How to Install DEB Packages in Ubuntu

Before installing: check the DEB file, source, and compatibility

A DEB file is an archive with program files and installation metadata. Ubuntu installs downloaded ones, but the .deb extension tells you nothing about whether the publisher is trustworthy. When a local .deb install fails, distinguish a dependency resolution problem from a damaged package file.

Download the file from the software maker's official page or another channel you can verify. Installation runs maintainer scripts with elevated privileges, as Debian Policy's maintainer-script specification describes. Check an unfamiliar download before giving it administrative access.

Inspect a local package before installing it. Open a terminal in the folder with the download and run:

dpkg-deb -f ./filename.deb Package Version Architecture

Replace filename.deb with your actual filename. The command reads three fields from the archive's control metadata.

Field	What it identifies	Used for
Package	Internal package name	Status checks and removal
Version	Packaged software version	Release inside the archive
Architecture	Intended package architecture	Must match your system

Compare that metadata with your system's architecture and Ubuntu release:

dpkg --print-architecture
cat /etc/os-release

An amd64 package targets x86-64 hardware. An arm64 package targets 64-bit ARM. A package with Architecture: all is architecture-independent, but its dependencies and runtime requirements must still work on your system.

The Ubuntu release matters too. A package built for another release can need library versions your repositories don't offer.

A filename like example-app_1.2.3_amd64.deb (a made-up name) can mention the target architecture. The archive's metadata is the better reference.

If the publisher gives a checksum, calculate the file's SHA-256 digest:

sha256sum ./filename.deb

Compare it with the value published through a trustworthy channel. A match confirms the file is the one the publisher referenced. It does not prove the publisher or the software is safe.

Install a downloaded .deb with APT

APT installs a local DEB from the terminal and pulls dependencies from your configured sources. The Ubuntu software-management tutorial documents this workflow.

If the file is in your Downloads folder, open a terminal and run:

cd ~/Downloads
sudo apt install ./filename.deb

Substitute your filename. If the file is somewhere else, use its absolute path or run the command from its folder.

The ./ prefix marks a file in the current directory. Without a path, APT treats the argument as a package name and searches your repositories.

If a source doesn't have one, the installation stops.

Read the proposed transaction before confirming. APT can download dependencies, add packages, upgrade installed ones or remove packages. Stop if you see unexpected removals or an unusually broad set of changes.

Install a DEB through App Center or GDebi

Ubuntu Desktop installs downloaded DEB files through a graphical installer. The interface differs by release and desktop environment. A headless Ubuntu Server has no desktop workflow.

Canonical's Ubuntu 26.04 Desktop documentation describes App Center support for third-party DEB installation.

Find the file in your file manager and open it with the graphical package installer. Read the installation prompt. If Ubuntu asks which app should open the file, pick the package installer.

Which installation method fits?

Method	Dependencies	Good for
APT local file (terminal)	Resolved from your configured APT sources	Installing with the full transaction visible
App Center (GUI)	Handled by the desktop installer	Ubuntu Desktop with local DEB support
GDebi (GUI or CLI)	Dependency-aware installer	Systems where GDebi is installed
dpkg -i (terminal)	Missing dependencies are not downloaded	Cases where requirements are already installed

GDebi is an alternative, but not every Ubuntu system has it installed or associates it with DEB files.

What changes if you use dpkg -i?

The lower-level option is sudo dpkg -i ./filename.deb. It installs the local archive directly when the necessary dependencies are already present. Unlike APT, it doesn't fetch missing dependencies, so a failed run can leave the package unpacked but unconfigured.

Fix common DEB installation errors without forcing the package

Symptom	Cause	What to do
Unable to locate package when using a downloaded file	Missing ./, wrong folder or wrong filename	Check the file location and use ./filename.deb
Wrong architecture warning	Package targets a different architecture	Get the matching vendor build
dependency problems prevent configuration	Required versions unavailable on this release	Find a build with satisfiable dependencies
Package left unconfigured	Dependency resolution didn't finish	Run the repair command below
App Center remains on Installing	Package incompatibility or installer failure	Install with APT to read the exact error
Newer local DEB has an inactive install control	Upgrade handling of an existing installation	Treat it as an upgrade, not a failed fresh install

A stalled installer can be the visible symptom of an architecture mismatch.

In a May 18, 2026 r/Ubuntu discussion, a Raspberry Pi 500 user trying to install Discord and Steam packages wrote, “It just says installing, and doesn't actually install anything.”

Enabling Multi-Arch or forcing architecture checks won't make an amd64 program run natively on an ARM processor.

Repairing an incomplete package transaction

If an earlier installation left unresolved dependencies, run APT's repair command:

sudo apt --fix-broken install

APT can install compatible missing dependencies, remove the unconfigured package or propose other system changes. Removing the incompatible package counts as a valid repair, even though the software you wanted stays uninstalled.

Can I install a downloaded DEB without internet access?

Yes, if its dependencies are already installed or available locally in compatible versions. Otherwise APT can't fetch what a standalone DEB needs while you're offline.

Verify the DEB package installed and the program works

Check two things: the package database lists the package as installed, and the program does its job.

Start with the package database:

dpkg -s package-name

A configured package shows this status field:

Status: install ok installed

This status means the package manager records the package as installed and configured. It says nothing about whether the program works or is safe.

Check	Expected result	What to do
Package identity	You query the intended package name	Use the Package value from the metadata
Installed state	Package is configured and installed	Read the dpkg -s status field
Working application	The intended function works	Launch the desktop program or run the service's documented health check

If the database shows an incomplete installation, go back to the dependency fixes above.

Update or remove software installed from a DEB

Installing a downloaded DEB doesn't set up a source of updates by itself. Some vendors configure an APT repository that provides later versions. Others distribute replacement DEB files for manual download.

To see the installed version, the APT candidate and the package sources, use the internal package name:

apt policy package-name

Read the Installed and Candidate lines and the version table. A version listed only under /var/lib/dpkg/status is just the installed package record. A repository entry in the version table means a configured APT source offers the package.

To uninstall the software, use its internal package name:

sudo apt remove package-name

apt remove can leave behind app data, some configuration files, third-party sources and changes made by the vendor's install scripts.