Installing Telegram on Linux: A comprehensive common guide for all distributions
I'm a passionate software developer.
Revisited and updated on November 06th, 2023.
Telegram
Telegram is a cloud-based instant messaging app and communication platform. It was created by Pavel Durov and his brother Nikolai Durov in 2013. Telegram is known for its focus on security, privacy, and encryption, making it a popular choice for individuals and groups who value secure and private communication.
Check your OS
This step is optional. It's just to make sure you have Fedorainstalled.
/etc/os-release
cat /etc/os-release
hostnamectl
hostnamectl
Output
When you run hostnamectl without any options, it provides detailed information about the system's hostname, operating system, kernel, and other system-related settings.
lsb_release
lsb_release -a
Output
lsb_release is a command-line utility commonly found in Linux distributions that adhere to the Linux Standard Base (LSB). The LSB is a standardization initiative that aims to increase compatibility between different Linux distributions by defining a common set of libraries and conventions.
uname
uname -a
Output
The uname -a command is used to display detailed system information about the Linux operating system. It provides information about the system's kernel and other system-related details.
Let's get down to business
shall we?
Solution
Go to the official website
Go to the official website or click directly on the following link: https://desktop.telegram.org/
Download Telegram
Click on the Get Telegram for Linux x64 button or click directly on the following link: https://telegram.org/dl/desktop/linux
Check downloaded file
ls ~/Downloads/
Your output should include a file called something like the following:
[elitebughunter@192 ~]$ ls ~/Downloads/
tsetup.4.11.3.tar.xz
Extract the file
tar -xJvf ~/Downloads/tsetup.4.10.3.tar.xz
Output:
The tar -xJvf command on Fedora, or any Linux system, is used to extract the contents of a tarball archive file that has been compressed with the XZ compression format.
Let's break this command down:
tar: tarball archive files command;
-x: Extract files;
-J: Use the XZ compression format;
-v: Display the names of the files as they are extracted;
-f: File that you want to extract.
Check extracted files
ls
Output
Move Telegram binary
sudo mv Telegram/ /opt/telegram
Output
The /opt/telegram is the destination directory where we want to move the "Telegram" directory. /opt is a common location for installing optional or third-party software on Linux systems.
This is a common method for organizing and installing software on Linux systems. After moving, the software installed in "/opt/telegram" can be run from there, and it may require administrative privileges due to the use of sudo.
Create link
sudo ln -sf /opt/telegram/Telegram /usr/bin/telegram
Output
The command sudo ln -sf /opt/telegram/Telegram /usr/bin/telegram creates a symbolic link from the /usr/bin/telegram location to the /opt/telegram/Telegram binary executable file.
So, when we run sudo ln -sf /opt/telegram/Telegram /usr/bin/telegram, we are creating a symbolic link named telegram in the /usr/bin directory that points to the Telegram executable in "/opt/telegram/Telegram." This allows us to run the Telegram application from the command line by simply typing telegram.
Check installation
Executable file's path
which telegram
Output
Run Telegram
telegram
Output:
Done
Celebrate
Let's become friends
Final thoughts
Thank you for reading this article.
If you have any questions, thoughts, suggestions, or corrections, please share them with us.
We appreciate your feedback and look forward to hearing from you.
Feel free to suggest topics for future blog articles. Until next time!
