There are several ways to install deb files in Ubuntu. Here I’ll show you the two easiest ways, closely following best practices.
For Ubuntu users, software can come from many sources. There’s official repos, PPAs, Snap store, Flathub, and more. However, you won’t find every app you want in one of those.
Sometimes, you may have to visit an website to download and install file with a .deb extension. So let’s first answer the question, what is a .deb file?
The .deb files are an installable software package format used by Debian and its derivatives such as Ubuntu, Linux Mint, elementary OS, etc. They contain precompiled software which is ready to be installed on Debian or a Debian-based operating system. As you know, Ubuntu falls into that category.
For the purposes of this guide, we will be using Valve’s Steam client .deb package (steam_latest.deb) as an example.
There’s mainly two ways to install a .deb file on Ubuntu:
- Install
.debfile through the command line by usingaptcommand - Install
.debfile through Ubuntu Software Manager
So, let’s see how we can take a single .deb package and install it properly in Ubuntu.
Install deb File in Ubuntu by Using apt Command
apt is a command-line utility for managing (installing, updating, removing) deb packages on Debian, Ubuntu, and related Linux distributions.
When you use apt to install a package, under the hood it uses dpkg. When you install a package using apt, it first creates a list of all the dependencies and downloads it from the repository.
You’ll need to direct apt to the file’s location in order to perform the install. Open the terminal and issue this command:
sudo apt install ./Downloads/steam_latest.deb
That’s all. Valve Steam client should now be installed on your system.
Of course, you should replace Downloads with the path to the file on your Ubuntu system where it’s stored, as well as the name of the .deb file with the actual name of the file you’ve downloaded.
Install deb File by Using Ubuntu Software Manager
This is probably the easiest method for new Linux users to install .deb files in Ubuntu. It uses the build-in Ubuntu Software Manager.
Simply go to the folder where you downloaded the .deb file, right-click on it and choose Open With Software Install option.
This will open the Ubuntu Software Manager. All you have to do is to hit the Install button.
Enter your user password when prompted and hit Authenticate. As you know, only an authorized user can install a software in Ubuntu.
The progress bar lets you know when the app has finished installing on your Ubuntu system.
The software will be successfully installed on your system.
Conclusion
I hope this guide helps you to know various ways to install a .deb file in Ubuntu and other similar derivatives. Please keep in mind that you need to install .deb files on your Ubuntu system only if you’re confident about the source of the file and can verify its integrity.
Find out more about various options in apt in its command line manual page.
As always feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions.
