When Microsoft announced plans to rebase its Edge browser on Chromium the chance of a dedicated Linux build went from pipe-dream to inevitability.
Chromium’s cross-platform codebase makes it the ideal foundation on which to build out a modern web browser. Three years since rumours first began swirling, Microsoft Edge for Linux is not only confirmed but it’s almost ready for testing.
Chromium Browser for Linux Install Chromium on Debian, Ubuntu & Linux Mint $ sudo apt-get install chromium-browser Install Chromium on Fedora $ sudo dnf install chromium 6. Midori is an open-source web browser developed In Vala and C with WebKit engine and GTK+ 2 and GTK+ 3 interface. With an initial stable release in 2007 and the. Installing Microsoft Edge on Linux There are two ways to get started with Microsoft Edge on Linux. The simplest approach is to download and install a.deb or.rpm package directly from the Microsoft Edge Insider site – this will configure your system to receive future automatic updates. Microsoft Edge for Linux is now a thing, so in this post we show you how to install the browser on Ubuntu, Linux Mint, and any related Linux distributions. As it’s based on the same foundation as Google Chrome, you can use Chrome extensions in Edge. Nov 09, 2020 Microsoft has announced that Microsoft will support Edge on Apple's M1 SoC, but has not said anything (to my knowledge) about support for Linux on Broadcom's BCM-series SoC. So far, Microsoft's embrace of Edge-Linux (and WSL) has been aligned with (and more or less limited to) the needs of the Enterprise base.
Being the impatient sort we installed the Microsoft Edge Developer build on Ubuntu 20.10. This post will stop short of being a “review” per se (you’ll hear throughout this post: this is not a stable build) but I’ve included lots of screenshots and some general thoughts about how well the browser integrates with the default Ubuntu desktop.
Microsoft Edge for Linux Developer Build
Did I ever think I’d be writing a post about Microsoft’s flagship web browser being available for Linux? Heck no! And yet, here we are!
Many teeth have been gnashed over the point and purpose of a Microsoft-made web browser on a Linux platform. Some see Edge’s arrival as the latest bouquet in Microsoft’s blooming relationship with Linux and all things open source, but others? Well, they smell suspicion…
For their part Microsoft says its “motive” in bringing Edge to Linux is simply about making its technologies and services available to more users. Yes, even if they don’t run its Windows software (which is, after all, just one product/service in its portfolio).
Microsoft’s heavy presence in business, enterprise, and (increasingly) developer communities also plays a part. People who have to use Microsoft services at work get the chance to use the tech they’re familiar with and/or sync’d up with at home, on their Linux laptop, if they want.
But is there anything to interest casual Linux users too?
Edge is more than a Chrome clone; Microsoft had imbued Edge with custom touches and novel feature integrations. While many of these may sound superfluous to power-users they do, on other systems, round out the browser’s feature set.
Or to put it another way: Edge is a mass-market, all-user browser. It’s not aimed exclusively at any one audience, be that web developers, power users, or computer noobs.
So some of its “Added Value” may sound minor, trivial, or frivolous. Take Collections, for instance. This is essential just a souped-up bookmarking tool that lets you save content — not just web links — directly to the browser for future use.
You can create multiple collections in Edge, rename them, add notes to them, and export all of that data to other services (or copy of the links to the system clipboard).
On to integration. The Edge app launcher in the Ubuntu Dock does have a small right-click quicklist. This offers fast access to options to open a new window, a new incognito window, or quit the browser.
Sadly the Edge browser (like other Chromium browsers) does not use the system title/window bar by default. Edge draws its own window bar on Linux, with its own window control icons.
While the pale-grey bar Edge wears is not terribly distracting (unlike Vivaldi’s gaudy red window frame) some kind of GTK inheriting/colour detection (even if only an option) would be welcomed, I’m sure.
And Microsoft Account sync does not work in this build — but if you read this site regularly that will not be a surprise.
The good news is that many of Edge’s other features — yes, snarkypants, it does have some! — are present.
We’ve already touched on Collections, but there’s also an ‘immersive reader’ mode; integration with Bing; optional dark mode; web screenshot tool; and a variety of different New Tab page layouts (ranging from cluttered to calm);
You can install Chrome extensions on Edge easily. The first time you visit the Chrome Web Store using the browser it asks if you want to enable Chrome extension installs.
While I can’t vouch for the entirety of Chrome’s extension catalogue, all of the extensions I tried (yes, including the omg! ubuntu! one) worked as expected, as you can see above!
For an early version of Edge for Linux the browser feels fairly robust. It didn’t crash once during my test. Everything I asked of it, it did. From HD YouTube playback, to translating a Portuguese web page, to letting me play web games.
The app is fast to open and responsive in use. If Microsoft can maintain the friction-free feel it could win some new fans. Firefox isn’t slow, but a Chromium-based backend just feels so much faster in use (to me, anyhow).
Download Edge for Linux Dev Build
Want to try things out for yourself? We have a guide on how to install Edge on Ubuntu.
It’s not yet clear when Edge for Linux will go stable, but Microsoft has formally announced that it’s in developer preview. You can Linux builds on this Microsoft repo page.
If you jump on Edge for some early-bird testing just keep in mind that it is development software. It’s not finished. It’s not stable. Heck, it’s not even fully functional. Ergo, don’t get irate about any issues you encounter!
Odds are very good that you’re reading this article in Google Chrome, which has dominated the browser market for years. Since Chrome launched, Microsoft has killed Internet Explorer, launched Edge, killed Edge, and launched a version of Edge based on the same open-source code as Chrome. Microsoft is now looking to expand its new Chromium-based Edge browser to as many devices as possible. To that end, you can finally install the new Edge on Linux. That might not get Microsoft a lot more users, but it does signify the company’s commitment to its shiny new browser.
Microsoft launched the original Edge with its EdgeHTML engine alongside Windows 10. In fact, it was restricted to Windows 10, where it did not serve as incentive for people to upgrade to the new Windows. If anything, it blunted any impact Edge might have had on the browser market. Despite aggressive marketing and annoying popups, Edge didn’t see much success. So, Microsoft decided in late 2018 to scrap Edge as it existed and rebuild the browser based on the open-source Chromium code, making it more similar to Google’s browser.
Edge Browser Linux Beta
Microsoft launched the new Edge in early 2020 with support for Windows 7, 8, 10, and macOS. The wider support was one of the primary selling points of the Chromium conversion, but Microsoft also promised a Linux version. It took a little longer, Microsoft has kept its promise to give Linux users a new browser alternative.
Keep in mind, this is a preview. So, Linux is basically running about a year behind other platforms. Microsoft says the preview is suitable for developers who want to build and test their apps and sites on Linux with Edge. The core rendering behavior and dev tools “should generally behave consistently with other platforms like macOS and Windows.”
Microsoft made a lot of changes to Chromium to integrate its services, and this may be the first time Linux users will see that kind of Microsoft integration on their preferred platform. However, some features aren’t quite ready for prime time. In this initial release, Edge will only support local accounts with no Microsoft sign-in. That means no syncing your data from other devices to or from Linux at this time. These features will come in a future preview.
Microsoft has made .deb and .rpm packages available for direct download on the Microsoft Edge Insider site. There are also instructions here for downloading the browser from Microsoft’s Linux repository. The preview will get weekly updates along with the dev channel on other operating systems. If you decide to give the new Linux version a shot, Microsoft hopes you’ll provide feedback via the integrated feedback tools.
Microsoft Edge Browser On Linux
Install Microsoft Edge Linux
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