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, the software can come from many sources. There are official repos, PPAs, Snap store, Flathub, and etc. However, you won’t find every app you want in one of those.
Sometimes, you may have to visit a website to download and install a 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, elementaryOS, etc.
They contain precompiled software ready to be installed on Debian or a Debian-based operating system. As you know, Ubuntu falls into that category.
For this guide, we will be using Valve’s Steam client .deb package (steam_latest.deb) as an example.
There are mainly two ways to install a .deb file on Ubuntu:
- Installing the
.debfile through the command line by using theaptcommand - Installing the
.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. So when installing a package using apt, it first creates a list of all the dependencies and downloads it from the repository.
You’ll need to direct the apt to the file’s location 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, and 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 built-in Ubuntu Software Manager.
Go to the folder where you downloaded the .deb file, right-click on it and choose the Open With Software Install option.
This will open the Ubuntu Software Manager. Then, 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 the 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.
However, please keep in mind that you need to install .deb files on your Ubuntu system only if you’re confident about the file source and can verify its integrity.
Please find out more about various options in apt on its command line manual page.
As always, feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions.
