Telegram, how to install this messaging client on Ubuntu 20.04

In the next article we are going to take a look at Telegram. This is a very popular messaging client, especially for those interested in privacy, which we can find available for Ubuntu. It is easy to use and available for all platforms such as Gnu / Linux, Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. As I was saying, for Ubuntu 20.04 (and other earlier and later versions), there are different ways to install Telegram on our desktop, and in the following lines we are going to take a look at all of them.

First of all, it is convenient to know that when we start the Telegram client, the system will ask us to identify ourselves. In this case we will not have to use the typical username. Instead, we will use our mobile phone to ensure access by means of a code that will be sent to us via SMS. For this reason, it will be necessary to have our mobile phone at hand to be able to use the Telegram client from the Ubuntu desktop.

As I say, the first time we run the application, it will ask us for the number to which the SMS will be sent more or less immediately. This procedure is the same for each new installation. If you use the same phone number each time, the system will display the channels you have selected on other devices.

Install Telegram desktop client on Ubuntu 20.04

From the Ubuntu software option

Ubuntu users have very easy access to the Telegram Desktop application. We have nothing but go to the Ubuntu software option and search for "Telegram”In the search bar. When we find it, we just have to select the option Telegram Desktop and click Install.

Using apt

We can also install this client by opening a terminal (Ctrl + Alt + T) and typing the following command:

sudo apt install telegram-desktop

That will take the latest version from the repositories and install it on our system.

Using the tarball

We can also find a tarball pack available in the official download page from Telegram. First we are going to download it using the browser.

Then we are going to move to the downloads folder, assuming that it is in this folder where we have saved the downloaded file, already extract the package:

cd ~/Descargas
tar -xvf tsetup.2.7.1.tar

The next thing we will do is move the binary to the '/ opt' directory and we will link it to the '/ usr / bin' directory. For this we will use the commands:

sudo mv Telegram/ /opt/telegram
sudo ln -sf /opt/telegram/Telegram /usr/bin/telegram

Install via Snap

At install Telegram Desktop application as snap pack, simply open a terminal (Ctrl + Alt + T) and execute the command in it:

sudo snap install telegram-desktop

Install via Flatpak

The client for Telegram can also be found available at Flatub, so we can use its corresponding Flatpak package to install it. If you still do not have this technology enabled in your system, you can continue The Guide that a colleague wrote in this blog a while ago to enable it.

When you can install these types of packages, you just need run in a terminal (Ctrl + Alt + T) the following installation command:

flatpak install flathub org.telegram.desktop

Run the Telegram client on Ubuntu 20.04

Regardless of how you decide to install it, running this program is very simple. You should be able to run the Telegram desktop app in two ways, either via the application menu or via the terminal.

Through the terminal, you can run any of the following commands, depending on the installation method you use:

If you choose to install via apt or with the tarball package, you will only need to type in the terminal:

telegram

If you have used the snap package for the installation, in the terminal you can run the following command to start the program:

/snap/bin/telegram-desktop

In return if you have used the flatpak package, the command to be used in the terminal to launch the program is the following:

flatpak run org.telegram.desktop

Now you can select the option that best suits your needs and start using Telegram on your Ubuntu 20.04 desktop. If, on the other hand, none of these options convince you, you can always use Telegram Web way.