How to Install Telegram on Manjaro Linux

Telegram is a popular free cross-platform, cloud-based instant messaging system. Telegram is famous for providing end-to-end encrypted video calling, VoIP, and file sharing, amongst many other features. The following tutorial will teach you how to install Telegram on Manjaro Linux with cli commands and utilizing either the default repository, which often has the most up-to-date version, or using the Arch Linux user repository with Manjaro’s package manager.

Update Manjaro – System Packages Upgrade

Before beginning this tutorial, please ensure that your computer has been updated with all available package upgrades to avoid potential issues and for good system maintenance.

sudo pacman -Syu

Sometimes, you may need a full database dump if you haven’t updated your Manjaro system for some time; use this command if the “pacman -Syu” command fails.

sudo pacman -Syyu

I’d also suggest updating Pamac since you are using Manjaro; for those new to Manjaro, pamac is Manjaro’s, Package Manager.

sudo pamac checkupdates -a

sudo pamac upgrade -a

Troubleshooting Updating Manjaro Packages

Manjaro is based on Arch Linux and is a rolling release; sometimes, updating packages with Pacman, you may notice GPG keys can become invalid or corrupted. If both commands fail, try this command instead.

sudo pacman -S archlinux-keyring manjaro-keyring

sudo pacman-key --populate archlinux manjaro

The above should work in nearly all cases, but if it does not, use the following steps as a last resort.

sudo rm -r /etc/pacman.d/gnupg

sudo pacman-key --init

sudo pacman-key --populate manjaro

sudo pacman-key --populate archlinux

sudo pacman -Syvv manjaro-keyring

Then repeat the update process.

Method 1: Install Telegram with Pacman

The first method is to use Pacman to install Telegram. Run the following command in your terminal.

sudo pacman -S telegram-desktop

Use the following method for those who want to use Manjaro’s version or the AUR. Personally, there is no extra benefit for most cases to use Method 2 as Telegram usually is updated quickly on Arch Linux-based systems. Still, it is an excellent backup in case the maintainer goes AWOL.

Method 2: Install Telegram with Pamac

Situational – Enable AUR for ‘pamac.’

First, by default, AUR is disabled. You will first need to enable it, which you can do with the following command.

sudo sed -Ei '/EnableAUR/s/^#//' /etc/pamac.conf

Run Telegram installation commands

Now that you have enabled the AUR. Run the following command that will build or install Telegram on your system.

pamac build telegram-desktop-bin

The process should not take more than a minute or two at max. Once done, you can move on to launching the application.

How to Launch Telegram

Once you’ve installed the app, you can run it through the command line interface by typing ‘telegram’ in your command line terminal.

telegram

Telegram Desktop, for most desktops, can be easily opened without a command line terminal. The easiest way to do this is to follow the instructions provided here.

Taskbar > Internet > Telegram Desktop.

Sign in with your phone and join conversations and chat rooms.

Example:

Congrats, you have successfully installed Telegram.

Additional Commands & Tips

How to Update Telegram

Depending on your installation method, you can update Telegram with cli using one of the package managers used to install it.

Update Telegram – Pacman Method

As demonstrated at the start of the tutorial, you can run a quick update check with Pacman in most cases using the following command.

sudo pacman -Syu

For troubleshooting, visit the start of the tutorial.

Update Telegram – Pamac Method

Next, run the following commands to ensure that updates are being processed on your system. This will, of course, update Telegram if an update exists.

sudo pamac checkupdates -a

sudo pamac upgrade -a

Note it is advised to run terminal commands now and then, even if you have set up AUR auto-updates using the automatic GUI updater; this ensures you are not missing anything.

How to Remove (Uninstall) Telegram

Remove Telegram – Pacman Method

First, use the following command for those that just installed the Telegram client using the standard repository.

sudo pacman -R telegram

Those who used Manjaro’s package manager and the AUR use the following method.

Remove Telegram – Manjaro Package Manager Method

Run the following Terminal Command For Users Wanting To Remove The Software.

pamac remove telegram

Delete any unused files/folders that are not needed anymore.

pamac remove -o

Delete unneeded packages from the package cache.

pamac clean -uv -k 0

Remove any unneeded packages from the Package Cache (the latest versions of each installed package) to reduce the size of the cache file used during subsequent installs.

pamac clean -v -k 2

Finally, for those who enabled the AUR with Manjaro’s package manager and later decided against using it and instead wanted another option, you can easily remove or disable the AUR using this command.

sudo sed -Ei '/EnableAUR/s/^/#/' /etc/pamac.conf

Conclusion

Although Telegram Messenger has some clear advantages for users who prioritize privacy, it is not without its faults. Some have raised concerns about the app’s susceptibility to cyber-attacks and its lack of end-to-end encryption. Still, all consider it better for privacy than the big tech platforms overall.