Shadowrocket for Linux: Install DEB, RPM, or AppImage

1. Check your distribution, architecture, and package format

Don’t install a package based on its file extension alone. Your distribution determines which package manager to use, while your processor architecture determines whether the file can run on your device. Run the two commands below in a terminal, note the ID, ID_LIKE, and architecture output, then visit the Linux section of the download guide to choose from the available options.

cat /etc/os-release
uname -m

x86_64 usually corresponds to x64 or amd64 on the download page; aarch64 usually corresponds to ARM64. These are different labels for architectures, not interchangeable package types. If the download page doesn’t offer a package for your architecture, don’t force a package for another architecture onto your system or infer your processor type from the computer’s brand.

Other RPM-based distributions may not use dnf; use the package manager native to your system. AppImage is not guaranteed to run on every Linux system either: your desktop session, system libraries, and runtime support must meet its requirements. These commands are for desktop installations; a command-line-only server should not be assumed to have a graphical environment.

2. From download to launch: five steps

Download Linux packages from this site’s download page; you don’t need to find a permanent direct link in this article. To avoid treating a download filename as permanent, the examples below use local filenames that you rename yourself. These are command examples, not the original package filenames.

1. Identify your system

   Run cat /etc/os-release and uname -m to check your distribution and processor architecture. Don’t use the file extension as a substitute for checking the architecture.

2. Choose a package

   Open the download guide and choose the DEB, RPM, or AppImage that matches your system from the Linux section. Download only the format you plan to use.

3. Prepare the local file

   In your file manager, rename the package you selected to shadowrocket-local.deb, shadowrocket-local.rpm, or Shadowrocket-local.AppImage, keeping its corresponding extension.

4. Open a terminal

   Use your desktop’s terminal option to open a terminal in the folder containing the file. Run pwd and ls -l to confirm its location. The terminal’s starting directory may not be your browser’s downloads folder.

5. Install and launch

   Use the command below for the format you chose. After installing a DEB or RPM, look for the app in your application menu. Run an AppImage from its current directory. On first launch, check that the window opens normally before setting up a connection.

3. Install a local DEB or RPM with your package manager

Debian and Ubuntu: install a DEB with apt

Run the command below from the directory where you saved the DEB file. ./ specifies a file in the current directory, making it clear to apt that you want to install a local package rather than search repositories by name. apt update refreshes repository indexes; it does not upgrade your entire system.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install ./shadowrocket-local.deb

Review apt’s installation plan before confirming. If dependencies can’t be satisfied, note the specific package names and version requirements in the error, then check that your configured repositories are working and the package suits your system. Don’t ignore dependencies to make a failed installation appear successful, or add repositories for another distribution just to get past an installation prompt.

Fedora and other dnf systems: install an RPM

sudo dnf install ./shadowrocket-local.rpm

dnf also reads information from the local package and attempts to resolve dependencies from configured repositories. If you see a warning about package signatures or source, first confirm that the file came from this site’s download page, then check whether the warning concerns the package file or repository settings. Don’t add options that skip verification. A successful installation means the package-manager process completed; it doesn’t mean your desktop session or network configuration is ready.

4. Run an AppImage after granting execute permission

To run an AppImage, grant execute permission to the file, then launch it from the current directory. It usually isn’t registered as an installation by apt or dnf. The commands below use the local filename introduced earlier and can be run as a regular user. If double-clicking does nothing, don’t launch the graphical app with sudo.

chmod u+x ./Shadowrocket-local.AppImage
./Shadowrocket-local.AppImage

chmod u+x adds execute permission for the file owner only. It doesn’t install missing system components or override a filesystem’s noexec restriction. If the file is on external storage, a shared directory, or a restricted mount point, move it first to a regular directory in your home folder where execution is allowed. After copying it, you can check its permissions with ls -l. Don’t recursively change permissions across your home folder just to launch one file.

• If you see Permission denied, check the execute bit, access permissions for parent directories, and whether execution is disabled on the mount point.
• If you see Exec format error, first compare uname -m with the package architecture, then confirm the download completed.
• If you see an error mentioning FUSE or libfuse.so.2, look up the required compatibility components for your distribution. Package names can vary, so don’t copy installation commands from another system.
• For errors involving shared libraries or desktop display, keep the full terminal output and distinguish system-library issues from graphical-session issues. These aren’t execute-permission errors.

Whether an AppImage needs a particular FUSE component depends on how it was packaged and on your runtime environment; it isn’t necessarily missing on every launch. Read the error before installing anything to avoid adding components you don’t need. File managers may handle double-clicks on executable files differently, so launching from a terminal is a useful first troubleshooting step because it shows the error.

5. Maintaining DEB, RPM, and AppImage installations

The format affects more than the first launch: it also determines how you update and remove the app. Installing a local DEB or RPM doesn’t mean an automatic update repository has been added. Check the actual installation to see whether an update source is available. Before updating, quit the client, choose a package for your system from the download page, and review the package manager’s proposed changes.

With any format, removing the program file and removing personal configuration are separate actions. Back up your current configuration before switching installation methods. Don’t clear your entire user configuration directory unless you understand what it contains. If the app behaves differently from the application menu and when launched manually, close all copies, confirm the path of the file actually running, and then continue troubleshooting.

6. After installation: separate launch, configuration, and connection issues

A window opening confirms the installation step; it doesn’t prove a connection service is available. The steps that follow assume you already have your own service provider and subscription. This site does not provide, sell, or recommend nodes, subscriptions, or connection services. Treat getting the client and using your existing connection service as separate matters.

• App won’t start: Check the architecture, dependencies, execute permissions, and graphical session first. Don’t change subscriptions or rules yet.
• App starts, but there’s no configuration: Follow the setup guide to import your existing configuration and check that the link is complete. Installing the client does not automatically provide connection details.
• Can’t connect after importing: Check that the server address, port, protocol, and credentials match your existing configuration, then investigate network errors. Reinstalling repeatedly usually won’t fix these fields.
• Problems accessing sites after connecting: Use the troubleshooting guide to distinguish routing, rules, and DNS issues. Don’t change several settings at once and then try to infer the cause.

On devices with the corresponding interface, Home provides access to connection and configuration options, Config manages rule configurations, and Settings contains settings. These actions are separate from installing dependencies with the Linux package manager. When checking across platforms, follow the options shown on the device in use; don’t assume that another platform’s system VPN authorization steps apply to Linux.

7. Common questions about installing Shadowrocket on Linux