Install Visual Studio Code Ubuntu

Visual Studio (VS) Code is an open-source text editor made by Microsoft using the Electron framework. It includes features like debugging, code completion, version control, etc., and its functionality can be extended with plugins.

On Ubuntu, VS Code can be installed in multiple ways. You can download the .deb package from the official site if you want to manage it using apt. Or, you can install VS Code using snap.

Install VS Code Using .deb Package

If you want to install VS Code with apt, you’ll need to download the .deb file from the VS Code Downloads page. You can also download the Insiders build if you want.

Go to the directory where the file was downloaded and install it as shown below.

cd ~/Downloads
sudo apt install ./<file>.deb
sudo apt install ./code_1.77.1-1680651665_amd64.deb

After installing it, you can launch it by entering

code

Or, use this instead for the Insiders version.

code-insiders

Update VS Code with apt

You don’t have to worry about updating too often with the classic channel, but the Insider builds are updated every day. You can upgrade to the latest version with

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade code
sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade code-insiders

Remove VS Code using apt

Similarly, if you need to uninstall VS Code, you can use

sudo apt remove code
sudo apt remove code-insiders

Install VS Code with Snap (CLI)

Maintaining VS Code is easier with snap as you don’t need to manually update. To install the classic version, you can use

sudo snap install code

Similarly, you can install the Insiders build with

sudo snap install code-insiders

Uninstall VS Code snap

And if you need to uninstall the VS Code snaps, you can use

sudo snap remove code
sudo snap remove code-insiders

Install Visual Studio Code Graphically

You can also install VS Code from the Ubuntu Store if you prefer a GUI approach. 

  1. Launch the Ubuntu Software app and search Visual Studio.
    vscode ubuntu software
  2. Open the code or code-insiders page depending on which version you want to install.
    ubuntu install vscode snap
  3. Press Install and enter your password for authentication. Afterward, you can launch VS Code from the Applications menu.
    vscode app ubuntu
Anup Thapa

Senior Writer

Anup Thapa is a Linux enthusiast with an extensive background in computer hardware and networking. His goal is to effectively communicate technical concepts in a simplified form understandable by new Linux users. To this end, he mainly writes beginner-friendly tutorials and troubleshooting guides. Outside of work, he enjoys reading up on a range of topics, traveling, working out, and MOBAs.