How to install Tar version of Zen for Linux

InstallTarZen.md

Why not just install the flatpack version of Zen?

There is a bug in Flatpack versions of Mozilla that prevents the root directory of profiles from being created in the default location.

This makes installing UserChrome, UserContent, Sine, and Sine mods less automated and generally more complicated, or sometimes not at all possible.

You can fix this by instead installing the Tar version of Zen browser, in which profile directories work as expected.

Installation

Step One: Download Zen

• Go to https://zen-browser.app/download/
• Click 'Download for Linux'

Save the file in a memorable spot, we'll need to know the location later.

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Step Two: Extract the Tar file

• If you use a File Browser, navigate to where the Tar file is saved
  • Right-click the file and select 'Extract Here'

• If you use the Terminal, cd to where the Tar file is saved
  • Use tar -xvzf zen.linux-x86_64.tar.xz to extract the Tar file

• You should now have a new zen folder

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Step Three: Create .desktop file

• Go to ~/.local/share/applications/
• Create a new text file named zen.desktop
• Paste the block below into the file
• Save the file

[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Type=Application
Name=Zen Browser
GenericName=Web Browser
Comment=Experience tranquility while browsing the web without people tracking you!
Exec=
Icon=
Terminal=false
Categories=Network;WebBrowser;
Keywords=Internet;WWW;Browser;Web;Explorer
MimeType=text/html;text/xml;application/xhtml+xml;x-scheme-handler/http;x-scheme-handler/https;
NoDisplay=false
StartupNotify=true

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Step Four: Download Icon

• Download your favoirte Zen icon from here

Save the file in a memorable spot, we'll need to know the location in the next step.

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Step Five: Add Icon to Zen.desktop file

• Open the Zen.desktop file
• Locate the Icon= line
• Paste the location of the Icon file you downloaded
• Save the file

Here's an example:

Icon=/home/YourUsername/Downloads/Zen-Color-Coral.svg

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Step Six: Add Zen execuitible to Zen.desktop file

• Open the Zen.desktop file
• Locate the Exec= line
• Paste the location of the extracted Zen folder from Step Two
• Add /zen %U to the end of the path
• Save the file

Here's an example:

Exec=/home/YourUsername/Downloads/zen/zen %U

The first 'zen' in this path is the extracted folder

The second 'zen' in this path is the executible file within the extracted folder

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Step Seven: Make the .desktop file executible

• Run chmod +x Zen.desktop

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You're done!

Zen browser is now installed, and you can find it in your application launcher.

Sine, Sine mods, UserChrome.css and UserContent.css files will now correctly insatll to your profile's root directory.*

*You can find your profile root directory by going to about:profiles