Install Chromium Browser on Ubuntu / Linux Mint / Debian [Guide]

Chromium is the open-source web browser project that serves as the foundation for Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Brave, and several other browsers. It provides the same rendering engine and core features as Chrome but without Google’s proprietary services like sync, automatic crash reporting, and media codec licensing. For users who want a fast, modern browser with full control over privacy, Chromium is the best choice on Linux.

Original content from computingforgeeks.com - post 7544

This guide covers multiple ways to install Chromium on Ubuntu 24.04, Linux Mint, and Debian 13 (Trixie). We cover the default snap package on Ubuntu, a native .deb alternative, Flatpak, and distro-specific methods for Debian and Linux Mint. The Chromium project releases frequent stable updates, and every method here gives you access to the latest builds.

Prerequisites

Before starting, make sure you have the following:

A system running Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, Linux Mint 22, or Debian 13 (Trixie)
A user account with sudo privileges
Active internet connection to download packages
Terminal access (Ctrl+Alt+T on most desktop environments)

Step 1: Install Chromium via Snap on Ubuntu 24.04

On Ubuntu 24.04, the chromium-browser apt package is a transitional package that installs the Snap version of Chromium. This has been the default behavior since Ubuntu 19.10. Running the standard apt install command gives you the Snap-packaged Chromium automatically.

Update your package index and install Chromium:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install chromium-browser -y

Alternatively, install directly from the Snap store:

sudo snap install chromium

After installation, verify the installed version:

chromium --version

The output shows the Chromium version number, confirming the installation was successful:

Chromium 131.0.6778.204 snap

Launch Chromium from the terminal or find it in your application menu:

chromium &

The Snap version updates automatically in the background, so you always get the latest security patches without manual intervention. However, Snap packages run in a sandbox, which can cause issues with certain system integrations like custom themes, file dialogs, and hardware acceleration.

Step 2: Install Chromium .deb Package Without Snap on Ubuntu

Many users prefer a native .deb package over Snap for faster startup times, better desktop integration, and normal file access without sandbox restrictions. The xtradeb/apps PPA maintained by the community provides Chromium as a proper .deb package for Ubuntu.

First, remove the existing Snap version if installed:

sudo snap remove chromium

Add the xtradeb PPA and install the .deb version:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:xtradeb/apps -y
sudo apt update
sudo apt install chromium -y

Verify the installation to confirm you have the .deb version (notice no “snap” suffix in the output):

chromium --version

The .deb version output shows the version number without the “snap” label:

Chromium 131.0.6778.204

Confirm the package source to make sure it comes from the PPA and not Snap:

apt policy chromium

The output should show the xtradeb PPA as the package source with a higher priority than the Ubuntu archive.

Step 3: Install Chromium Browser via Flatpak

Flatpak provides another way to install Chromium without Snap. It works across Ubuntu, Debian, Linux Mint, and most other distributions. Flatpak applications run sandboxed but integrate better with the desktop than Snap on non-Ubuntu systems. If you need a guide on setting up Flatpak on Linux, check out our dedicated article.

Install Flatpak if it is not already available on your system:

sudo apt install flatpak -y

Add the Flathub repository, which hosts the Chromium Flatpak package:

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

Install Chromium from Flathub:

flatpak install flathub org.chromium.Chromium -y

Launch the Flatpak version of Chromium:

flatpak run org.chromium.Chromium

Update the Flatpak version when new releases are available:

flatpak update org.chromium.Chromium

On Linux Mint, Flatpak is pre-installed and the Flathub repository is configured by default. You can skip the Flatpak setup steps and go straight to the install command.

Step 4: Install Chromium on Debian 13 (Trixie)

Debian ships Chromium as a native .deb package in its official repositories – no Snap or Flatpak needed. This is the cleanest installation method since Debian’s package is built from source and maintained by the Debian security team.

Update the package index and install Chromium:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install chromium -y

On Debian, the package name is chromium (not chromium-browser as on Ubuntu). Verify the installation:

chromium --version

Debian 13 Trixie ships a recent Chromium version that receives security updates through the standard Debian security channels:

Chromium 131.0.6778.204

Install additional codec support if you need to play proprietary media formats like H.264 and AAC:

sudo apt install chromium-codecs-ffmpeg-extra -y

If the extra codecs package is not available in the main repository, enable the non-free component in your sources list and update again. For users who want to install Google Chrome on Debian instead, we have a separate guide for that.

Step 5: Install Chromium on Linux Mint

Linux Mint makes Chromium available as a native .deb package in its own repositories. Unlike Ubuntu, Mint does not redirect apt installs to Snap – you get a proper system package directly. The Linux Mint team maintains an unmodified Chromium build that integrates well with the Cinnamon, MATE, and Xfce desktops.

Install Chromium through apt:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install chromium -y

If the package name chromium does not resolve, try chromium-browser instead – the name varies between Mint versions:

sudo apt install chromium-browser -y

Verify the installed version:

chromium --version

You can also install Chromium through the Software Manager GUI. Open Software Manager from the application menu, search for “Chromium”, and click Install.

Step 6: Set Chromium as Default Browser

After installing Chromium, you may want to set it as your default browser so that links from other applications open in Chromium automatically.

Set Chromium as the default browser from the command line using xdg-settings:

xdg-settings set default-web-browser chromium.desktop

If you installed Chromium via Snap, the desktop file name is different:

xdg-settings set default-web-browser chromium_chromium.desktop

For Flatpak installations, use the Flatpak desktop file:

xdg-settings set default-web-browser org.chromium.Chromium.desktop

Verify the default browser setting:

xdg-settings get default-web-browser

The command returns the .desktop file name of your current default browser. You can also set the default browser from within Chromium by navigating to chrome://settings/defaultBrowser and clicking “Make default”.

Step 7: Install Extensions in Chromium

Chromium supports extensions from the Chrome Web Store just like Google Chrome. Open the Chrome Web Store directly in Chromium by navigating to the following URL:

https://chromewebstore.google.com/

Browse or search for the extension you want, then click “Add to Chromium” to install it. Some useful extensions for productivity and privacy:

uBlock Origin – efficient ad and tracker blocker
Bitwarden – open-source password manager
HTTPS Everywhere – force HTTPS connections on sites that support it
Dark Reader – dark mode for every website

Manage installed extensions by navigating to chrome://extensions/ in the address bar. From there you can enable, disable, or remove extensions and adjust their permissions.

Step 8: Chromium vs Google Chrome – Key Differences

Chromium and Chrome share the same Blink rendering engine and V8 JavaScript engine, but they differ in licensing, bundled services, and update mechanisms. Here is a comparison of the key differences. If you prefer Chrome, check out how to install Brave Browser on Ubuntu as another Chromium-based alternative.

Feature	Chromium	Google Chrome
License	Open-source (BSD)	Proprietary (freeware)
Google Sync	Not included	Built-in
Automatic Updates	Via package manager	Built-in updater
Widevine DRM	Not included (no Netflix, Spotify)	Built-in
AAC/H.264 Codecs	Not included by default	Built-in
Crash Reporting	Optional / disabled	Enabled by default
PDF Viewer	Basic or none	Built-in (Chrome PDF Viewer)
Telemetry	Minimal	Sends usage data to Google

The biggest practical difference is DRM support. Chromium cannot play DRM-protected content from Netflix, Disney+, or Spotify in the browser without manually installing the Widevine plugin. If you need streaming services, Chrome or Firefox are better choices for that use case.

Step 9: Useful Chromium Command-Line Flags

Chromium supports a wide range of command-line flags for automation, testing, and custom configurations. These flags work the same way on Ubuntu, Debian, and Linux Mint.

Launch Chromium in incognito mode (no browsing history saved):

chromium --incognito

Run Chromium in headless mode for automated testing or web scraping without a GUI:

chromium --headless --dump-dom https://example.com

This prints the rendered DOM of the page to stdout, useful for scripts and CI pipelines.

Route Chromium traffic through a proxy server:

chromium --proxy-server="socks5://127.0.0.1:1080"

Disable GPU acceleration if you experience rendering issues in a virtual machine:

chromium --disable-gpu

Start Chromium with a specific user data directory, useful for running multiple profiles simultaneously:

chromium --user-data-dir=/home/$USER/.chromium-work

Here is a quick reference of the most commonly used flags:

Flag	Description
`--incognito`	Start in private browsing mode
`--headless`	Run without GUI (for automation)
`--proxy-server=`	Route traffic through a proxy
`--disable-gpu`	Disable hardware acceleration
`--no-sandbox`	Disable sandbox (for Docker/root – not recommended normally)
`--user-data-dir=`	Use a custom profile directory
`--dump-dom`	Print page DOM to stdout (use with –headless)
`--screenshot`	Take a screenshot of a page (use with –headless)

Take a screenshot of a web page from the command line:

chromium --headless --screenshot=/tmp/page.png --window-size=1280,720 https://example.com

This creates a PNG screenshot of the target URL at the specified resolution – useful for monitoring and automated visual testing.

Conclusion

You now have Chromium installed on your Ubuntu, Linux Mint, or Debian system using the method that best fits your workflow. The native .deb package on Debian and Linux Mint gives the cleanest experience, while Ubuntu users should consider the PPA or Flatpak routes to avoid Snap limitations.

For production use or kiosk setups, consider running Chromium in headless mode behind a reverse proxy for automated tasks. Keep Chromium updated through your package manager to receive security patches promptly, and use uBlock Origin or a similar extension to improve browsing performance and privacy.