How to Install Cursor AI Editor on Linux, Ubuntu (2025 Update)

Cursor is a smart code editor designed for pair programming with AI. You can download it on Windows, Mac, and Linux. While it's easy to install on Mac, I found it a bit tricky on Ubuntu Linux. After some research, I figured it out! Here's a simple guide to help you install Cursor on Ubuntu Linux.

The cursor lets you write code using instructions.
Update entire classes or functions with a simple prompt, Intelligent, fast, and familiar, Cursor is the best way to code with AI.

Step-by-Step Installation Guide

Step 1:

Go to the Cursor website and click on the "Download" button.

Step 2:

Once downloaded, you'll find a file ending with .AppImage in your Downloads folder.

What's an AppImage? It's a universal software package for Linux that doesn't need traditional installation.

Step 3:

Before running the file, make it executable. Open your terminal, navigate to your Downloads folder, and run:

chmod +x cursor-0.45.8-build-250201b44xw1x2k-x86_64.AppImage

Note: Replace cursor-0.45.8-build-250201b44xw1x2k-x86_64.AppImage with your file's name.

Step 4:

If you see an error about libfuse.so.2, don't worry! This means you need FUSE to run the AppImage.

Step 5: Install FUSE by running:

sudo apt-get install libfuse2

Step 6:

Now, make the file executable again:

chmod +x cursor-0.45.8-build-250201b44xw1x2k-x86_64.AppImage

Step 7: Run the AppImage file:

./cursor-0.45.8-build-250201b44xw1x2k-x86_64.AppImage

Adding Cursor to Your Applications List

To easily access Cursor, add it to your applications list:

Move the AppImage to the /opt folder:

sudo mv cursor-0.45.8-build-250201b44xw1x2k-x86_64.AppImage /opt/cursor.appimage

After move your cursor file in /opt dir you can see:

cd /opt
ls

You can also run from here with the same command like above we have run but this is not required because we have created the runnable from application but for knowledge and info I will share the details:

./cursor.appimage

Create a desktop entry:

sudo nano /usr/share/applications/cursor.desktop

Paste the following into the file:

[Desktop Entry]
Name=Cursor
Exec=/opt/cursor.appimage
Icon=/opt/cursor.png
Type=Application
Categories=Development;

Save the file by pressing Ctrl + X, then press Y, and Enter.

Final Step:

Add an icon for Cursor. Place a cursor.png image in the /opt directory.

If the icon doesn't appear, try logging out and back in.

That's it! Thanks for reading, and enjoy using Cursor! 😊