Install Sublime Text 3 on Ubuntu 18.04: APT Repository Setup

Sublime Text is one of the most widely used source code editors in the world, known for its speed, clean interface, and powerful built-in features. Unlike many modern editors built on Electron, Sublime Text is written in C++ and Python, which makes it noticeably faster to open and more responsive on large codebases.

Features out of the box include multiple cursors, Goto Anything (Ctrl+P), distraction-free mode, split window editing, and a command palette (Ctrl+Shift+P) that puts every feature one keystroke away.

This guide covers how to install Sublime Text on Ubuntu 18.04 via the official Sublime Text APT repository. The same steps work on any Debian-based distribution.

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

Install Sublime Text on Ubuntu: Add the Official Repository

Install the required dependencies. These packages handle HTTPS transport for apt, certificate verification, and GPG key retrieval:

bashsudo apt updatesudo apt install apt-transport-https ca-certificates curl software-properties-common

Import the Sublime Text GPG key. This step authenticates packages from the Sublime HQ repository. Sublime HQ is the company behind Sublime Text:

bashcurl -fsSL https://download.sublimetext.com/sublimehq-pub.gpg | sudo apt-key add -

Add the Sublime Text stable APT repository:

bashsudo add-apt-repository "deb https://www.sublimetext.com/download apt/stable/"

The apt/stable/ channel tracks the current stable release. Sublime Text also offers a dev channel for preview builds.

Install Sublime Text:

bashsudo apt updatesudo apt install sublime-text

Once installed, Sublime Text updates automatically through the standard Ubuntu package management system.

Launch Sublime Text and Install Package Control

Start Sublime Text from the Activities menu by searching for “Sublime Text,” or from the terminal:

bashsubl

The terminal command is subl, not sublime or sublime-text.

When Sublime Text opens for the first time, the interface is minimal. Most of the power comes through Package Control, the official plugin manager for Sublime Text. To install it, open the command palette with Ctrl+Shift+P, type Install Package Control, and press Enter. Package Control installs itself in seconds.

After that, use Ctrl+Shift+P > Package Control: Install Package to browse the full community library. A few packages worth adding immediately:

• Emmet: expands CSS-like shorthand into complete HTML or CSS markup
• SublimeLinter: real-time syntax error highlighting for multiple languages
• GitGutter: shows git diff indicators beside each modified line in the gutter
• A File Icon: adds file-type icons to the sidebar for faster visual orientation

Customize Sublime Text and Understand the License

Sublime Text uses a layered settings system. User settings override defaults without touching the original file, which makes it safe to experiment and easy to reset.

Open your user settings with Preferences > Settings. Common values to configure:

• "font_size": editor font size
• "word_wrap": soft wrap for long lines
• "tab_size": indentation width per tab stop
• "rulers": add a vertical column boundary marker (e.g., at column 80 or 120)

Licensing. Sublime Text is proprietary software and can be used for free with no enforced time limit. The editor functions fully without a license key. A license (99peruseror99peruseror35 per year) removes the occasional purchase prompt that appears during extended evaluation use.

Sublime Text 3 is now installed on your Ubuntu 18.04 system. Install Package Control, add the packages that match your workflow, and configure your settings to taste. Leave a comment below if you run into any issues.