Vivaldi is a powerful and innovative browser attracting considerable attention among Ubuntu desktop users as a strong contender to replace the default installed Firefox browser. In the following tutorial, you will learn how to install Vivaldi on Ubuntu 22.10 Kinetic Kudu, 22.04 Jammy Jellyfish, and 20.04 Focal Fossa using the command line terminal and also the option of Vivaldi stable or Vivaldi snapshot browser versions.
What is Vivaldi Browser?
Vivaldi Browser is a free, innovative web browser developed with the user in mind. It allows users to customize and control their browsing experience more than ever before, from customizing interface visuals, including color schemes and tab configurations, down to deeper settings allowing them to set keyboard shortcuts and mouse gestures. Vivaldi has unique features, such as tab stacking and tiling, allowing users to organize their tabs better. It also offers built-in tools such as Notes, Screen Capture, and Reader View that optimize the user’s web browsing experience. In addition to its customizable options, Vivaldi Browser also emphasizes security by blocking cookies, scripts, and other tracking technology, giving users peace of mind when browsing online.
Note about the Tutorial
The following tutorial was done with a Ubuntu 22.10 release, and example images were taken. Still, it was tested on Ubuntu 20.04 and 22.04 LTS. In the future, if Ubuntu makes any changes to break the tutorial for one of the distribution versions, please place a comment for me to investigate so I can update the tutorial.
Recommended Steps Before Vivaldi Installation
First, update your system to ensure all existing packages are up to date.
sudo apt updateOptionally, you can list the updates for users who require review or are curious to see what is available to update. This can be good if you have a specific you forgot to place; use the apt-hold command.
sudo apt --list upgradableProceed to upgrade any outdated packages using the following command.
sudo apt upgradeImport Vivaldi Repository
Install Required Packages
To complete the installation, you will need to install the following software packages using the following command in your terminal.
sudo apt install software-properties-common apt-transport-https curl -yThese are the most common software packages found on nearly all Linux distributions.
Import GPG Key
In the first step, you will need to download the GPG key, which is used to verify the authenticity of the packages you are downloading and installing.
curl -fSsL https://repo.vivaldi.com/archive/linux_signing_key.pub | sudo gpg --dearmor | sudo tee /usr/share/keyrings/vivaldi.gpg > /dev/nullAdd the Vivaldi Repository
Next, add the repository. Vivaldi works the best on AMD64 systems that most desktop users utilize. However, recently they have been pushing better support for ARM64 and AMDHF for systems like Raspberry PI OS, etc.
Use the command that matches your architecture. If unsure, use the AMD64 first, as non-AMD64-bit users would know if they have alternative hardware.
AMD64 architecture import command:
echo deb [arch=amd64 signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/vivaldi.gpg] https://repo.vivaldi.com/archive/deb/ stable main | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/vivaldi.listARM64 architecture import command:
echo deb [arch=arm64 signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/vivaldi.gpg] https://repo.vivaldi.com/archive/deb/ stable main | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/vivaldi.listARMHF architecture import command:
echo deb [arch=armhf signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/vivaldi.gpg] https://repo.vivaldi.com/archive/deb/ stable main | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/vivaldi.listInstall Vivaldi Browser
Once you have imported the repository, you can install Vivaldi using the following.
First, update your repository list to reflect the new repository changes:
sudo apt updateInstall either the stable or snapshot (nightly) version of Vivaldi Browser. Note you can install both together.
Install Vivaldi Browser Stable
sudo apt install vivaldi-stable -yConfirm the version and build of the Vivaldi Browser version installed on your operating system using the following command:
vivaldi --versionExample output:
Vivaldi 5.6.2867.46 stable
Optional – Install Vivaldi Snapshot (Nightly)
Run the following command for users or developers who want to test Vivaldi’s development version.
sudo apt install vivaldi-snapshot -yConfirm the version and build of the Vivaldi Browser version installed on your operating system using the following command:
vivaldi-snapshot --versionExample output:
Vivaldi 5.7.2883.3 snapshot
Note, stick with Stable for your daily browsing, do not use the development version for any serious browsing or transactions.
Launch Vivaldi Browser
With the installation complete, you can run Vivaldi in a few different ways.
First, while you are in your terminal, you can use the following command:
vivaldiMost people would prefer using the application icon in the following path.
Click Activities Menu > Show Applications > Vivaldi {version}.
The first time you open Vivaldi, you will be greeted by the following landing page to customize your browser.
Vivaldi will have about five pages of quick setting options to customize your Vivaldi experience. Overall, it should take 1 to 5 minutes, depending on how much customizing you want.
Once done, you will see the final landing page, and you are good to go browsing.
Congratulations, you have successfully installed Vivaldi Browser on your desktop.
Additional Commands & Tips
How to Update Vivaldi Browser
Most desktop users rely on automatic updates or auto-update notifications, which can be ok. Still, given that you are learning to install the browser using a terminal, you should update by running the APT update command in your terminal, as you would check your entire system for any updates.
sudo apt updateIf one is available, use the upgrade option.
sudo apt upgradeHow to Remove (Uninstall) Vivaldi Browser
If you no longer wish to have the Vivaldi browser installed, you can remove the browser quite quickly using the following.
Remove the standard Vivaldi browser using the following command.
sudo apt autoremove vivaldi-stable --purgeUsers who installed the Vivaldi snapshot build may want to keep the stable version only, just the following command.
sudo apt autoremove vivaldi-snapshot --purgeNote unused dependencies will also be removed.
For users who will no longer install or want to install the Vivaldi browser on their system, use the following command to delete the Vivaldi Repository.
sudo rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/vivaldi.listPlease note if you removed the snapshot build and will continue with the stable version, do not remove the repository, or you will need to import it again.
Finally, delete the GPG key.
sudo rm /usr/share/keyrings/vivaldi.gpgComments and Conclusion
In the tutorial, you have learned how to install Vivaldi Browser stable and the daily build titled snapshot on a Ubuntu Linux desktop. Overall, Vivaldi is slowly creeping up on the major browsers such as Google Chrome or Firefox; given how simple it is to install, I would suggest checking the browser out if you are looking for a change in your daily browsing.
