How To Install Microsoft Edge On Solus Budgie

Zanatic

I want to install Microsoft Edge ( Browser ) on Solus. It will be grateful if someone could help me.

algent

Zanatic Microsoft provides only .deb and .rpm archives for microsoft-edge browser which you can download it here: https://discuss.getsol.us/d/7609-how-to-install-microsoft-edge-on-solus-budgie

To extract the files from a .deb format you need to install binutils

Then run from terminal in the folder you saved .deb file:
ar xf file.deb name file here is just for the example.
Then extract the data.tar.xz archive. Inside the data.tar.xz is the program.
There should be a script microsoft-edge-stable that is needed to launch the program.
Inside the bin folder should be the executable file and in usr/share/application should be the desktop file.

I don't know how familiar are you with this stuff, so ask again for help if you stuck somewhere.
You have to repeat this process every time you need to update this browser.

tstor

Zanatic I followed this tutorial last night. It worked for me.
https://discuss.getsol.us/d/6519-microsoft-edge-linux-flatpak

tomscharbach

Zanatic

tstor I followed this tutorial last night. It worked for me.

Please note that the Flatpak instructions in that tutorial install the BETA** version of Edge, not the newly released stable version, and tie to the beta channel of Flathub, not the stable channel of Flathub.

The developers of the Edge Flatpak have not yet released a wrapper for the stable version of Edge. I've been in contact with the developers in the last few days, and there is going to be a delay in releasing a Flatpak for the stable version because of a delay in development of an upstream element relating to Chrome. I don't have any information on when a Flatpak for Edge will be released into the Flathub stable channel.

As soon as I know that Edge has been released as a Flatpak into the Flathub stable channel, I will post.

================

** At the time the tutorial was written, the wrapper was the DEV version. When BETA was released, the developers wrapped the BETA version.

tomscharbach

Zanatic

algent You have to repeat this process every time you need to update this browser.

Because Edge (like Chrome) updates every few weeks, manually updating is likely to become tedious, sooner rather than later. I would consider waiting until a stable version of the Flatpak is released into the stable channel of Flathub instead of trying to do a roll-your-own installation.

tomscharbach

Zanatic To sum up the alternatives, this is the status of Edge-Linux Stable on Solus as I understand it at this point:

(1) Edge-Linux Stable was released by Microsoft this week. Microsoft offers Edge-Linux in .deb and .rpm, which align with the package formats used by Microsoft's enterprise/business partners (Canonical, SUSE, RedHat and so on), but which leave Arch-based and independent distributions (e.g. Solus) out in the cold. Microsoft has declined (based on the best information available to me at this time) to wrap Edge-Linux as a Flatpak. Microsoft's attitude toward eventual release of a Snap is unknown, although more likely a Snap than a Flatpak because Snaps are pushed by Canonical, a Linux partner of Microsoft.

(2) A community-based project is in the process of wrapping Edge-Linux as a Flatpak, with the goal of including Edge-Linux Stable in the Flathub stable channel going forward. The project is stalled at this point because of an upstream issue involving both Edge-Linx and Chrome. I don't know when that issue will be resolved, so I don't know when Edge-Linux Stable is likely to be released into the Flathub stable channel. A Github discussion of the issue is ongoing. The project developer will post developments in that discucssion.

(3) Edge-Linux is available in BETA on Flathub's beta channel through the community-based project at this point, and will continue to be available until Edge-Linux Stable is released into the Flathub stable channel. Anyone who wants to install Edge-Linux Beta can do so following the steps in this tutorial. My experience with the Beta version over the last six months is that Edge-Linux Beta is very stable, running without issues internally, although some Solus functionality (e.g. the ability to pin the app) is not available using the Flathub beta channel.

(4) It is possible to install Edge-Linux Stable locally using algent's technique described above, or by packaging Edge-Linux Stable as a private .eopkg in a local repository for your personal, private use only. If you elect to develop a private .eopkg, please do not publish or distribute the package on this forum because doing so may embroil Solus in licensing issues. Both "roll-your-own" solutions will require a level of expertise to set up an maintain, and both will entail frequent manual updating as Edge-Linux Stable releases become available every few weeks.

I think those are the only alternatives at this time. For what it is worth, I intend to continue to use Edge-Linux Beta via the Flathub beta channel on Solus until the Stable version is released to the Flathub stable channel.

brent

tomscharbach Not trying to de-rail, but simply say I test drove the flatpak beta for a day. It was OK. I uninstalled when I found this problem could not be changed or fixed (in my Edge forum research): all pdfs open in the browser--with no option to change that. That was the dealbreaker for me. Other than that is was big and ambitious.

SuperJC710e

tomscharbach (4) It is possible to install Edge-Linux Stable locally using algent's technique described above, or by packaging Edge-Linux Stable as a private .eopkg in a local repository for your personal, private use only. If you elect to develop a private .eopkg, please do not publish or distribute the package on this forum because doing so may embroil Solus in licensing issues. Both "roll-your-own" solutions will require a level of expertise to set up an maintain, and both will entail frequent manual updating as Edge-Linux Stable releases become available every few weeks.

As a note on this, an enterprising user could copy the 3rd party technique being used for Google Chrome (https://github.com/getsolus/3rd-party/tree/master/network/web/browser/google-chrome-stable) in their own local repository/work area. I've done this with just some small modifications to match what is in the .deb MS Edge package and it works well. (A small note, you will need the component.xml https://github.com/getsolus/3rd-party/blob/master/network/web/browser/component.xml in the level above the folder you use...)

tomscharbach

SuperJC710e As a note on this, an enterprising user could copy the 3rd party technique being used for Google Chrome ...

Thanks for the note. I wasn't aware of this method.

tomscharbach

Microsoft Edge (Stable) is now available in Flathub.