How to Install VSCodium on Ubuntu (26.04, 24.04, 22.04)

VSCodium is an open source rebuild of Visual Studio Code, shipped without Microsoft’s branding and telemetry components. If you like the VS Code workflow on Ubuntu but want a community-maintained build, VSCodium is the common choice.

This guide shows how to install VSCodium on Ubuntu using the official APT repository for the cleanest desktop integration. It also includes Snap and Flatpak alternatives, plus the standard steps to verify the install, launch the editor, update it, and remove it cleanly.

Choose Your VSCodium Installation Method

On Ubuntu, you can install VSCodium three ways. APT behaves like a normal .deb app and updates through APT. Snap and Flatpak are self-contained app formats with their own update mechanisms.

Method	Channel	Version	Updates	Best For
APT Repository	Official upstream	Latest stable	Via APT upgrades	Most users, native system integration
Snap	Snap Store	Latest stable	Automatic background	Users wanting simple setup and automatic updates
Flatpak	Flathub	Latest stable	Via flatpak update	Users preferring Flatpak ecosystem consistency

Recommended: use the APT repository for the most predictable desktop integration and to update VSCodium alongside your other packages. Use Flatpak if you prefer a sandboxed app with Flathub, or Snap if you want simple installation with automatic background updates.

VSCodium uses Open VSX for extensions by default, so a small number of Marketplace-only or licence-restricted extensions may not appear. If you need Microsoft’s official build and the default Marketplace experience, follow our Visual Studio Code installation guide for Ubuntu.

These steps cover Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, 24.04 LTS, and 22.04 LTS. The commands are the same across supported LTS releases.

Method 1: Install VSCodium via APT Repository

Update System Package Lists

First, refresh the APT package index:

sudo apt update

If you also want to apply pending system upgrades, run sudo apt upgrade separately before continuing.

Install Dependencies

Next, install curl and GnuPG. If you are not familiar with curl, see our curl command guide for common options and examples:

sudo apt install curl gnupg -y

Import VSCodium GPG Key

After installing the dependencies, download and install the GPG key to verify that VSCodium packages are authentic. Specifically, this security measure ensures that downloaded packages have not been tampered with:

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

Add VSCodium Repository

Once the key is in place, add the VSCodium repository. The steps below use the modern DEB822 .sources format for maintainability.

cat <<EOF | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/vscodium.sources
Types: deb
URIs: https://download.vscodium.com/debs
Suites: vscodium
Components: main
Architectures: amd64 arm64
Signed-By: /usr/share/keyrings/vscodium-archive-keyring.gpg
EOF

Refresh APT Package Index

Then, update your package listings to include the newly added VSCodium repository:

sudo apt update

After the update completes, verify that the repository is active and that VSCodium is available:

apt-cache policy codium

The expected output below shows the package is available from the VSCodium repository:

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

Install VSCodium

Finally, install the stable release of VSCodium, which mirrors VS Code’s stable build:

sudo apt install codium -y

Method 2: Install VSCodium via Snap

Alternatively, you can install VSCodium as a Snap. On standard Ubuntu desktop installs, Snap is available by default. On minimal installs, containers, or WSL environments, you may need to install Snap first.

If snap is unavailable, install it with sudo apt install snapd, then start a new login session before continuing.

Install VSCodium with Snap Command

To begin, install VSCodium directly from the Snap Store:

sudo snap install codium --classic

The --classic flag disables strict confinement and gives the Snap full system access. VSCodium typically needs this for terminal integration and development tooling, but if you prefer a more sandboxed install, use the Flatpak method instead.

Method 3: Install VSCodium via Flatpak

As another option, Flatpak offers sandboxed application installation with system-wide availability. However, this method requires the Flatpak package manager and Flathub repository setup.

Flatpak is not pre-installed on Ubuntu. If you have not set it up yet, install it with sudo apt install flatpak and restart your session before continuing. For detailed setup including the Flathub repository, follow our Flatpak installation guide for Ubuntu.

Enable Flathub Repository for VSCodium

First, add the Flathub repository to access VSCodium and thousands of other Flatpak applications:

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

Install VSCodium with Flatpak Command

Once the repository is enabled, proceed to install VSCodium system-wide so that all users can access it and updates apply automatically:

sudo flatpak install flathub com.vscodium.codium -y

Launch VSCodium

Launch VSCodium from Terminal

After completing the installation, you can launch VSCodium from the terminal. However, the specific command depends on your installation method.

For APT installation:

codium

For Snap installation:

snap run codium

For Flatpak installation:

flatpak run com.vscodium.codium

Launch VSCodium from Desktop

From application menu:

Alternatively, you can launch VSCodium through Ubuntu’s application menu:

• First, click Activities in the top-left corner
• Then click Show Applications (grid icon at the bottom of the dock)
• Finally, find and click VSCodium

Verify the Installation

After installing VSCodium, you should verify that the installation completed successfully by checking the version. Note that the specific verification command depends on your installation method.

For APT installation:

codium --version

The expected output showing the version confirms that VSCodium is accessible:

1.96.x
abc123def456
x64

For Snap installation:

snap info codium

Similarly, the expected output displays installation details:

name:      codium
summary:   Code editing. Redefined.
publisher: VSCodium
installed: 1.x.x (xxx) 342MB classic

For Flatpak installation:

flatpak info com.vscodium.codium

Likewise, the expected output confirms the Flatpak installation:

VSCodium - Code Editing. Redefined.

          ID: com.vscodium.codium
         Ref: app/com.vscodium.codium/x86_64/stable
      Origin: flathub
     Version: 1.x.x

Install Extensions

To install extensions, open the Extensions view in VSCodium with Ctrl+Shift+X, then search and install what you need. By default, VSCodium uses the Open VSX registry, so most popular extensions are available. Some Marketplace-only or license-restricted extensions may not appear or may not work in VSCodium. If you rely on one of these, refer to the VSCodium documentation on extensions and marketplaces. Extension updates are handled in the editor, while application updates come from APT, Snap, or Flatpak depending on how you installed VSCodium.

Compatibility with Ubuntu Derivatives

These steps usually work on Ubuntu-based distributions because they use the same APT tooling and often the same Snap and Flatpak stacks. If you are not on Ubuntu, use a distribution-specific guide to avoid repository and dependency mismatches.

Manage VSCodium

Update VSCodium

To keep VSCodium current, update it using the same package manager you used for installation. Note that each method handles updates differently:

For APT installations:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade codium -y

For Snap installations:

sudo snap refresh codium

For Flatpak installations:

sudo flatpak update

Remove VSCodium

If you need to uninstall VSCodium, remove it using the package manager that handled the installation.

For APT removal:

sudo apt remove codium

Next, clean up orphaned dependencies that were automatically installed with the package:

sudo apt autoremove

Subsequently, remove the repository configuration and GPG key:

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

Finally, refresh the package cache to confirm the repository is removed:

sudo apt update

Snap removal:

sudo snap remove codium

Flatpak removal:

sudo flatpak uninstall com.vscodium.codium

Remove User Configuration Files

The following commands permanently delete your VSCodium settings, extensions, and cached data. Export any important configurations or snippets before proceeding.

VSCodium stores user data in your home directory across several locations. To complete the uninstall, remove these directories:

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

For Flatpak installations, remove the sandboxed data directory:

rm -rf ~/.var/app/com.vscodium.codium

To confirm the removal, verify that the codium command no longer exists. This checks your PATH using which, see our which command guide if you want more examples:

which codium

If there is no output, this confirms the application has been completely removed from your system.

Conclusion

You now have VSCodium installed on Ubuntu via APT, Snap, or Flatpak, with steps to verify, update, and remove it cleanly. For most systems, the APT repository provides the best desktop integration. Use Flatpak if you prefer a sandboxed app from Flathub, or Snap for simple setup with automatic updates. If you need Microsoft’s official build or Marketplace-only extensions, follow our Visual Studio Code guide.

Official Documentation and Resources

For additional configuration options, troubleshooting, and community resources:

• VSCodium Official Website – Download links, project overview, and keyboard shortcuts
• VSCodium GitHub Repository – Source code, issue tracker, and release notes
• VSCodium Wiki – Extension marketplace configuration, settings sync, and community guides