A Comprehensive Guide to Installing the Ghostery Privacy Browser on Linux

The Ghostery privacy browser is a Firefox-based alternative designed with an emphasis on enhancing user privacy and security. This guide aims to help you seamlessly install the Ghostery privacy browser on your Linux system.

How to Download the Ghostery Privacy Browser

To begin, you will need to visit the official Ghostery website at Ghostery Browser Download. Locate and click on the "Download" button to initiate the download process.

Once you click the download button, a TarGZ file, which contains all the necessary components for the browser, will start downloading. Alternatively, if you prefer using the terminal, you can download the Ghostery browser directly with the following wget command, which will save the file in your "Downloads" directory:

wget https://get.ghosterybrowser.com/download/linux -O ~/Downloads/Ghostery-2023.6.en-US.linux.tar.gz

Installation Process for the Ghostery Privacy Browser

The Ghostery browser for Linux is packaged as a TarGZ file, which requires a few steps to install. Start by opening a terminal window by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T, or by searching for "Terminal" in your applications menu.

Next, navigate to the "Downloads" directory where the Ghostery TarGZ file is located using the following command:

cd ~/Downloads/

To extract the contents of the downloaded TarGZ file, run the command below:

tar xvf Ghostery-*linux.tar.gz

After extracting the files, move the "Ghostery" folder to the /opt directory with the command below:

sudo mv Ghostery/ /opt/

Now, create a new file for the Ghostery shortcut using the touch command:

touch ghostery-browser.desktop

Open this newly created file in the Nano text editor:

nano ~/ghostery-browser.desktop

In the Nano editor, paste the following configuration:

[Desktop Entry]
Name=Ghostery Privacy Browser
Exec=/opt/Ghostery/Ghostery %u
Icon=/opt/Ghostery/browser/chrome/icons/default/default64.png
Type=Application
Categories=Network;WebBrowser;
StartupNotify=true

After pasting the code, save your changes in Nano by pressing Ctrl + O. Finally, move the shortcut file to the /usr/share/applications directory:

sudo mv ~/ghostery-browser.desktop /usr/share/applications/

Update the permissions for the file to ensure it is executable:

chmod +x ~/ghostery-browser.desktop

Your Ghostery Privacy Browser can now be launched directly from your Linux desktop’s application menu.

Installing the Ghostery Privacy Browser with Flatpak

If you prefer a simpler installation method, you can opt for the Flatpak version of the Ghostery privacy browser. Here’s how to do it:

First, ensure that Flatpak is installed on your system. Open a terminal window using Ctrl + Alt + T, or through the app menu.

Now, follow the respective commands below based on your Linux distribution to install Flatpak:

For Ubuntu:

sudo apt install flatpak

For Debian:

sudo apt-get install flatpak

For Arch Linux:

sudo pacman -S flatpak

For Fedora:

sudo dnf install flatpak

For OpenSUSE:

sudo zypper in flatpak

After installing Flatpak, add the Flathub repository, which contains the Ghostery browser:

flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://dl.flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

Finally, install the Ghostery privacy browser using the following command:

flatpak install flathub com.ghostery.browser

Conclusion

Successfully installing the Ghostery privacy browser on Linux can significantly enhance your browsing privacy and security. Whether you choose the traditional TarGZ method or the Flatpak approach, this guide should equip you with everything you need to get started.