How to Install VSCodium on Linux Mint (22, 21)

VSCodium is a free and open-source build of Visual Studio Code, stripped of Microsoft telemetry and tracking. This guide walks you through how to install VSCodium on Linux Mint 22.x and 21.x using either the official APT repository or Flatpak via Flathub. You will also learn how to launch, update, and remove VSCodium, along with troubleshooting tips for common issues on Linux Mint.

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 build 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 on Linux Mint

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	Version	Updates	Best For
APT Repository	Official VSCodium repo	Stable releases	sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade	Most users who prefer system-integrated package management
Flatpak	Flathub stable	Frequent updates	sudo flatpak update --system	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.

Install VSCodium on Linux Mint via APT Repository

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

If you need to add your user to sudoers on Linux Mint, do so before continuing.

Install Required Dependencies

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. Linux Mint typically includes both packages by default, so the command ensures they are present without reinstalling existing packages.

Import VSCodium GPG Key

Download and convert the VSCodium GPG key to binary format so APT can 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

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

Confirm that APT resolves the codium package from the VSCodium repository:

apt-cache policy codium

codium:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 1.x.x
  Version table:
     1.x.x 500
        500 https://download.vscodium.com/debs vscodium/main amd64 Packages

The output should show the VSCodium repository as the package source. If the package is not found, re-check the .sources file for typos.

Install VSCodium using the codium package name:

sudo apt install codium

Verify VSCodium Installation

Confirm the installation succeeded by checking the version:

codium --version

1.x.x
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
x64

VSCodium follows a frequent release cadence. The version numbers above are placeholders — your output will show the current stable version at the time of installation.

Install VSCodium on Linux Mint via Flatpak and Flathub

Confirm Flatpak Installation

Linux Mint ships with Flatpak pre-installed and Flathub already configured. Verify that Flatpak is available on your system:

flatpak --version

Flatpak 1.x.x

The Flatpak version varies by Linux Mint release. Mint 22.x ships Flatpak 1.14.x, while Mint 21.x includes Flatpak 1.12.x. Any version in this range works for installing VSCodium.

Verify Flathub Repository

Although Linux Mint includes Flathub by default, confirm 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

Verify that VSCodium appears in your installed Flatpak applications:

flatpak list --system | grep -i vscodium

VSCodium	com.vscodium.codium	1.x.x	stable	system

The output confirms VSCodium is installed at the system level. Your version number will reflect the latest stable release at the time of installation.

Launch VSCodium on Linux Mint

Launch VSCodium from Terminal

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

codium

You can also 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

You can also launch VSCodium from the Linux Mint applications menu. Open the menu and navigate to the Programming category, or search for “VSCodium” in the search bar:

Taskbar > Programming > VSCodium

Manage VSCodium on Linux Mint

Update VSCodium on Linux Mint

Update VSCodium via APT

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

Update VSCodium via Flatpak

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

Remove the repository configuration file and GPG key, then refresh the package index:

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

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

Verify Removal

After removing VSCodium, confirm no traces remain:

which codium

This command should produce no output if VSCodium was fully removed. Verify the package is no longer available from the removed repository:

apt-cache policy codium

N: Unable to locate package codium

For Flatpak removals, verify with:

flatpak list --system | grep -i vscodium

Troubleshooting VSCodium Issues on Linux Mint

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

After reimporting, apt update should complete without signature warnings. If the error persists, verify that the .sources file references the correct keyring path:

cat /etc/apt/sources.list.d/vscodium.sources

Confirm the Signed-By line reads /usr/share/keyrings/vscodium.gpg.

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

If flatpak list shows an older VSCodium version than what Flathub currently offers, the local Flathub metadata may be stale. Force a refresh and then update:

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

Verify the updated version afterward:

flatpak list --system | grep -i vscodium

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 installed on Linux Mint, ready for Python development, web projects, Markdown editing, or general programming. The Open VSX marketplace provides access to thousands of extensions without Microsoft telemetry, and the update workflow keeps your installation current through either APT or Flatpak. To expand your development environment further, explore our guides on installing Git for version control, GitHub Desktop for visual Git workflows, Android Studio for mobile development, PHP for web development, or GCC for compiling C/C++ projects on Linux Mint.