How to Install VSCodium on Ubuntu Linux

VSCodium is a free, open-source distribution of Microsoft’s Visual Studio Code that removes all telemetry and tracking. If you’re familiar with VS Code, you’ll find that VSCodium delivers identical features and functionality without data collection. Additionally, the platform supports extensive plugins, integrated version control workflows, and runs across Linux, Windows, and macOS while maintaining full compatibility with VS Code extensions. For readers comparing options, Microsoft’s Visual Studio Code remains available alongside VSCodium if you prefer the official release.

This guide covers installing VSCodium on Ubuntu through three methods: the official APT repository, Snap (pre-installed universal package format), and Flatpak (sandboxed application distribution). By the end, you’ll have completed repository setup, GPG key verification, full installation steps for each approach, and verification that the installation works correctly.

Choose Your VSCodium Installation Method

Before choosing a method, consider that VSCodium offers multiple installation paths on Ubuntu, each with different trade-offs in update speed, isolation, and system integration.

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

For most users, the APT repository method is recommended because it provides native system integration, follows Ubuntu’s standard package management, and receives updates through your normal system update workflow. In contrast, Snap and Flatpak offer sandboxed environments with automatic background updates, although they use more disk space and may have slightly slower startup times.

The VSCodium repository uses a universal package format that works on all current Ubuntu releases, including LTS versions and interim releases. As a result, all commands shown in this guide work identically regardless of your specific Ubuntu version.

Method 1: Install VSCodium via APT Repository

Update System Package Lists

First, open a terminal and update your package listings to ensure you have the latest repository information:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

Install Dependencies

Next, install the packages needed for repository management and GPG key verification:

sudo apt install curl gpg -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 -o /usr/share/keyrings/vscodium-archive-keyring.gpg

Add VSCodium Repository

Once the GPG key is in place, you can add the VSCodium repository to your system. Note that Ubuntu 22.04 LTS and all newer versions use the modern DEB822 .sources format:

echo -e 'Types: deb\nURIs: https://download.vscodium.com/debs\nSuites: vscodium\nComponents: main\nArchitectures: amd64 arm64\nSigned-by: /usr/share/keyrings/vscodium-archive-keyring.gpg' | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/vscodium.sources

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, Snap is a universal package format that works across Linux distributions and comes pre-installed on Ubuntu, making this a straightforward installation method.

Install VSCodium with Snap Command

To begin, install VSCodium directly from the Snap Store:

sudo snap install codium --classic

Note that the --classic flag grants VSCodium full system access, which is needed for development tools, terminal integration, and extension functionality.

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.

Important: Flatpak is not pre-installed on Ubuntu. Therefore, if you have not set it up yet, install it with sudo apt install flatpak and then 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

VSCodium supports the complete VS Code extension ecosystem. To install extensions, open the Extensions pane inside VSCodium by pressing Ctrl+Shift+X, then search for any extension you need. The installation process is identical to VS Code, and popular extensions for development include language-specific tools, remote development support, Git integration, and debugging utilities. Furthermore, VSCodium downloads and installs extensions seamlessly, and updates happen automatically with your regular system updates or within the editor itself.

Compatibility with Ubuntu Derivatives

These installation instructions also work on any Ubuntu-based distribution, including Elementary OS, Pop!_OS, and other Ubuntu derivatives. Since these distributions share Ubuntu’s package management and software repositories, all three installation methods (APT, Snap, Flatpak) function identically across them. For Linux Mint users specifically, we have a dedicated VSCodium installation guide for Linux Mint with distro-specific considerations.

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 upgrade

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

Additionally, for Flatpak installations, remove the sandboxed data directory:

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

To confirm the removal, verify that the command no longer exists:

which codium

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

Conclusion

In summary, VSCodium delivers a privacy-focused development environment with full VS Code compatibility, no telemetry, and native support for all VS Code extensions. The installation process covered APT repository setup with GPG verification, Snap for universal packaging, and Flatpak for sandboxed deployment. As a result, your Ubuntu system now runs a powerful, open-source code editor ready for web development, scripting, data analysis, and any coding project while respecting your privacy.

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