How to Install QElectroTech on Ubuntu 26.04, 24.04 and 22.04

Electrical drawings get messy fast when symbols, title blocks, and export settings live in separate tools. QElectroTech keeps that workflow in one GPL-licensed desktop editor for schematics, control circuits, and technical diagrams, and you can install QElectroTech on Ubuntu through Snap or the Ubuntu repositories. The current upstream 0.100 series includes more than 8,000 symbols, while Ubuntu’s APT package gives you the distro-maintained build from the Universe repository.

Use Snap when you want the newest stable QElectroTech release with automatic app updates. Use APT when you prefer Ubuntu-managed packages and do not need the newest upstream feature set.

Install QElectroTech on Ubuntu

Start by refreshing Ubuntu’s package metadata and applying pending updates before adding a desktop application or installing from Universe:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

These commands use sudo for system-level package changes. If your account cannot use sudo yet, run the commands from an administrator account or use the Ubuntu sudoers guide to add a user to sudoers on Ubuntu.

Method	Source	Version checked	Updates	Best fit
Snap	Snapcraft, linked from the upstream Linux download page	0.100.1-g16650ed6 stable	Automatic through snapd, with manual refresh available	Newest stable release; --purge skips Snap’s automatic removal snapshot
APT	Ubuntu Universe repository	26.04: 1:0.9-3build1; 24.04: 1:0.9-2build2; 22.04: 1:0.8.0-3	Through normal APT upgrades	Distro-maintained package with standard Ubuntu package management

The supported Ubuntu scope for this article is Ubuntu 26.04 LTS (resolute), 24.04 LTS (noble), and 22.04 LTS (jammy). The Snap package currently gives each release the same 0.100.x application branch, while the APT package differs by Ubuntu release.

Install QElectroTech with Snap

Ubuntu desktop installs normally include snapd, and the upstream QElectroTech Linux download page points users to the Snap Store for a current packaged build. Install the stable Snap package with:

sudo snap install qelectrotech

Verify the installed Snap package and channel:

snap list qelectrotech

A successful install returns output similar to this:

Name          Version            Rev   Tracking       Publisher  Notes
qelectrotech  0.100.1-g16650ed6  2125  latest/stable  scorpio    -

Install QElectroTech with APT

The APT package comes from Ubuntu’s Universe component. Standard Ubuntu desktop installs usually have Universe enabled already, but minimal or customized systems may need it first; only Universe is required for this package, and the Ubuntu Universe and Multiverse guide explains how to enable the component if APT cannot find the package.

sudo apt install qelectrotech

Verify the package status after installation:

dpkg -l qelectrotech

Ubuntu 26.04 currently reports this installed package revision:

ii  qelectrotech   1:0.9-3build1 amd64        Electric schematic editor

Ubuntu 24.04 reports 1:0.9-2build2, while Ubuntu 22.04 reports 1:0.8.0-3. Those older APT builds are normal for the Ubuntu repository method; switch to Snap if you need the 0.100.x branch.

Launch QElectroTech on Ubuntu

QElectroTech is a graphical editor. The packages install from a terminal, but the application itself needs an active desktop session to design or edit diagrams.

Launch the Snap Package

For the Snap package, use snap run from a terminal because it works even when /snap/bin is not yet in your shell path:

snap run qelectrotech

Launch the APT Package

The APT package installs the standard launcher at /usr/bin/qelectrotech, so this command starts the application from a terminal:

qelectrotech

Launch from the Applications Menu

From the Ubuntu desktop, open the applications menu and search for QElectroTech. The launcher name is the same for the Snap and APT packages.

QElectroTech Downloads and Symbol Libraries

The official QElectroTech Linux download page lists GNU/Linux builds separately from Windows and macOS. For Ubuntu, the managed choices are Snap or APT; the project also publishes AppImage builds for x86_64 and AArch64 when you need a portable manual download instead of a package-managed install.

Symbol and template searches usually point to QElectroTech’s built-in and online collections, not a separate Ubuntu package. The project maintains an official element collection viewer and a contributed element collection viewer for browsing available symbols.

QElectroTech focuses on electrical schematics and 2D technical diagrams. If your project moves into PCB layout, 2D CAD, or mechanical modeling, related Ubuntu tools worth comparing include install KiCad on Ubuntu, install LibreCAD on Ubuntu, and install FreeCAD on Ubuntu.

Update or Remove QElectroTech

Update the Snap Package

Snap packages refresh automatically. To request an immediate refresh for QElectroTech, run:

sudo snap refresh qelectrotech

Update the APT Package

For the Ubuntu repository package, refresh APT metadata and upgrade only QElectroTech if a newer Ubuntu build exists:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install --only-upgrade qelectrotech

The --only-upgrade flag upgrades QElectroTech only when it is already installed; it will not install the package on a system that does not have it yet.

Remove the Snap Package

Remove the Snap package without creating an automatic recovery snapshot:

sudo snap remove --purge qelectrotech

Confirm Snap no longer lists the application:

snap list qelectrotech 2>/dev/null || echo "qelectrotech is not installed"

qelectrotech is not installed

Remove the APT Package

Remove the Ubuntu repository package first:

sudo apt remove qelectrotech

APT may leave supporting libraries that were installed only for QElectroTech. Preview the optional cleanup before confirming it:

sudo apt autoremove --dry-run

If the preview only lists QElectroTech-related packages you no longer need, run the cleanup:

sudo apt autoremove

Confirm the APT package is no longer installed:

dpkg -l qelectrotech 2>/dev/null | grep '^ii' || echo "qelectrotech is not installed"

qelectrotech is not installed

Clean QElectroTech User Data

QElectroTech saves diagram projects wherever you choose, but the app can also create per-user settings under native or Snap-specific paths. Check which paths exist for your account before deleting anything:

find "$HOME" -maxdepth 3 -type d \( -path "$HOME/.config/qelectrotech" -o -path "$HOME/snap/qelectrotech" \) -print

The next command permanently deletes QElectroTech settings and Snap user data for the current account. Back up any custom templates, symbols, or preferences first if you keep them inside these folders.

rm -rf "$HOME/.config/qelectrotech" "$HOME/snap/qelectrotech"

Conclusion

QElectroTech is ready on Ubuntu with either the current Snap build or the distro-maintained APT package, and the launcher opens the same schematic editor once you are in a graphical session. Keep Snap for the newest stable branch, use APT for Ubuntu-managed packages, and use the official download and collection links above when you need portable builds or extra symbols.