If you recently upgraded Google Chrome on Debian (or Ubuntu-based distributions) and found that the browser immediately crashes upon launching with a segmentation fault, you are not alone. A faulty package update can bring your daily workflow to a sudden halt.
In this guide, we will break down why this crash happens, why standard apt-get downgrade commands fail for Chrome, and the exact step-by-step process to download and install a previous stable release directly from Google's repository pool.
The Error: Crashpad ELF Dynamic Array Reader & Segmentation Fault
When launching google-chrome from the command line after updating to version 151.0.7922.173 (or similar problematic builds), you may encounter repeating Crashpad snapshot error logs followed by an immediate core dump:
[0821/170612.259982:ERROR:third_party/crashpad/crashpad/snapshot/elf/elf_dynamic_array_reader.h:64] tag not found [0821/170612.260430:ERROR:third_party/crashpad/crashpad/snapshot/elf/elf_dynamic_array_reader.h:64] tag not found [0821/170612.261178:ERROR:third_party/crashpad/crashpad/snapshot/elf/elf_dynamic_array_reader.h:64] tag not found [0821/170612.262163:ERROR:third_party/crashpad/crashpad/snapshot/elf/elf_dynamic_array_reader.h:64] tag not found [0821/170612.264050:ERROR:third_party/crashpad/crashpad/snapshot/elf/elf_dynamic_array_reader.h:64] tag not found [0821/170612.264107:ERROR:third_party/crashpad/crashpad/snapshot/elf/elf_dynamic_array_reader.h:64] tag not found [0821/170612.264633:ERROR:third_party/crashpad/crashpad/snapshot/elf/elf_dynamic_array_reader.h:64] tag not found [1] 8989 segmentation fault (core dumped) google-chrome
This error indicates an internal snapshot reader issue inside Chrome's embedded Crashpad handler on the dynamic ELF binary structure, resulting in a segmentation fault right during browser startup.
Why Standard apt install google-chrome-stable=<version> Fails
In standard Debian/Ubuntu package management, you would typically look up previous versions and downgrade using APT:
apt-cache madison google-chrome-stable sudo apt install google-chrome-stable=150.0.7871.186-1
The Catch with Google's APT Repository: Google only maintains metadata for the single latest release in their active repository index (Packages.gz). Once a new version rolls out, older version entries are removed from the APT index. As a result, APT cannot locate or install earlier versions by package name and version string alone.
Fortunately, the underlying .deb package archives remain accessible in Google's repository pool on their CDN.
Step-by-Step Solution: Downgrade to a Known Good Build
Step 1: Download the Working Release Package (.deb)
Download the earlier working build (such as version 150.0.7871.186-1) directly from Google's Linux deb pool with wget:
wget https://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb/pool/main/g/google-chrome-stable/google-chrome-stable_150.0.7871.186-1_amd64.deb
Step 2: Install and Downgrade via dpkg
Once the package is downloaded, install it using dpkg:
sudo dpkg -i google-chrome-stable_150.0.7871.186-1_amd64.deb
dpkg will downgrade the installation smoothly. Your user settings, profile data, bookmarks, extensions, and sessions (stored under ~/.config/google-chrome/) will remain intact.
Step 3: Verify Chrome Runs
Launch Google Chrome to confirm the browser opens normally without crashes:
google-chrome &
Important Pro-Tip: Hold the Package to Prevent Auto-Updates
When you next run a routine system upgrade (sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade), APT will automatically attempt to upgrade Google Chrome back to the crashing version. To lock the package at its current working version, place it on hold:
sudo apt-mark hold google-chrome-stable
Output:
google-chrome-stable set on hold.
How to Resume Updates Later
Once Google releases a patched build that resolves the issue, you can remove the hold and upgrade normally:
# Unhold the package sudo apt-mark unhold google-chrome-stable # Upgrade to the latest fixed build sudo apt update && sudo apt --only-upgrade install google-chrome-stable
Key Takeaways
- Direct CDN Pool: You can download historical Chrome Debian packages directly from dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb/pool/main/g/google-chrome-stable/.
- DPKG Downgrade: Install the downloaded .deb with sudo dpkg -i <filename>.deb.
- APT Hold: Prevent unintended automatic upgrades using sudo apt-mark hold google-chrome-stable until a bugfix release is verified.