How to Install Cursor on Ubuntu 26.04 and 24.04

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8 Min Read · Official Editor · Beginner Friendly

Cursor on Ubuntu

To install Cursor on Ubuntu, add Cursor’s apt repository and run sudo apt install cursor. That is the method Cursor’s own documentation recommends, on amd64 and arm64 alike.

The repository keeps Cursor updated with the rest of your system. Paid plans also include Grok Bot, which runs on Ubuntu too. If a step does not work on your system, leave a comment below or contact us and we will help you sort it out.

Cost: Free, account required
Install: apt repository
Machines: amd64 and arm64
Updates: Through apt
Before You Start
Ubuntu version
Any current release. 26.04, 24.04 and 22.04 all work, and so does Debian.
Account
A Cursor account for the AI features. The editor itself opens without one.
Machines
amd64 and arm64. Run dpkg –print-architecture if you are unsure.
Disk space
About 940 MB installed, from a 207 MB download. It is a large editor.
Terminal
Needed for the repository. Cursor is not in the Ubuntu archives or App Center.
Internet
For the AI features, always. Your code is sent to Cursor’s servers to be answered.

Install Cursor in 3 Steps

Three steps, five minutes. Nothing here is specific to one Ubuntu release.

1

Step 1: Add Cursor’s signing key

Open a terminal with Ctrl + Alt + T and fetch Cursor’s key into the folder apt keeps repository keys in:

Download the signing key
curl -fsSL https://downloads.cursor.com/keys/anysphere.asc | gpg --dearmor | sudo tee /etc/apt/keyrings/cursor.gpg > /dev/null

Silence means it worked. If the shell answers command not found, fetch both tools with sudo apt install curl gpg and run the line above again.

Works on both amd64 and arm64.

2

Step 2: Add the repository and install

Write the repository into apt’s list of sources. This is one long line, so copy it rather than typing it:

Register the repository
echo "deb [arch=amd64,arm64 signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/cursor.gpg] https://downloads.cursor.com/aptrepo stable main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/cursor.list > /dev/null

Then install:

Install Cursor
sudo apt update && sudo apt install cursor

About 207 MB to download, 940 MB installed.

3

Step 3: Open it and sign in

Cursor is in your applications menu. From a terminal, cursor opens it and cursor . opens the folder you are standing in:

Open the current folder in Cursor
cursor .

On first run it offers to import your VS Code settings. Take it, then sign in.

The Other Two Ways to Install It

The download page has a .deb, an RPM and an AppImage. The RPM is for Fedora.

Method Updates Menu entry Best for
apt repository With your system Yes Everyone on Ubuntu
.deb file With your system, after it adds the repository itself Yes One offline machine
AppImage Never. You re-download it No Trying it without installing

The .deb file

Download it from cursor.com/downloads, then:

Install a downloaded .deb
cd ~/Downloads && sudo apt install ./cursor_*_amd64.deb
Worth knowing

The .deb adds Cursor’s apt repository for you, so it updates like the repository install. From a terminal it asks first. Double-click the file and it just adds it.

The AppImage

One file, nothing to install:

Run the AppImage
chmod +x Cursor-*.AppImage

./Cursor-*.AppImage

No menu entry and no updates. If it will not start, see When Something Goes Wrong.

The AppImage route, including adding a menu entry with Gear Lever.

What Cursor Is Now

Cursor app icon
Cursor started as an AI code editor. Since version 3 it is an agent workspace. You hand agents a task, they work on it in parallel, and you review the result.

Agents Window. Run several agents at once, on your machine or in the cloud, and watch them in one place.

Composer 2.5. Cursor’s own model, built for long coding jobs that run for a while without you.

The editor is still there. It is based on VS Code, so your extensions and shortcuts carry over. Want the editor without the AI? Install Visual Studio Code.

Plans: Hobby is free. Pro, Pro+ and Ultra are paid, with Teams and Enterprise for companies. Your code goes to Cursor’s servers when the AI works on it.

Grok Bot Comes With Cursor

Grok Bot app icon
Every paid Cursor plan now includes Grok Bot. Pro, Pro+, Ultra and Teams all get it at no extra cost.

Grok Bot is a personal assistant that does real work for you. Each Bot has its own computer in the cloud, with a browser and apps. Give it a job by message, and it keeps going while your laptop is closed.

It runs on Ubuntu. It is a separate app with its own .deb, .rpm and AppImage, for x64 and arm64. There are also apps for iPhone and Android.

Already pay for SuperGrok or X Premium+? You can link that instead. Install Grok Bot on Ubuntu.

How Updates Reach You

New versions arrive with your system updates.

Update
Update everything, including Cursor
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

Ubuntu’s Software Updater picks it up too, so if you already let that run there is nothing to do here.

To see which version you have:

Check the installed version
apt policy cursor

The AppImage never updates. Download a new one to upgrade.

When Something Goes Wrong

What you see

NO_PUBKEY 42A1772E62E492D6

FIX Run Step 1 and Step 2 again.

Happens on Ubuntu 24.04 after installing the .deb file. The steps replace its repository entry with a working one.

What you see

apt still checks Cursor after you removed it

FIX Run sudo rm -f /etc/apt/sources.list.d/cursor.list

Removal on 24.04 leaves this file behind.

What you see

dlopen(): error loading libfuse.so.2

FIX Run sudo apt install libfuse2t64

AppImage only. On 22.04 the package is libfuse2.

What you see

The window never opens and mentions the sandbox

FIX Run sudo apt install cursor-sandbox-apparmor

Newer Ubuntu blocks the sandbox Cursor uses. This small package from Cursor’s repository allows it.

Remove It

Remove Cursor and its repository
sudo apt remove cursor

sudo rm -f /etc/apt/sources.list.d/cursor.list /etc/apt/keyrings/cursor.gpg

Your settings stay in ~/.config/Cursor and ~/.cursor. Delete them for a clean slate.

Helpful Resources

Official install documentation ↗The apt commands, straight from Cursor, plus the first-run walkthrough
All Linux downloads ↗Current and older builds, as .deb, RPM and AppImage, for both architectures
Cursor community forum ↗Where the Linux packaging problems get reported and answered
r/cursor ↗Day to day use, model choices and what people actually build with it

Frequently Asked Questions

Which file should I download for Ubuntu?

Use the apt repository instead, so Cursor updates with your system. If you want a file, take the .deb.

Does installing the .deb add an apt repository?

Yes. It asks first in a terminal and adds it without asking if you double-click the file.

Is Cursor free on Ubuntu?

Yes, on the free Hobby plan. Pro, Pro+ and Ultra give you more AI use and include Grok Bot.

Do I get Grok Bot with a Cursor subscription on Linux?

Yes. Pro, Pro+, Ultra and Teams all include Grok Bot. It is a separate app with its own Linux .deb, .rpm and AppImage, so it runs on Ubuntu.

Does Cursor work offline, or run a model on my own machine?

No. The editor opens offline, but the AI features send your code to Cursor’s servers.

Will my Visual Studio Code extensions work?

Mostly. Cursor imports them on first run. A few are missing from its marketplace.

Next step
Two commands, then apt keeps it current

Cursor’s own repository for Ubuntu and Debian, on amd64 and arm64, signed and recommended by Cursor.

Related guides: Install Grok Bot on Ubuntu · Install ChatGPT on Ubuntu · Install Claude Desktop on Ubuntu · Install Google Antigravity on Linux · More AI guides for Ubuntu

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