Silverblue: Is Google-Chrome browser installable in Software?

I know it is non-free software.

Just that I want to be sure if Google Chrome is meant to be searchable in Gnome-Software?

I still cannot search for it even after it is installed by rpm-ostree already.

  1. New install of SilverBlue 33 to empty SDD
  2. sudo rpm-ostree update, do systemctl restart rpm-ostree if needed, reboot
  3. flatpak update, reboot
  4. Run Gnome-software for the time. Enable third party repos. reboot
  5. Enable google-chrome repo in Software, reboot

After all this, Chrome browser is not searchable in Software

  • by “google” or “Google”
  • by “Chrome” or “chrome”
  • by “google-chrome”
  • by browsing the Communication category / Browser

The above is the same even after google-chrome is installed by “rpm-ostree install google-chrome, reboot”.

This may be what you want: GitHub - flathub/com.google.Chrome

I’m not certain if chrome should be visible in GNOME software, but to my knowledge rpm-ostree software is left out as much as possible.

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It is fine as long as it is by design:

  • Silverblue user will not “discover” google-chrome in Software
  • google-chrome can be installed by rpm-ostree after the required repos are enabled

You can install Chromium directly and connect to your Google account … all features and functionalities.

Google stopped offering Google Account Sync to Chromium browsers.

I use Chromium browser connected to Google account with Fedora 34, easy foolproof setup, the same using Xiaomi Redmi Go smartphone with default Mint browser. You have access to all functionalities with Drive, Maps, … just using the browser.

run these:

rpm-ostree update

then reboot your PC

Go to the Chrome site (Google Chrome - Download the Fast, Secure Browser from Google) and download the Fedora version (it defaults to Ubuntu, make sure to select the second option which is Fedora/Open Suse)

Make sure to select “Save File” instead of opening from software. This will save it to your “downloads” directory. Then run:

cd /home/REDACTEDUSERNAME/Downloads

Run the “list” command to confirm it downloaded

ls

Then install it by way of running:

rpm-ostree install google-chrome-stable_current_x86_64.rpm

Reboot. Google Chrome will then be your “oyster.”

You can also do this to download google-webdesigner fyi

Following your instructions I successfully installed Chrome browser. However, the procedure deviated from that described in that 1) rpm-ostree was not installed on the Fedora 36 KDE machine and had to be installed with DNF, 2) after installing and rebooting the invocation of “rpm-ostree install…” failed with an error “error: This system was not booted via libostree.
Currently, most rpm-ostree commands only work on ostree-based host systems.”

As su and from the /Downloads directory I invoked DNF once again. DNF complained about a couple of key import failures (“error: can’t create transaction lock on /usr/lib/sysimage/rpm/.rpm.lock (Resource temporarily unavailable)
error: /tmp/google.sig.YjekQ7: key 1 import failed.”)
but concluded the installation anyway. Chrome is now the default browser on this machine and I am using it to post here.

Thank you for your assistance.
-CH-