I was left scratching my head trying to to install Google Chrome on Manjaro. When I go to the Chrome website to download it, it only offers me DEB and RPM installers.
Those don’t work on Manjaro (not without effort, at least).
Thankfully, I wasn’t stumped for long.
Turns out it’s easy to install Chrome in Manjaro. You can do it from the command line or using the Add & Remove software tool Manjaro comes with.
Whichever method you choose is down to you, your skill-set, and your packaging preferences. The end result is the same: Google’s famous web browser, ready for you to use.
Let’s take a look at how.
Installing Google Chrome on Manjaro
Command Line Method (fastest)
The quickest way to install Chrome on Manjaro is to use the command line.
You run a single command, enter your Manjaro password, and, after a minute or so of waiting, Google’s flagship web browser is installed, ready to use.
To do it, open a terminal emulator (e.g., GNOME Terminal, Konsole, Xterm, etc) and run:
pamac build google-chrome
Enter your Manjaro password if/when prompted, okay the build as listed, then sit back and watch as Google Chrome is assembled bit by bit (quite literally) in front of you.
Once finished, launch Chrome from your desktop’s application menu.
GUI Method (slower)
“Scott?,” you say. ” I don’t want to use the command line. It scares me.”
No worries, my anxious friend. You can also install Chrome in Manjaro using pamac, aka the Add/Remove Software tool if the Flathub repo is enabled on your system.
To do this, click the search icon in the Add/Remove Software app, search for “Google Chrome”, and then click the “install” button next to the option with a Chrome browser logo and the subtitle ‘Flathub’.
“Erm, Scott?” you say again, this time with a mild hint of exasperation: “I don’t want to to use Flatpak either.”
Gee, well aren’t you picky!
The good news is that you can install Chrome on Manjaro from AUR, or the Arch User Repository (technically you install a helper script from the AUR and that installs Chrome for you, but the end result is the same so 💁🏻♂️).
First you need to enable AUR support in Manjaro.
Open the Add/Remove Software app, click on the hamburger menu, select Preferences. In the modal that appears click on the Third-Party tab, then slide the toggle next to ‘Enable AUR support’ to the right (on) position.
You may be asked to enter your Manjaro password during this.
Once done, close the dialog. Click on the search icon in the upper-left corner of the Add/Remove Software app, and then search for “Google Chrome”. Look for an option subtitled “AUR” with a ‘Build’ button next to it.
To “install” Chrome you click “Build”. A ‘Transaction Summary’ dialog will appear and, assuming you’re happy with what it sets out, you click ‘Apply’ to continue.
Behind the scenes pamac will the same thing as the first command would’ve had you not wanted to take the slow bus to town 😉.
Once finished, a shortcut for Google Chrome will be added in whatever app launcher/menu you’re using. The rest …Well, you can probably figure that out.
Try it out and let me know!
This tutorial is written for people looking to install Google Chrome on Manjaro. It’s just a guide, not a manifesto, nor a comparison of Chrome vs other web browsers. If you don’t like Google Chrome — some folks don’t — this guide isn’t aimed at you.
