How to Install VSCodium on Linux Mint

VSCodium is a free and open-source version of Visual Studio Code, stripped of Microsoft telemetry and tracking. You will install VSCodium on Linux Mint using either the official APT repository or Flatpak, configure it for Python development, web projects, Markdown editing, or general programming tasks, and verify the installation. This guide shows you how to launch VSCodium from the terminal or applications menu and explains how to update or remove the editor when needed.

VSCodium provides syntax highlighting for 200+ languages, integrated Git workflows, and extension support via the Open VSX registry. If you need the Microsoft-signed version with proprietary marketplace access, official remote development features, or Microsoft account sync, refer to our VS Code installation guide for Linux Mint instead.

Contents hide

1 Choose Your VSCodium Installation Method

2 Method 1: Install VSCodium Using APT

3 Method 2: Install VSCodium Using Flatpak and Flathub

4 Launching VSCodium

5 Manage VSCodium

6 Troubleshooting Common Issues

7 Conclusion

Choose Your VSCodium Installation Method

Linux Mint supports two primary installation paths for VSCodium: the official APT repository and Flatpak via Flathub. The APT repository integrates directly with your system package manager and receives updates through the standard apt upgrade workflow. Flatpak provides sandboxed application delivery with its own dependency management, which isolates VSCodium from system libraries but requires separate Flatpak maintenance.

Method	Channel	Stability	Best For
APT Repository	Official VSCodium repo	Stable releases	Most users who prefer system-integrated package management
Flatpak	Flathub stable	Frequent updates	Users who want sandboxed apps with automatic dependency handling

Most Linux Mint users should install via APT for simpler integration with system updates and faster launch times. Choose Flatpak if you prefer sandboxed applications or run multiple distros where Flatpak provides consistent behavior.

Method 1: Install VSCodium Using APT

Update Linux Mint Packages

It is recommended to ensure that your system is up-to-date with all existing packages before proceeding with the tutorial:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

Install Required Dependencies

Install the packages required for secure repository management. These tools handle downloads, GPG key verification, and HTTPS connections:

sudo apt install curl dirmngr ca-certificates software-properties-common -y

The command installs curl for downloads, dirmngr for GPG key management, ca-certificates for HTTPS verification, and software-properties-common for repository configuration.

The apt-transport-https package is no longer required on modern Linux Mint releases as APT supports HTTPS natively. It remains available for compatibility with legacy systems only.

Import VSCodium GPG Key

Download and install the VSCodium repository GPG key for package verification:

curl -fsSL https://gitlab.com/paulcarroty/vscodium-deb-rpm-repo/raw/master/pub.gpg | sudo gpg --dearmor | sudo tee /usr/share/keyrings/vscodium.gpg > /dev/null

Add VSCodium Repository

Create the repository configuration using the modern DEB822 format:

cat <<EOF | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/vscodium.sources
Types: deb
URIs: https://download.vscodium.com/debs
Suites: vscodium
Components: main
Signed-By: /usr/share/keyrings/vscodium.gpg
EOF

Linux Mint 22 uses the modern DEB822 .sources format shown above. This format provides better multi-architecture support and cleaner syntax than the legacy .list format. Linux Mint 21 also supports .sources format.

Install VSCodium via APT Commands

After that, you can run an APT update to incorporate the new repository.

sudo apt update

You can now proceed with installing VSCodium by executing the following command.

sudo apt install codium

Verify VSCodium Installation

Confirm the installation succeeded by checking the version:

codium --version

1.106.3
37943
x64

Method 2: Install VSCodium Using Flatpak and Flathub

Confirm Flatpak Installation

Flatpak comes pre-installed on Linux Mint. Verify it’s available:

Run the following command to check if Flatpak is installed:

flatpak --version

Incorporate the Flathub Repository

VSCodium, a free and open-source code editor, is accessible via Flathub, a primary hub for Flatpak apps. Integrating Flathub into your system broadens your software options significantly.

Run the following command to enable Flathub:

sudo flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

This command ensures the addition of the Flathub repository to your system. Flathub is crucial for accessing many up-to-date applications, including VSCodium.

Install VSCodium via Flatpak Command

Install VSCodium system-wide so all users can access it:

sudo flatpak install --system flathub com.vscodium.codium -y

The --system flag installs for all users, while -y automatically confirms prompts.

Verify VSCodium Flatpak Installation

Confirm the installation succeeded:

flatpak list --system | grep -i vscodium

VSCodium	com.vscodium.codium

Launching VSCodium

Launch VSCodium from Terminal

Launch VSCodium from the terminal:

codium

For Flatpak installations, use the full application ID:

flatpak run --system com.vscodium.codium

Launch VSCodium from Applications Menu

For desktop users who prefer not to use the command-line terminal, the best way to use VSCodium is to open the application’s GUI by following the path.

Taskbar > Programming > VSCodium

Manage VSCodium

Update VSCodium on Linux Mint

APT VSCodium Installations Update Commands

To check for updates using the command line, the following command can be used to perform a comprehensive check for updates across all APT packages:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

Flatpak VSCodium Installations Update Command

Installations with Flatpak can run a global update check that prompts you to upgrade VSCodium and other installed applications via Flatpak.

In your terminal, run the following command:

sudo flatpak update --system

Remove (Uninstall) VSCodium

APT VSCodium Installations Remove Commands

If you decide to remove VSCodium from your system, the following command can be used to uninstall it:

sudo apt remove codium

Afterward, the repository can be removed by using the following command:

sudo rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/vscodium.sources

For good housekeeping and security, it is recommended that the GPG key be removed by following the command below.

sudo rm /usr/share/keyrings/vscodium.gpg

Flatpak VSCodium Installations Remove Commands

The removal command process is much more straightforward with Flatpak; just run the command below to remove VSCodium from Linux Mint:

sudo flatpak uninstall --system com.vscodium.codium

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Repository GPG Key Errors

If you encounter GPG key verification errors during apt update, remove and reimport the key:

sudo rm /usr/share/keyrings/vscodium.gpg
curl -fsSL https://gitlab.com/paulcarroty/vscodium-deb-rpm-repo/raw/master/pub.gpg | sudo gpg --dearmor | sudo tee /usr/share/keyrings/vscodium.gpg > /dev/null
sudo apt update

VSCodium Won’t Launch

If VSCodium fails to start, check for conflicting extensions or corrupted settings:

codium --disable-extensions

If this launches successfully, an extension is causing the issue. Remove or update extensions through the Extensions panel.

Flatpak Version Shows Old Release

Force a refresh of Flathub metadata and update:

sudo flatpak update --system --appstream
sudo flatpak update --system com.vscodium.codium

File Menu Crashes VSCodium

If VSCodium crashes when you click the File menu while other menus work normally, change the title bar style setting:

Open Settings with Ctrl + , or click the gear icon (bottom left) and select Settings
Search for title bar style in the settings search box
Change the Window: Title Bar Style option to custom

The File menu will function normally after applying this setting. This issue affected VSCodium releases in November 2024 and was resolved in version 1.95.3.24321, but the workaround remains useful if you encounter the problem on older installations.

VSCodium Not Using NVIDIA GPU on Optimus Laptops

If VSCodium fails to use the dedicated NVIDIA GPU when you select Run with Dedicated GPU from the right-click menu, launch it from the terminal with GPU acceleration explicitly enabled:

__NV_PRIME_RENDER_OFFLOAD=1 __GLX_VENDOR_LIBRARY_NAME=nvidia codium

Verify GPU usage with nvtop or nvidia-smi after launching. This issue affects Electron-based applications (including VSCodium, Brave, and other Chromium-derived apps) on systems with NVIDIA Optimus hybrid graphics. Firefox and other non-Electron applications typically work correctly with the context menu GPU selection.

Create a custom desktop launcher if you frequently need GPU acceleration. Copy /usr/share/applications/codium.desktop to ~/.local/share/applications/codium-nvidia.desktop and modify the Exec= line to include the environment variables shown above.

Conclusion

You have installed VSCodium on Linux Mint using either the APT repository for system-integrated updates or Flatpak for sandboxed application delivery. Configure VSCodium extensions through the built-in marketplace (which uses Open VSX instead of Microsoft’s marketplace), and explore our guides on installing VSCodium on Debian, Ubuntu, or Fedora if you work across multiple distributions. For additional development tools, check out our guides on Android Studio or PHP for Linux Mint.