How to install Intellij IDEA on Ubuntu?

IntelliJ IDEA is one of the most powerful IDEs for Java and JVM-based development. If you're running a Linux VPS with Ubuntu, you can install IntelliJ IDEA directly on your server and access it through a remote desktop or SSH tunnel with X11 forwarding. This guide covers both the Community (free) and Ultimate (paid) editions.

Step 1: Update Your Ubuntu System

Before installing anything, make sure your package lists are up to date.

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

This ensures you're working with the latest package information and avoids dependency issues during installation.

Step 2: Install IntelliJ IDEA via Snap (Recommended)

The easiest and officially supported method on Ubuntu is to install IntelliJ IDEA through Snap. Snap packages are self-contained and automatically kept up to date.

To install the Community Edition (free):

sudo snap install intellij-idea-community --classic

To install the Ultimate Edition (paid / trial available):

sudo snap install intellij-idea-ultimate --classic

The --classic flag is required because IntelliJ IDEA needs access to system resources outside the standard Snap sandbox.

Step 3: Verify the Installation

Once the Snap installation completes, confirm it was installed successfully:

snap list intellij-idea-community

Or for Ultimate:

snap list intellij-idea-ultimate

You should see the installed version number and a status of active in the output.

Step 4: Launch IntelliJ IDEA

If you have a graphical desktop environment running on your VPS, you can launch IntelliJ IDEA directly from the terminal:

intellij-idea-community

Or for Ultimate:

intellij-idea-ultimate

If you're connecting remotely without a desktop environment, you'll need X11 forwarding enabled in your SSH connection (ssh -X user@your-server-ip) or a remote desktop solution like VNC or RDP.

Alternative: Install IntelliJ IDEA via Tar Archive

If you prefer not to use Snap, you can install IntelliJ IDEA manually using the official .tar.gz archive from JetBrains.

First, download the archive (replace the version number with the current release from the JetBrains website):

wget https://download.jetbrains.com/idea/ideaIC-2024.1.tar.gz

Extract it to /opt, which is the conventional location for third-party software on Linux:

sudo tar -xzf ideaIC-2024.1.tar.gz -C /opt/

Navigate into the extracted folder and run the startup script:

cd /opt/idea-IC-*/bin
./idea.sh

This will launch IntelliJ IDEA and also let you create a desktop launcher from within the app on first run.

Step 5: Create a Desktop Entry (Manual Install Only)

If you used the tar archive method, you can add IntelliJ IDEA to your application menu by creating a .desktop file. Open a new file:

sudo nano /usr/share/applications/intellij-idea.desktop

Paste the following content, adjusting the path to match your extracted folder name:

[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Type=Application
Name=IntelliJ IDEA Community
Exec=/opt/idea-IC-2024.1/bin/idea.sh
Icon=/opt/idea-IC-2024.1/bin/idea.png
Terminal=false
Categories=Development;IDE;

Save the file with Ctrl + O, then exit with Ctrl + X. IntelliJ IDEA will now appear in your application launcher.

IntelliJ IDEA is now installed on your Ubuntu VPS and ready to use. Whether you went with the Snap method for simplicity or the manual tar archive for more control, you'll have a fully functional IDE for Java, Kotlin, and other JVM languages running on your server.