How to Install Wireshark in Ubuntu 25.10

Wireshark is one of the most powerful network analysis tools for packet inspection, debugging, and troubleshooting. On Ubuntu 25.10, installing it is fast and straightforward with just a few terminal commands.

Step 1: Update System Packages

Always begin with a full system update to make sure your package index is current.

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2: Install Wireshark from Official Repository

Wireshark is included in Ubuntu’s default repositories, so installation is simple:

sudo apt install wireshark -y

During installation, you may be prompted with:

Should non-superusers be able to capture packets? 

Select Yes if you want regular users to use Wireshark without sudo.

Step 3: Add Your User to the Wireshark Group

If you enabled non-superuser capture, add your user to the wireshark group:

sudo usermod -aG wireshark $USER

Then log out and log back in for the group change to take effect.

You can verify your group membership with:

groups $USER

Step 4: Verify the Installation

Check that Wireshark is installed correctly:

wireshark --version

You should see output similar to:

Wireshark 4.4.0 (Git v4.4.0 packaged as 4.4.0-1)

Step 5: Launch Wireshark

From the terminal:

wireshark &

Or open it from the application menu — just search for Wireshark.

Optional Step: Install Command-Line Tools

If you prefer terminal-based packet capture tools, install tshark (the CLI version of Wireshark):

sudo apt install tshark -y

Capture packets directly in your terminal:

sudo tshark -i eth0

For accurate network analysis, always run Wireshark with minimal background traffic and avoid capturing sensitive data on shared or public networks.