How to set Google Chrome by default on Lubuntu 19.04

By | 3 June 2019
8 Comments

Recently I wanted to set Google Chrome by default on my fresh Lubuntu 19.04 VM and despite the presence of the Make Google Chrome as default browser button, it never works: Firefox remains the default browser.

I wanted to setup Google Chrome by default without uninstalling Mozilla Firefox as I use both browsers. Open a Terminal then do the following:

nano ~/.config/lxqt/session.conf

Change the BROWSER variable to /usr/bin/google-chrome-stable as shown below. Save the changes.

Type: sudo update-alternatives --config x-www-browser then choose the /usr/bin/google-chrome-stable entry in manual mode (2 in the screenshot below).

Type: sudo update-alternatives --config gnome-www-browser. Do the same as above.

Type the following commands:

Then restart the computer (sudo reboot). Check now if the $BROWSER variable is OK by typing echo $BROWSER:

Then now, when checking Firefox, it should says that the browser isn’t the default, and Google Chrome shouldn’t complain!

8 thoughts on “How to set Google Chrome by default on Lubuntu 19.04”

  1. Giovanni Barberi

    $ echo $BROWSER
    /usr/bin/google-chrome-stable

    BUT firefox still default

    Reply ↓
  2. Dan Wendell

    I would also go through file association and set anything pointing at Firefox to Chrome (such as html and mhtml)

    Reply ↓
  3. Colin

    Your method worked on Lubuntu 20.04 Desktop!
    Thanks a lot.

    kind regards,
    Colin
    Cape Town
    South Africa

    Reply ↓
  5. Ben

    Brilliant all fixed, the annoying pop up has vanished and Chrome is the default Browser, Boom! Thanks for your help 🙂

    Reply ↓

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