Install BetterDiscord on Linux

BDLinux.md

Install BetterDiscord on Linux

This Gist contains simple instructions on how to install, update, and uninstall BetterDiscord on Linux.

For more thorough documentation, take a look at betterdiscordctl's README.

Please don't sumbit issues here as I don't check the comments. You should sumbit them here instead.

Install dependencies

Git

Install using your package manager

Node & npm

Install using your package manager or download a binary package

Install betterdiscordctl

$ curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/bb010g/betterdiscordctl/master/betterdiscordctl
$ chmod +x betterdiscordctl
$ sudo mv betterdiscordctl /usr/local/bin

You can then keep betterdiscordctl up to date with this command:

$ betterdiscordctl upgrade

Install BetterDiscord

Replace [COMMAND] with install to install BD for the first time, update to update BD to the latest version, reinstall to reinstall BD after a Discord update, or uninstall to uninstall an existing installation.

Replace [PATH] with the path to Discord's parent directory. For example, if Discord is installed in /usr/share/discord/, [PATH] should be /usr/share.

• For Stable

$ betterdiscordctl [COMMAND] -s [PATH]

• For PTB

$ betterdiscordctl [COMMAND] -s [PATH] -f PTB

• For Canary

$ betterdiscordctl [COMMAND] -s [PATH] -f Canary

• For Snap

$ betterdiscordctl [COMMAND] --snap

• For Flatpak

$ betterdiscordctl [COMMAND] --flatpak

Common Issues

Discord intallation not found

Point betterdiscordctl to the correct path with the -s flag.

Discord modules directory not found or Config directory not found

Discord has to be started at least once to create the necessary directories before using betterdiscordctl.

git : command not found or npm : command not found

You don't have git or npm installed. Install them.

asar.js: No such file or directory

Install asar globally with sudo npm install -g asar and then use betterdiscordctl's --global-asar option.

Credits

BetterDiscord by Jiiks

Bandaged BD by Zerebos (rauenzi)

betterdiscordctl by bb010g

Does this work with the Snap version of Discord?
Edit: any plans on making this work with Snap version of Discord?

Updated to work with the Snap version of Discord.

Tried to install stable and this happened
Error: Cannot find module './core'
at Module._resolveFilename (module.js:470:15)
at Function.Module._resolveFilename (/usr/share/discord/resources/electron.asar/common/reset-search-paths.js:35:12)
at Function.Module._load (module.js:418:25)
at Module.require (module.js:498:17)
at require (internal/module.js:20:19)
at Object. (/root/.config/discord/0.0.4/modules/discord_desktop_core/index.js:1:173)
at Object. (/root/.config/discord/0.0.4/modules/discord_desktop_core/index.js:2:3)
at Module._compile (module.js:571:32)
at Object.Module._extensions..js (module.js:580:10)
at Module.load (module.js:488:32)

I'm getting the same problem when installing into both Discord Canary and Discord. (Ubuntu MATE) That said, I don't know to reverse this either, so I've been using the snap version of Discord without trying to install BetterDiscord.

edit:
You can fix this error by deleting the discordcanary folder in /.config/ and discord-canary in /usr/share, then reinstalling it. I'd imagine you can do the same with the Discord stable as well. Have not been able to get BetterDiscord working though.

edit 2:
Got it to work, but I merely just followed the instructions here again. If all else fails I suggest going to the BetterDiscord2 server and searching "linux in:faq" for answers rather than asking.

@RemixSlay Don't install with sudo.

didnt use sudo, im on the root account....

i did what @vozycozyx said and i got back into discord

ERROR: Discord installation not found.

I got the same error as Trihash, even on Stable or Snap, the config directory isn't found (though it not exists).

@Trihash You will need to elaborate more on the issue you have sumbitted.
@miakx Please check the same issue and comment there if it remains unsolved for you.

@Trihash - maybe you got the wrong installation directory. See where discord files are located using the following command:

find / -name discord 2> /dev/null

As it turns out, /opt worked for me.

ERROR: Discord installation not found
I tried /usr/bin/discord and /usr/share/discord, neither worked. It's not in /opt (/opt is empty.)

I didn't get any errors, It seems to have installed fine, but, the status says the app is not patched and it doesn't appear to have changed the discord app at all.

@ObserverOfTime

i put betterdiscordctl install -s /usr/share and this came out
WARN: Config directory not found for (/usr/share/discord, /home/spencer/.config/discord).
ERROR: Discord installation not found.

Ok people if it says

WARN: Config directory not found for (/usr/share/discord, /home/spencer/.config/discord).
ERROR: Discord installation not found.

Then you are trying to install betterdiscord into the wrong directory. RTFM.

Well, i tried to install Better Discord on my Lubuntu 16.04 but...
This happens here, what i should do?

Print is here https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/472857389628915723/483767139807789086/DiscordError.png

Solved this by using parent of binary root folder as path. With Discord binary @ /usr/bin/discord using betterdiscordctl install -s /usr worked [even though docs say to use path to binary root folder /usr/bin].

On Lubuntu 18.04, fresh discord install which discord returns /usr/bin/discord. I was getting the error ERROR: Discord installation not found when running betterdiscordctl install -s /usr/bin/. Using /usr as the [PATH] instead of the suggested path was successful.