Using Linux for Development: Setting Up IDEs and Tools

Whether you're a seasoned programmer or a newcomer to the world of software development, setting up a proper development environment is crucial. For developers using Linux, the variety of available Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) and tools can cater to any need, from web development to application engineering. In this blog, we'll guide you through setting up some of the most popular IDEs and essential tools on Linux using different package managers such as apt (for Debian-based systems like Ubuntu), dnf (for Fedora), and zypper (for openSUSE).

Setting Up Your Environment

Before diving into installing IDEs, ensure your system’s package manager is updated.

For apt:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

For dnf:

sudo dnf check-update
sudo dnf upgrade

For zypper:

sudo zypper refresh
sudo zypper update

Installing Java Development Kit (JDK)

Many IDEs require Java, so it's essential to install the JDK first.

For apt:

sudo apt install default-jdk

For dnf:

sudo dnf install java-latest-openjdk

For zypper:

sudo zypper install java-11-openjdk

Verify the installation by checking the Java version:

java -version

Setting Up IDEs

Let’s look at how to install some popular IDEs such as IntelliJ IDEA, VS Code, and Eclipse.

1. Visual Studio Code (VS Code)

VS Code is a lightweight but powerful source code editor which runs on your desktop.

For apt:

sudo apt install code

For dnf:

sudo rpm --import https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc
sudo sh -c 'echo -e "[code]\nname=Visual Studio Code\nbaseurl=https://packages.microsoft.com/yumrepos/vscode\nenabled=1\ngpgcheck=1\ngpgkey=https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc" > /etc/yum.repos.d/vscode.repo'
dnf check-update
sudo dnf install code

For zypper:

sudo rpm --import https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc
sudo zypper addrepo --check --refresh --name 'Visual Studio Code' https://packages.microsoft.com/yumrepos/vscode vscode
sudo zypper install code

2. IntelliJ IDEA

IntelliJ IDEA is a versatile and robust IDE for Java developers.

You can download the tarball from the JetBrains website or use a script for installation.

For all package managers, the process to download and extract IntelliJ IDEA is similar. First, download it:

wget https://download.jetbrains.com/idea/ideaIC-2023.1.tar.gz -O ideaIC.tar.gz

Next, extract and install it:

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

You can start IntelliJ IDEA by running:

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

3. Eclipse

Eclipse is well-known for Java, but also supports various other languages.

For apt:

sudo apt install eclipse

For dnf:

sudo dnf install eclipse

For zypper:

sudo zypper install eclipse

Installing Additional Tools

Developers often need other tools like Git, Docker, and compilers like GCC.

Git:

For apt:

sudo apt install git

For dnf:

sudo dnf install git

For zypper:

sudo zypper install git

Docker:

For apt:

sudo apt install docker.io
sudo systemctl start docker
sudo systemctl enable docker

For dnf:

sudo dnf install docker
sudo systemctl start docker
sudo systemctl enable docker

For zypper:

sudo zypper install docker
sudo systemctl start docker
sudo systemctl enable docker

GCC:

For apt:

sudo apt install build-essential

For dnf:

sudo dnf group install "Development Tools"

For zypper:

sudo zypper install -t pattern devel_basis

Conclusion

Setting up your development environment on Linux can be straightforward, thanks to the versatile package managers and software repositories available across various distributions. By following the steps provided, you can install most of the essential software for development workflow efficiently using apt, dnf, or zypper. Happy coding!