Install Brave on Xubuntu / XFCE

install_brave

#!/usr/bin/env bash

# Install the Brave Browser
#
#   install_brave                 show this help
#   install_brave 1.93.138        install that exact version and hold it
#   install_brave -w              install the known-good version and hold it
#   install_brave -l              list the versions the apt repo is offering
#   install_brave -u              unhold and install the latest release
#
# This script is for installing Brave Browser on Xubuntu/XFCE.  More info at
# https://github.com/brave/brave-browser/issues/58542.
#
# Latest Brave is not a safe default -- Brave ships regressions often enough that
# Xubuntu wants a version it has actually been happy with.  That version is
# LATEST_WORKING_VERSION below, and it is what `install_brave -w` gets you.
# Bump it once a newer release proves out.
#
# There is no default action: a bare `install_brave` prints this help rather
# than guessing which version you meant.  Say -w for the known-good one, -u
# for latest, or name a version outright.
#
# Brave's apt repo keeps every old build, so pinning to an older release is
# just an apt install with an explicit version -- no .deb hunting on GitHub.
#
# Pinning also sets an apt-mark hold, otherwise the next `apt upgrade` quietly
# puts you back on latest.  Use -u to opt out of the pin and track latest.
#
# Downgrading is a special case: Chromium stamps the profile with the build
# that last wrote it (see "Last Version" in the profile dir) and refuses to
# open a profile from a newer build. The script warns and tells you how to get
# past it -- it never touches the profile itself.

set -e

LATEST_WORKING_VERSION=1.93.138

PROFILE_DIR="$HOME/.config/BraveSoftware/Brave-Browser"
ASSUME_YES=""

usage() {
  sed -n '3,9p' "$0" | sed 's/^# \?//'
  echo
  echo "  known-good version: $LATEST_WORKING_VERSION"
  exit "${1:-0}"
}

# -- Make sure the apt repo is configured.  dl.brave.com/install.sh installs
# -- the keyring, the sources file, and latest.
ensure_repo() {
  if ! apt-cache policy brave-browser 2>/dev/null | grep -q brave-browser-apt-release; then
    echo "-- Setting up the Brave apt repository"
    curl -fsS https://dl.brave.com/install.sh | sh
  fi
}

installed_version() {
  dpkg-query -W -f='${Version}' brave-browser 2>/dev/null || true
}

unhold() {
  if apt-mark showhold | grep -qx brave-browser; then
    sudo apt-mark unhold brave-browser
  fi
}

# -- No arguments is a help request, not an install request.
[ $# -eq 0 ] && usage

case "$1" in
  -h|--help) usage ;;
  -y|--yes)  ASSUME_YES=1; shift ;;
esac

case "$1" in
  -l|--list)
    ensure_repo
    sudo apt update
    apt-cache madison brave-browser | awk -F'|' '{print $2}'
    exit
    ;;
  -u|--unhold)
    # -- Drop the pin and take whatever the repo is offering, unheld, so
    # -- ordinary `apt upgrade` keeps it current from here on.
    echo "-- Releasing the hold on brave-browser and installing latest"
    ensure_repo
    unhold
    sudo apt update
    sudo apt install brave-browser
    exit
    ;;
  -w|--working)
    # -- The version this box is known to be happy with.
    VERSION="$LATEST_WORKING_VERSION"
    ;;
  -*)
    echo "install_brave: unknown option '$1'" >&2
    usage 1 >&2
    ;;
  "")
    # -- Only reachable as a bare `install_brave -y`.
    echo "install_brave: no version given" >&2
    usage 1 >&2
    ;;
  *)
    VERSION="$1"
    ;;
esac

ensure_repo
sudo apt update

if ! apt-cache madison brave-browser | awk -F'|' '{print $2}' | tr -d ' ' | grep -qx "$VERSION"; then
  echo "install_brave: version '$VERSION' is not in the apt repo." >&2
  echo "               run 'install_brave -l' to see what is available." >&2
  exit 1
fi

CURRENT="$(installed_version)"

if [ "$CURRENT" = "$VERSION" ]; then
  echo "-- brave-browser is already at $VERSION"
else
  # -- Warn before a downgrade: the profile guard below is the least of it,
  # -- a newer build may have written profile data this one cannot read.
  if [ -n "$CURRENT" ] && dpkg --compare-versions "$VERSION" lt "$CURRENT"; then
    echo "-- Downgrading brave-browser $CURRENT -> $VERSION"
    echo "-- Your profile was last written by a newer build.  Back it up first:"
    echo "--   cp -a $PROFILE_DIR $PROFILE_DIR.bak-$CURRENT"
    if [ -z "$ASSUME_YES" ] && [ -t 0 ]; then
      read -r -p "-- Continue? [y/N] " reply
      case "$reply" in
        [yY]*) ;;
        *) echo "-- Aborted"; exit 1 ;;
      esac
    fi
    DOWNGRADE=1
  fi

  echo "-- Installing brave-browser $VERSION"
  unhold          # a standing hold would block the version change
  sudo apt install --allow-downgrades "brave-browser=$VERSION"
fi

echo "-- Holding brave-browser at $VERSION"
sudo apt-mark hold brave-browser

if [ -n "$DOWNGRADE" ]; then
  echo
  echo "-- Brave will refuse to open the profile stamped by the newer build."
  echo "-- Start it once with:"
  echo "--   brave-browser --allow-profile-downgrade"
  echo "-- If it still balks, remove the stamp and start normally:"
  echo "--   rm '$PROFILE_DIR/Last Version'"
fi

echo "-- Run 'install_brave -u' to unhold and return to latest"