Microsoft Edge is Now Available on Linux in Preview

Microsoft announced today that the first preview version of its Edge web browser is now available on Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, and openSUSE Linux.

“With this release, Microsoft Edge is now available for all major desktop and mobile platforms,” Microsoft’s Kyle Pflug writes in the announcement post. “We’re particularly excited to offer web developers the same consistent and powerful web platform and developer tools as on macOS or Windows, so you can build and test in your preferred environment and be confident in the experience your customers will have on other devices.”

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The initial release of Microsoft Edge for Linux comes via the Edge Insider Preview’s Dev channel, so you can expect weekly updates. There are two ways to install the preview, via the web or using Microsoft’s Linux Software Repository and the Linux package management tools that work on the distribution in question. Microsoft has instructions in its blog post.

The Linux versions of Edge target web developers, so some end-user features are not available in this initial release, such as Microsoft Account and Azure Active Directory (AAD) integration. Microsoft says that these features will be made available in a future preview.

Microsoft is also accepting security vulnerability submissions for the Microsoft Edge Bounty Program on Linux.

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Conversation 26 comments

  • hrlngrv

    Premium Member
    20 October, 2020 - 3:36 pm

    <p>Be still, my heart.</p>

  • jimchamplin

    Premium Member
    20 October, 2020 - 3:57 pm

    <p>I believe this is the first *nix release of a Microsoft browser since IE 5 on HP/UX in the 90s.</p>

  • jumpingjackflash5

    20 October, 2020 - 4:11 pm

    <p>When shall we see Linux Fluent edition ??????</p>

  • canamrotax

    Premium Member
    20 October, 2020 - 5:13 pm

    <p>Posting this from Edge, running Mint OS. Hell just froze over.</p>

    • justme

      Premium Member
      21 October, 2020 - 2:20 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#587508">In reply to canamrotax:</a></em></blockquote><p>Nah, its just a cold front. If Office is released natively (as in, not web/PWA – but perpetual) on Linux, you might find some ice in the hot place.</p>

    • Paul Thurrott

      Premium Member
      21 October, 2020 - 8:16 am

      😀

  • sammyg

    20 October, 2020 - 5:20 pm

    <p>The latest update on the Mac and PC has been super buggy. I have had to go back to FF to get some pages to work.</p>

  • BudTugglie

    20 October, 2020 - 6:37 pm

    <p>Why would a Linux user want to use Edge?</p>

    • Alex Taylor

      20 October, 2020 - 7:57 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#587532">In reply to BudTugglie:</a></em></blockquote><p>If (and it's quote a big if) it's a dead ringer for the Windows version, it might mean testing and tweaking weird Edge specific issues without firing up a windows VM. </p><p>Of course most of those benefits should happen due to the Chromium engine anyway. </p><p>Other possibilities – its may provide a better Office online experience for when you need it to exchange file with others. </p><p>Also if they follow through on vertical tabs, that would be an improvement on Chrome in my book. (though Firefox and Vivaldi already do this sort of OK) </p>

    • red.radar

      Premium Member
      20 October, 2020 - 8:10 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#587532">In reply to BudTugglie:</a></em></blockquote><ol><li> Don't want to use "chrome" but desire/need to use Chrome because of web developer mono-culture</li><li> You use Edge on the other platforms (windows, ios, android, mac ) and want access to your bookmarks…history ect. [OOPS scratch that… not supported .. bummer]</li><li> because the Micro$oft troupe is 20 years old and they are meaningfully contributing to open source </li><li> Its a good product? heaven forbid someone just likes it.</li></ol>

    • curtisspendlove

      21 October, 2020 - 2:10 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#587532">In reply to BudTugglie:</a></em></blockquote><p>Because Mozilla seems bound and determined to obliterate itself as a viable company within the next few years and Firefox is circling the drain. </p><p><br></p><p>:(</p>

    • Paul Thurrott

      Premium Member
      21 October, 2020 - 8:15 am

      It’s for developers. Edge has excellent web dev tools and many (most?) Web devs are already using Microsoft’s Visual Studio Code. So… why wouldn’t they?

      • blue77star

        21 October, 2020 - 10:35 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#587647">In reply to paul-thurrott:</a></em></blockquote><p>I use Visual Studio and I don't user Edge but Chrome. Why would I use Edge?</p>

  • dftf

    20 October, 2020 - 7:55 pm

    <p>Easy-enough for them to do, I guess, seeing as Chromium has a native-Linux version, and the only bits specific they need to code are around their custom services and UI.</p><p><br></p><p>But I do wonder how many Linux users will actually use it compared to other open-source browsers with the Chromium engine, or private rivals like Opera, Vivaldi or Brave…</p>

  • Username

    21 October, 2020 - 2:09 am

    <p>Follow-up with Microsoft Office for Linux, please.</p>

    • jumpingjackflash5

      21 October, 2020 - 5:04 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#587573">In reply to Username:</a></em></blockquote><p>And then, Windows can be abandoned, right ?</p>

    • Paul Thurrott

      Premium Member
      21 October, 2020 - 8:11 am

      What’s the developer use case for that, that the Office web apps don’t provide?

  • jeroendegrebber

    Premium Member
    21 October, 2020 - 5:32 am

    <p>I can recommend reading the feedback on slashdot about this. It's rather amusing and bewildering to enter that bubble, with remarks like : 'ms should move everything to linux' and 'year of the linux desktop' etc..</p>

  • Alastair Cooper

    21 October, 2020 - 9:32 am

    <p>I don't really understand why the development process for this is taking quite so long when Chromium supported Linux to begin with.</p>

  • a_lurker

    21 October, 2020 - 1:14 pm

    <p>Other than web developers, I do not see a need for another Chromium based browser on a Linux box as general purpose browser. Web developers might need it to check if MS has added some quirk they need to be aware of or supports a feature. </p>

  • dftf

    21 October, 2020 - 6:46 pm

    <p>While I've seen many other IT news sites saying releasing Edge for Linux seems rather pointless, given Linux users are already not spoilt-for-choice on browser options, I'd argue that surely the most-pointless thing around Edge was releasing it for Windows 7 literally THE DAY AFTER it ended mainstream support…</p>

  • Christopher Patrick

    22 October, 2020 - 1:58 am

    <p>You have "The initial release of Microsoft Edge for Linux comes via the Edge Insider Preview’s Dev channel, so you can expect daily updates." The dev channel gets weekly updates. Canary is the daily channel. </p>

    • Paul Thurrott

      Premium Member
      22 October, 2020 - 8:45 am

      Yep. Thanks.

  • siv

    22 October, 2020 - 4:22 pm

    <p>Perhaps all the speculation on ZDNet about MS dumping Windows and switching to their own Windows on Linux distribution isn't as far fetched as I thought, perhaps this is the first step?</p>

    • Paul Thurrott

      Premium Member
      23 October, 2020 - 8:28 am

      No. 🙂

    • tonchek

      23 October, 2020 - 12:19 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#587919">In reply to Siv:</a></em></blockquote><p>I heard they are making Ubuntu clone with AD support! ? ? </p>

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