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. In this guide, 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. Additionally, 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. However, 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.

Choose Your VSCodium Installation Method

Linux Mint supports two primary installation paths for VSCodium: the official APT repository and Flatpak via Flathub. On one hand, the APT repository integrates directly with your system package manager and receives updates through the standard apt upgrade workflow. On the other hand, 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

Generally, most Linux Mint users should install via APT for simpler integration with system updates and faster launch times. Alternatively, 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

Before adding external repositories, update your package index and upgrade existing packages to ensure a clean installation environment:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

Install Required Dependencies

Next, install the packages required for secure repository management:

sudo apt install curl ca-certificates -y

This command installs curl for downloading files and ca-certificates for HTTPS verification. In most cases, Linux Mint typically includes these packages by default, so the command simply ensures they are present without reinstalling existing packages.

Import VSCodium GPG Key

Then, download and convert the VSCodium GPG key to binary format for APT to verify package signatures:

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

Here, the -fsSL flags make curl fail silently on HTTP errors while following redirects, and gpg --dearmor converts the ASCII-armored key to the binary format APT expects.

Add VSCodium Repository

After importing the key, 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

The VSCodium repository uses a universal vscodium suite rather than Ubuntu codenames, so this configuration works identically on Linux Mint 21 (Ubuntu 22.04 base) and Linux Mint 22 (Ubuntu 24.04 base). Both versions support the modern DEB822 .sources format.

Install VSCodium via APT Commands

With the repository configured, refresh your package index to include the new source:

sudo apt update

Now install VSCodium using the codium package name:

sudo apt install codium

Verify VSCodium Installation

Finally, confirm the installation succeeded by checking the version:

codium --version

1.107.18627
5aff9046d2e0cb20d8dfe9ce16a6baa54e60fc43
x64

The output shows the VSCodium version number, the commit hash, and the CPU architecture. Your version number may differ as VSCodium releases updates frequently.

Method 2: Install VSCodium Using Flatpak and Flathub

Confirm Flatpak Installation

Flatpak comes pre-installed on Linux Mint with Flathub already configured. First, verify that Flatpak is available on your system:

flatpak --version

Flatpak 1.14.10

Verify Flathub Repository

Although Linux Mint includes Flathub by default, you can verify the remote is configured or add it if missing:

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

The --if-not-exists flag prevents errors if Flathub is already configured, and --system ensures the remote is available system-wide for all users.

Install VSCodium via Flatpak Command

Once Flathub is confirmed, install VSCodium system-wide so all users can access it:

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

In this command, the --system flag installs for all users, while -y automatically confirms prompts.

Verify VSCodium Flatpak Installation

Afterward, verify that VSCodium appears in your installed Flatpak applications:

flatpak list --system | grep -i vscodium

VSCodium	com.vscodium.codium	1.107.18627	stable	system

The output confirms VSCodium is installed at the system level. The version and branch columns show the release you have installed.

Launching VSCodium

Launch VSCodium from Terminal

For APT installations, launch VSCodium directly by typing its command name:

codium

Additionally, you can open a specific file or directory by passing it as an argument:

codium ~/Projects/my-app

Alternatively, for Flatpak installations, use the full application ID with the Flatpak run command:

flatpak run --system com.vscodium.codium

Launch VSCodium from Applications Menu

Similarly, you can launch VSCodium from the Linux Mint applications menu. Simply open the menu and navigate to the Programming category, or search for “VSCodium” in the search bar:

Taskbar > Programming > VSCodium

Manage VSCodium

Update VSCodium on Linux Mint

APT VSCodium Installations Update Commands

VSCodium receives updates through the VSCodium repository you configured earlier. Run the standard APT update command to check for and install updates:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

Flatpak VSCodium Installations Update Command

If you installed VSCodium via Flatpak, update it along with other Flatpak applications using:

sudo flatpak update --system

Remove (Uninstall) VSCodium

Remove APT Installation

To remove VSCodium installed via APT, first uninstall the package and then clean up orphaned dependencies:

sudo apt remove codium
sudo apt autoremove

Next, remove the repository configuration file and GPG key:

sudo rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/vscodium.sources
sudo rm /usr/share/keyrings/vscodium.gpg

Remove Flatpak Installation

For Flatpak installations, remove the application and its sandboxed data with a single command:

sudo flatpak uninstall --system com.vscodium.codium --delete-data

Here, the --delete-data flag removes the application’s sandboxed configuration stored in ~/.var/app/com.vscodium.codium/. However, omit this flag if you plan to reinstall and want to keep your settings.

Remove User Configuration (Optional)

The following commands permanently delete your VSCodium settings, extensions, and cached data. Export any settings or keybindings you want to keep before proceeding.

For APT installations, VSCodium stores user data in your home directory. Therefore, remove these directories to complete the cleanup:

rm -rf ~/.config/VSCodium
rm -rf ~/.vscode-oss
rm -rf ~/.cache/VSCodium

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 -o /usr/share/keyrings/vscodium.gpg
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, then an extension is causing the issue. In that case, remove or update extensions through the Extensions panel.

Flatpak Version Shows Old Release

To resolve this, force a refresh of Flathub metadata and then 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:

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

After applying this setting, the File menu will function normally. Note that 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, instead launch it from the terminal with GPU acceleration explicitly enabled:

__NV_PRIME_RENDER_OFFLOAD=1 __GLX_VENDOR_LIBRARY_NAME=nvidia codium

Afterwards, verify GPU usage with nvtop or nvidia-smi after launching. Note that this issue affects Electron-based applications (including VSCodium, Brave, and other Chromium-derived apps) on systems with NVIDIA Optimus hybrid graphics. In contrast, 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 now have VSCodium running on Linux Mint, ready for Python development, web projects, Markdown editing, or general programming. Furthermore, the Open VSX marketplace provides access to thousands of extensions without Microsoft telemetry. To further expand your development environment, explore our guides on installing Git for version control, GitHub Desktop for visual Git workflows, Android Studio for mobile development, or PHP for web development on Linux Mint.