be installed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Google<\/a>
Google Chrome has been successfully installed on Arch Linux.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
That’s all friends. Simply launch the browser via your desktop environment’s app launcher and enjoy a smooth and hassle-free web browsing experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Launching<\/a>
Launching Google Chrome.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
The first time you start Chrome, you\u2019ll have the chance to make it your default browser. You can also choose to \u201cAutomatically send usage statistics and crash reports to Google<\/em>.\u201d It is up to you whether you want to enable this or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Google<\/a>
Google Chrome initial settings.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
When you’re done, hit “OK<\/em>.” Google Chrome will start. Enjoy it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Google<\/a>
Google Chrome web browser running on Arch Linux.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Install Chrome on Arch Manually (Without AUR Helper)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
If you want to manually install Google Chrome from AUR without an AUR helper, type the following three commands in the terminal:<\/p>\n\n\n
git clone<\/span> https:\/\/aur.archlinux.org\/google-chrome.git\ncd<\/span> google-chrome\nmakepkg -si<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Bash<\/span> (<\/span>bash<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Let me explain what this does. First, it downloads the PKGBUILD for Google Chrome from AUR. If you are unfamiliar with the concept, I just want to clarify that this is a script file used in Arch, which contains instructions on how to build packages from source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then, the makepkg<\/code> command is used to build the package itself, using the instructions specified in the abovemen<\/span>tioned\u00a0PKGBUILD\u00a0file.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After compiling, makepkg<\/code> packages the software into an installable file (with the extension \u201c.pkg.tar. zest<\/em>\u201d used in Arch), which can then be installed using pacman<\/code>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n