Stable version of Microsoft Edge spotted on Linux systems

Microsoft Edge Linux
Microsoft Edge Linux (Image credit: Microsoft)

What you need to know

  • A stable version of Microsoft Edge is now available on Linux.
  • Microsoft Edge has been available through the Dev Channel since October 2020 and the Beta Channel since May 2021.
  • Like the new version of Microsoft Edge on Windows, the version of Edge on Linux is based on Chromium.

Microsoft Edge on Linux appears to be out of its preview testing phase. The folks over at naked security spotted a stable build of the browser on Linux this week. Microsoft hasn't made an announcement regarding the stable version of Edge on Linux, but the browser's latest build package is labeled "microsoft-edge-stable-95.0.1020.38-1.x86_64.rpm."

Edge has been in testing on Linux through the Dev Channel since October 2020 and through the Beta Channel since May 2021. Now, Linux users that prefer a more stable version have another browser option.

This version of Microsoft Edge is built on Chromium, which generally improves web compatibility. Microsoft Edge on Windows switched to Chromium in 2020. Google Chrome is also powered by Chromium. Because Chrome has such a large market share, many websites are optimized for Chromium-based browsers. Many people on Linux systems use the Chromium browser already, but Microsoft Edge builds some handy features into its browser.

Some Linux users like to run multiple browsers on a system. This makes it easier to have distinct sessions, such as one browser that's logged into accounts across the web and another that isn't.

As is the case on other platforms, Microsoft will continue to have preview builds through the Dev and Beta Channels. The Microsoft page for downloading Edge for Linux only mentions the Beta and Dev Channel versions at this time.

Sean Endicott
News Writer and apps editor

Sean Endicott brings nearly a decade of experience covering Microsoft and Windows news to Windows Central. He joined our team in 2017 as an app reviewer and now heads up our day-to-day news coverage. If you have a news tip or an app to review, hit him up at sean.endicott@futurenet.com.