Deb is a software package format extension for Debian Linux and its derivatives. Debian packages are standard Unix ar repositories consisting of two tar repositories. One repository contains control information and another contains installable data. Installing .deb files comes when a package is unavailable on the Ubuntu and Debian repository. For which you have to download the .deb file and install it manually. In this guide we will explain how to install .deb package on Ubuntu 20.04.
Requirements
- 99RDP VPS/Dedicated Server (Running Ubuntu 20.04)
- Access to terminal
Downloading .deb Package
Firstly SSH into the server and update the current software package and repo list.
# apt upgrade && apt update -y
Continuing, in this guide we will take an example of installing .deb package of Google Chrome lates version. Head to the link and copy the .deb file address of Google Chrome. Next we will download it on the Ubuntu system using wget.
# wget https://dl.google.com/linux/direct/google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb
Install .deb Package On Ubuntu 20.04 Using dpkg
dpkg is the software behind the package management system for the operating systems like Debian and its many derivatives. dpkg is is a low level package management tool to install, remove and provide information about .deb package. However, you should use apt or Gdebi to install or remove .deb files as they have dependency resolution.
To install .deb package using dpkg follow the given command by replacing the deb-package-name.
dpkg -i [deb-package-name]Following this we can install the Google Chrome .deb file by running the given command.
# dpkg -i google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb
Install .deb Package On Ubuntu 20.04 Using apt
The apt command is a powerful command-line tool that works with Ubuntu’s Advanced Packaging Tool (APT). It installs new software packages, upgrades existing software packages, updates the package list index, and even upgrades the entire Ubuntu system.
To install .deb package using apt follow the given command replacing the deb-package-name.
apt install ./deb-package-nameSubsequently we can install the Google Chrome .deb file using apt by running the given command.
# apt install ./google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb
This command will install Google Chrome and related dependencies automatically.
Install .deb Package On Ubuntu 20.04 Using gdebi
GDebi is a package installer for installing Debian executable packages on Debian-based Linux distributions. It is foreseen that while installing the Debian packages on Ubuntu, a dependency error comes; that won’t allow you to install the package; the GDebi package installer will resolve the dependency issue.
To install .deb package using GDebi follow the given command replacing the deb-package-name.
gdebi [deb-package-name]Following this we can install the Google Chrome .deb file using GDebi by running the given command.
# gdebi google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb
A confirmation request will come grant it using Y. Hence, the latest Google Chrome .deb file is installed for your Ubuntu system.
Conclusion
In this guide, we have explained different ways to install deb files on Ubuntu 20.04. Now you can choose your preferred method to install the deb file on the system as per your requirement. apt and dpkg are very useful and powerful tools that allow you to easily install, remove and manage packages on Ubuntu or Debian based operating systems. Thank You for your time.
