How to Install PyCharm on Debian 12, 11, or 10

PyCharm, developed by JetBrains, is a premier integrated development environment (IDE) tailored for Python programming. Understanding its core features and benefits is essential for developers aiming to install PyCharm on Debian 12 Bookworm, Debian 11 Bullseye, or Debian 10 Buster. This IDE simplifies Python development and enhances productivity with intelligent tools and integrations.

Key Features of PyCharm:

Intelligent Coding: PyCharm offers smart code completion, on-the-fly error detection, and quick-fix suggestions.
Integrated Debugger: The built-in debugger allows developers to inspect code, set breakpoints, and monitor variables, ensuring efficient troubleshooting.
Version Control: With integrated Git, GitHub, and Mercurial support, PyCharm facilitates seamless version control and collaboration.
Database Tools: PyCharm provides a comprehensive database editor and SQL support, enabling direct database access and management.
Extensibility: The IDE supports a wide range of plugins, allowing developers to customize and extend its functionalities per their requirements.
Web Development: PyCharm offers tools for web development, including support for popular frameworks like Django, Flask, and Pyramid.

In essence, PyCharm is a comprehensive IDE that caters to the diverse needs of Python developers. The following sections will now demonstrate how to quickly install the latest build of PyCharm on your Debian system.

Updating Debian Before PyCharm Installation

Before we delve into the installation process, you must sync your Debian system’s local package database with the remote repositories. This action ensures your system has access to the most recent versions of software packages. You can update your package database using the following command:

sudo apt update

Once the package database is updated, we advance to the system upgrade. The upgrade ensures that the existing software packages installed on your system are elevated to their newest versions:

sudo apt upgrade

Installing Required Packages To Install Pycharm

The following step involves installing the necessary packages: dirmngr, ca-certificates, software-properties-common, apt-transport-https, curl, and LSB-release. These packages are vital for tasks like managing repositories and transferring files. Execute the following command to install these packages:

sudo apt install dirmngr ca-certificates software-properties-common apt-transport-https curl lsb-release -y

Add JetBrains’ Personal Package Archive (PPA)

Upon successfully installing the required packages, we’re prepared to include the JetBrains PPA in our system’s repository list. This addition enables the APT tool to fetch PyCharm directly from JetBrains’ PPA.

To certify the authenticity of the packages downloaded from JetBrains’ repository, we’ll import the GPG key with the following command:

curl -s https://s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/jetbrains-ppa/0xA6E8698A.pub.asc | gpg --dearmor | sudo tee /usr/share/keyrings/jetbrains-ppa-archive-keyring.gpg > /dev/null

With the GPG key imported, we’re all set to incorporate the JetBrains PPA into our system’s package sources:

echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/jetbrains-ppa-archive-keyring.gpg] http://jetbrains-ppa.s3-website.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com any main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/jetbrains-ppa.list > /dev/null

Updating the APT Package Database

We must update our APT package database each time a new repository is included. This action fetches the package information from the newly added JetBrains PPA:

sudo apt update

Proceed with PyCharm Installation

Our system is now primed for the PyCharm installation. The JetBrains PPA offers three variants of PyCharm: Community, Education, and Professional.

The Community edition, being freely available, is the preferred choice of most users. On the other hand, the Education and Professional editions, though premium versions, extend the feature set significantly. Based on your requirements, select the edition that suits your needs and use the corresponding command below to install it:

To install the Community Edition (Free Version), which most will be installing from this guide, run following the following command:

sudo apt install pycharm-community

For the Education Edition (Paid Subscription-based), run the following command:

sudo apt install pycharm-education

Lastly, for those wanting to install the Professional Edition (Paid Subscription-based), run the following command:

sudo apt install pycharm-professional

Upon executing the appropriate command, the APT package manager will handle the downloading and installation process of the chosen PyCharm edition.

Launching PyCharm Post-Installation

CLI Commands to Launch PyCharm From the Terminal

For those who’ve leveraged the APT package manager for PyCharm installation, the launch commands are as follows: ensure you use the command that matches your installation:

pycharm-community

pycharm-education

pycharm-professional

GUI Method to Launch PyCharm

While the command-line interface is a fast and effective method of initiating PyCharm, you may prefer a more visual approach. Your Debian system’s graphical user interface (GUI) can be used in such scenarios.

Here are the steps to launch PyCharm via the GUI:

Open the application launcher or menu on your desktop.
Navigate to the Programming category.
Look for PyCharm or quickly search for “PyCharm,” then select the edition that matches your installation.

PyCharm Management

Once you have PyCharm up and running on your Debian system, you might need to perform maintenance tasks such as updating the IDE to access the latest features or even completely removing it from your system in specific scenarios. This section delves into the steps involved in maintaining PyCharm on Debian, including how to update and uninstall it.

Update PyCharm

Maintaining your PyCharm IDE involves updating it with the latest features, improvements, and bug fixes. The exact command to update PyCharm depends on the package manager you used during installation.

Here are the necessary steps to update PyCharm:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

Executing these commands will look for updates for all the software installed via the APT package manager on your system, including PyCharm. Regularly updating your applications can significantly improve your overall user experience and productivity.

Remove PyCharm

Sometimes, you no longer require PyCharm on your system. In such cases, you can uninstall it using the commands corresponding to the method you used during installation.

Here are the commands to uninstall the respective PyCharm editions:

sudo apt remove pycharm-community

sudo apt remove pycharm-professional

sudo apt remove pycharm-education

Furthermore, if you have no intentions of reinstalling PyCharm or using the JetBrains PPA for other products, you can remove the repository and its GPG key with these commands:

sudo rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/jetbrains-ppa.list
sudo rm /usr/share/keyrings/jetbrains-ppa-archive-keyring.gpg

Conclusion

Installing and managing the PyCharm IDE on a Debian-based system is a straightforward and beneficial. We’ve covered the installation methods, including the command-line and graphical user interfaces, and how to launch PyCharm after installation. The article also delved into maintenance aspects, providing clear instructions on updating the software to keep it at the forefront of its capabilities and uninstalling it should you decide to move to a different IDE.