Issues installing Zotero on Chromebook

hs907 · 2025-10-02T12:31:34+00:00

I tried downloading Zotero today, and it's not working. Clicking the install button on zotero.org for 'Zotero 7 for Chrome OS' sent me to an error page saying "This page isn’t working. If the problem continues, contact the site owner. HTTP ERROR 400".
I then looked at the chromebook installation support, followed Steps 1 and 2, entered the code in step 3 (EDIT: to be clear, with the adjustment for the zotero beta), and got this on Terminal:

Zotero is only available for architectures i386, arm64, i686 and x86_64
Hit:1 https://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm InRelease
Hit:2 https://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm-updates InRelease
Hit:3 https://deb.debian.org/debian-security bookworm-security InRelease
Ign:4 https://storage.googleapis.com/cros-packages/140 bookworm InRelease
Hit:5 https://storage.googleapis.com/cros-packages/140 bookworm Release
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
61 packages can be upgraded. Run 'apt list --upgradable' to see them.
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
E: Unable to locate package zotero

I'm not familiar with using Linux/Terminal so I don't really know if there's something that I need to change. I think my chromebook CPU is a MediaTek Kompanio 520 if that's helpful to know. Any help would be much appreciated!!

dstillman · 2025-10-02T12:38:26+00:00

https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/installing_on_a_chromebook

On an ARM Chromebook, you currently need to use the Zotero 8 beta.

hs907 · 2025-10-06T13:56:48+00:00

Thanks - helpful to know!

As someone unfamiliar with the technical side of things, I'm not sure what the setup instructions here https://www.zotero.org/support/installation#linux (that are pointed to for downloading the beta) mean (specifically, I'm guessing I've downloaded the tarbull by downloading through the link, but I've no idea how to extract the contents or run from the directory) - could those instructions be made clearer for those in the same boat as me?

adamsmith · 2025-10-06T14:07:32+00:00

You don't need those instructions for Chromebooks, though. The beta is available through the same channels, just by replacing "zotero" with "zotero-beta" in the last line of the code, so
sudo apt install zotero-beta

hs907 · 2025-10-12T13:31:55+00:00

I had already tried that - it said unable to locate package (and having just tried it again, it is still saying that) - hence the original message. That's why I've been following the Linux instructions, downloading the beta etc. I've used an AI to help me with what's been going wrong, but I shouldn't have to. That way is also still not working (apparently crashing as soon as it launches, although who knows because nothing has appeared).

adamsmith · 2025-10-12T13:37:34+00:00

Could you screenshot the terminal for running that command & paste it here?
Actually, run the whole three line block from the documentation

hs907 · 2025-10-12T13:39:33+00:00

https://s3.amazonaws.com/zotero.org/images/forums/u18299219/bomyfouz5rtynjau1i2z.png

hs907 · 2025-10-12T14:56:23+00:00

I've finally managed to get Zotero working using the tarbull - do you have the info you need from that screenshot to fix any issues?

adamsmith · 2025-10-12T16:06:26+00:00

@emilianoeheyns -- any ideas? The above looks right to me

emilianoeheyns · 2025-10-12T17:27:58+00:00

it must be misdetecting the architecture. I have updated the install script to say what it thinks the architecture is when it refuses to install -- @hs907, can you try install.sh again and post its output?