Install PyCharm on Ubuntu 18.04: Community Edition via Snap

PyCharm is a full-featured Python IDE developed by JetBrains. It includes built-in debugging, embedded Git control, Docker and Vagrant support, Anaconda integration, syntax highlighting, intelligent code completion, an SSH terminal, and project-wide code refactoring. It also supports web frameworks including Django and Flask, and front-end languages like JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.

PyCharm is available in two editions: Community (free and open-source) and Professional (paid subscription with additional web and database tooling).

This guide covers how to install PyCharm on Ubuntu 18.04 using the snap package manager. The same steps apply to Ubuntu 16.04, Linux Mint, Kubuntu, and Elementary OS.

<strong>Prerequisite:</strong>&nbsp;You need sudo access.

Install PyCharm on Ubuntu: One Command with Snap

Snap is a universal Linux package format developed by Canonical. Snap packages bundle all dependencies inside a single archive, which makes installation a one-line command that works the same way across different Linux distributions.

Install PyCharm Community Edition:

bashsudo snap install pycharm-community --classic

The --classic flag grants the snap package classic confinement, which means unrestricted access to the filesystem. IDEs require this because they need to open, read, and write project files stored anywhere on disk. Without classic confinement, PyCharm would be restricted to a sandboxed directory and could not access projects in your home folder or elsewhere.

Installation takes a few minutes depending on connection speed. On success:

pycharm-community 2018.2.4 from 'jetbrains' installed

PyCharm is published directly by JetBrains on the Snap Store. Snap auto-updates PyCharm in the background when new versions are released. No manual upgrade commands are needed.

Verify the installed version with:

bashsnap list pycharm-community

If you prefer a GUI, you can also install PyCharm Community Edition through the Ubuntu Software Center by searching for “PyCharm.”

Community Edition vs Professional: Which One Do You Need?

Both editions share the same core IDE interface and debugger. The differences are in framework support and tooling:

Community Edition is the right choice for learning Python, writing scripts, building command-line applications, and data science or machine learning projects. Professional makes more sense for web application development with Django or Flask, or for teams that need remote development on Linux servers.

JetBrains offers a 30-day free trial of the Professional edition if you want to evaluate the additional features before committing.

Set Up PyCharm and Start Your First Python Project

Launch PyCharm from the Activities menu or from the terminal:

bashpycharm-community

The first-run wizard walks you through three steps:

1. Import settings: choose “Do not import settings” for a fresh install
2. Privacy policy: scroll to the end and click Accept
3. Data sharing: choose whether to send anonymous usage statistics to JetBrains

The customization screen lets you set a UI theme. Darcula (dark) is the most popular choice and reduces eye strain during long sessions.

Click Create New Project from the welcome screen. PyCharm asks for a project directory and a Python interpreter. By default, it creates a virtual environment (venv) inside the project folder automatically. This isolates the project’s Python packages from the system Python and from other projects on your machine, which prevents dependency conflicts.

A few keyboard shortcuts worth learning before writing your first line of code:

• Shift+Shift: Search Everywhere — finds any file, class, symbol, or IDE action by name
• Alt+Enter: shows quick fix options and intention actions at the cursor
• Ctrl+Space: triggers code completion at any point
• Ctrl+Shift+F10: runs the current file
• Ctrl+D: starts the debugger on the current run configuration

PyCharm Community Edition is now installed on your Ubuntu 18.04 machine. Explore the debugger, refactoring tools, and the plugin marketplace in the official PyCharm documentation. Leave a comment below if you run into any issues.