In this tutorial you will learn to install atom text editor in Ubuntu (Linux).
Atom is a free and open-source text and source code editor for macOS, Linux, and Microsoft Windows with support for plugins written in Nodejs and embedded Git control developed by GitHub, which provides us with a platform to create responsive and interactive web applications. Atom is a desktop application built using web technologies. Atom is based on Electron (known as atom shell), It can also be used as an integrated development environment (IDE).
There is a web inspector that will reveal all code that runs the app on the fly.
Now let’s see how to install this on Ubuntu.
How to Install Atom Text Editor in Ubuntu (Linux)
There are different ways to install this. Here I will show you popular two ways of them.
Method 1: Using SNAP
SNAP is a universal Linux package. Snaps work on any distribution or device. Snaps are faster to install, easier to create, safer to run and they update automatically and our app is always fresh and never broken.
Now see the steps to install ATOM on Ubuntu via SNAP.
Step 1: First open Terminal on your Ubuntu system. (Shortcut to open terminal: Ctrl+Alt+T).
Step 2: Now we must install SNAP package first. For that type the following command and hit Enter.
sudo apt install snapd
Then it will ask for super user password. Type and hit enter to continue.
Step 3: Above step installs snap. Now we can install Atom on Ubuntu. For that type the following command and hit enter.
sudo snap install atom –classic
Then you can see the following installation procedure.
Now finally installation success message.
It’s so simple right!!! Now you can search for applications menu.
Note: If you won’t find atom icon in application menu after these steps, just restart your system it definitely appear to you.
Open the Atom text editor. It’s appear like this.
Now you can start and building applications, programs etc. Refer ATOM guide for more information to work with Atom. Or just carry on, by practicing on Atom you will be able to learn lot of things. As per my knowledge it has rich set of options as equal as Sublime text editor.
Method 2: Using PPA
PPA means Personal Package Archive. It is a special software repository for uploading source packages to be built and published as an APT repository by Launchpad or a similar application. One best thing about PPA is it supports both 32-bit and 64-bit.
Now let’s see steps to install Atom text editor in Ubuntu via PPA.
Step 1: Open terminal [shortcut: Ctrl+Alt+T].
Step 2: Add PPA. For that open terminal and type the following command and hit Enter.
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:webupd8team/atom
Then it will ask for super user password, type it and hit enter.
After adding PPA we can install ATOM on Ubuntu.
Step 3: Type the following commands at a time in terminal.
sudo apt update; sudo apt install atom
You should not type these commands one after other. Because in some cases repository may lock user to enter into it. Then you will get unable to access repository error to install. This can be avoided by typing.
sudo apt-get update
After this completion, type next command to install atom, it is:
sudo apt-get install atom
But this also work for only some ubuntu configurations. May not successful for all types.
In above picture it again asking sudo password because I closed terminal after adding PPA and opened it again. It directly installs if you can continue after adding PPA.
Success message will be like this.
Installing atom is completed.
I tried both ways of installing by SNAP and by PPA.
Both worked for me. You can see two ATOM text editors (both same versions) installed on my system.
You can see two atom editors installed on my system. Unlike windows it never say already application installed while installing second atom text editor, even though both are same versions. Because both installed in different repositories. Both installed via different packages. One form PPA and other from SNAP.
You can see two text ATOM text editors working on my system. Two windows and on left side pane also two atom icons you can find.
Now I am uninstalling one atom by typing following command.
sudo apt remove –purge atom
This removes the ATOM installed via PPA.
Comment below if you have any queries or facing problem to install Atom on Ubuntu.
