In this tutorial, we will show you how to install a deb file on Ubuntu using Gdebi. For those of you who didn’t know, Gdebi is a simple tool to install deb files. It lets you install local deb packages resolving and installing its dependencies. apt does the same, but only for remote (HTTP, FTP) located packages. It can also resolve the build-depends of Debian/control files.
This article assumes you have at least basic knowledge of Linux, know how to use the shell, and most importantly, you host your site on your own VPS or Dedicated server. The installation is quite simple and assumes you are running in the root account, if not you may need to add ‘sudo‘ to the commands to get root privileges. I will show you the step-by-step installation deb file on Ubuntu using Gdebi on a Ubuntu 20.04 LTS Focal Fossa.
Prerequisites
- A server running one of the following operating systems: Ubuntu 20.04, 18.04, and any other Debian-based distribution like Linux Mint or elementary OS.
- It’s recommended that you use a fresh OS install to prevent any potential issues.
- SSH access to the server (or just open Terminal if you’re on a desktop).
- A
non-root sudo useror access to theroot user. We recommend acting as anon-root sudo user, however, as you can harm your system if you’re not careful when acting as the root.
Install Deb File on Ubuntu Using Gdebi
Step 1. First, make sure that all your system packages are up-to-date by running the following apt commands in the terminal.
sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get upgrade
Step 2. Installing Gdebi.
Gdebi isn’t installed by default on Ubuntu. To use gdebi on Ubuntu, first install gdebi using the following command:
sudo apt install gdebi
Step 3. Accessing Gdebi on Ubuntu.
Once gdebi is installed, it can be used to install a local deb package. The command format to install the deb file using gdebi is:
sudo gdebi package_name.deb
There are many gdebi command options:
- –version Show the program’s version number and exit.
- -h, –help Show this help message and exit.
- –n, –non-interactive Run non-interactive (dangerous!).
- –o APT_OPTS, –option=APT_OPTS Set an APT configuration option.
- –q, –quiet Do not show progress information.
- –apt-line Simulate only and print an apt-get install compatible line to stderr.
- –root=ROOTDIR Use alternative root dir.
In addition, you need to provide the full path to the .deb package if the deb file is not in the current working directory:
sudo gdebi /root/package_name.deb
On the Ubuntu desktop, right-click on the deb file and select Open With Other Application –> GDebi Package Installer.
Congratulations! You have successfully installed Gdebi. Thanks for using this tutorial for installing deb using Gdebi on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (Focal Fossa) system. For additional help or useful information, we recommend you to check the official Gdebi website.
