How to Uninstall Linux Apps from your Chromebook
On new Linux installs (Baguette, ChromeOS 147 and later), Google has deprecated installing and uninstalling Linux apps from the ChromeOS interface, so the launcher's right-click Uninstall may not be offered. The Terminal 'sudo apt-get remove' method still works.
A Chromebook is a device that runs on Google’s Chrome operating system (Chrome OS). One of the unique features of Chrome OS is its ability to run Linux apps, which can be installed through the Linux development environment. However, just like any other operating system, there may come a time when you need to uninstall Linux apps from your Chromebook, either to free up some space or to remove unused Linux apps.
Here is a complete guide on the steps you can follow to uninstall Linux apps from your Chromebook. There are two ways to remove Linux apps from your ChromeOS. Let’s discuss them one by one. To uninstall other applications, you can check our guide on how to uninstall apps on Chromebook.
How to Uninstall Linux Apps from Chromebook
The simplest method to uninstall Linux apps on your Chromebook is by using the App Launcher. You can complete the uninstallation process with just a few clicks.
Here are the steps you can follow:
Step 1: Click on the App Launcher icon and open the app drawer.
Screenshot not in the archive: Arrow Pointing to App Lucher Icon
Step 2: After that, look for the Linux apps folder and open it. Here, you’ll find all the Linux apps installed on your Chromebook.
Screenshot not in the archive: Linux Apps Folder Highlighted on App Launcher
Step 3: Now, right-click on the app you want to remove and choose the Uninstall option from the context menu that will appear.
Step 4: Now, wait for the process to complete. Note it will also delete any data associated with the Linux application.
Screenshot not in the archive: Context Menu with Highlighted Uninstall Option
How to Uninstall Linux Apps Using Terminal
You can also uninstall the Linux app using the Linux Terminal. Here are the steps you can follow to uninstall Linux apps from your Chromebook using the Terminal:
Step 1: Open the App Drawer and look for the Linux apps folder.
Step 2: Here, select Terminal to open it.
Screenshot not in the archive: Accessing Terminal from the Linux Apps Folder on Chromebook
Step 3: If you don’t see the terminal command interface, click on the penguin option and it should open the terminal.
Screenshot not in the archive: Highlighted Penguiun Option on the Linux Terminal
Step 4: Here, run this terminal command: sudo apt-get remove package_name and press [Enter]
Step 5: For example, I want to uninstall GIMP. Here, I’ll run the below terminal command:
sudo apt-get remove gimpScreenshot not in the archive: running sudo apt-get remove gimp command on the Terminal
Step 6: After that, you will get a question; ‘Do you want to continue?‘”‘ Here, press the Y key to continue the uninstallation process.
Note: Uninstalling the Linux app from a Chromebook can have different terminal commands based on the source you used. For Snap, use: sudo snap remove package_name, and for Flatpak, use: sudo flatpak uninstall package_name
Conclusion
That’s it; this is how you can uninstall Linux apps from your Chromebook. However, if you want to completely remove the Linux development environment from your Chromebook, then we’ve got you covered. You can follow our linked guide on how to remove Linux from Chromebook.
I hope this Chromebook guide was helpful to you. If you have any suggestions or doubts, do not hesitate to leave them in the comments section. We are always here to assist you.
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Written in 2023 for the ChromeOS and Chrome versions of that time, so menus may look different today. Restored from the Internet Archive copy of 2024-09-07. 6 of 6 screenshots were not saved by the archive; their captions are kept in the text.