For penetration testing, the majority of users often choose Kali Linux. However, its functionality is not limited to ethical hacking or testing system vulnerabilities but it can be used to carry out normal day-to-day tasks. For browsing the internet Google Chrome, among the majority of the Internet browsers, is preferred by most Linux users because of its wide range of features.
How To Install Google Chrome on Kali Linux
Chrome offers a streamlined interface, robust security features, and customizable extensions for a fast and personalized web browsing experience. To install it on Kali Linux there are three methods that the guide will cover and discuss:
1: Through its Deb File
The first method for installing Google Chrome on Kali Linux is using its deb file. This method is recommended if you are looking for the latest version. To install Chrome on Kali Linux via its deb file you need to download its deb file from Google Chrome’s official website. On the Chrome download page click on Download Chrome:
Next, select the system for which you want to download the file, here in our case, it would be a .deb file. After that click on Accept and Install:
Next, the file starts to download:
Alternatively, you can also use the wget utility to download the Chrome deb file on Kali Linux using the file download link:
wget https://dl.google.com/linux/direct/google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb
Once the file is downloaded now use the Kali Linux default package installer to install Chrome browser:
sudo apt install ./google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb
After the installation is completed launch Google Chrome on Kali Linux by executing the below given command:
google-chrome
2: Through Flatpak
The next method to install Google Chrome on Kali Linux is by using the Flatpak package installer. It uses the Flathub repository for installing packages on Linux distributions. To install Google Chrome through Flatpak execute the below command:
flatpak install flathub com.google.Chrome
Now to launch the Google Chrome browser on Kali Linux through Flatpak run the below command:
flatpak run com.google.Chrome
Note: Flatpak by default does not come pre-installed on Kali so you have to install it manually. For that purpose, you can use the following commands:
sudo apt install -y flatpak
sudo flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo3: Through Google Chrome Repository
The last method for installing Chrome browser on Kali Linux is by adding its repository in Kali’s default package installer (Apt). To add the repository the GPG is to be added first for validation purposes. So to add the GPG key for the Chrome repository simply execute the below command:
curl -fSsL https://dl.google.com/linux/linux_signing_key.pub | sudo gpg –-dearmor | sudo tee /usr/share/keyrings/google-chrome.gpg >> /dev/null
Next, add the Chrome repository in Kali:
echo "deb [arch=amd64 signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/google-chrome.gpg] http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb/ stable main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-chrome.list
To refresh the apt repository list simply update them by executing:
sudo apt update
Now use the apt package manager to install the stable version of Google Chrome:
sudo apt install google-chrome-stable
To launch Google Chrome on Kali Linux installed through its repository execute:
google-chrome
Conclusion
Google Chrome on Kali Linux can be installed in three ways which include using its deb file, Flatpak package manager, and Google Chrome repository. The easiest and recommended way to install it on Kali is using its deb file as it requires no pre-installation steps and uses its default package installer.