How to Install VSCodium on Rocky Linux EL9 or EL8

VSCodium is a free, open-source version of Visual Studio Code. It is built from the same source code as Visual Studio Code but without any telemetry or license restrictions. This guide will discuss installing, updating, and removing VSCodium on Rocky Linux 9 or Rocky Linux 8 using the command line terminal.

Step 1. Update Rocky Linux

The first step is ensuring your system is up-to-date to avoid issues during the installation and for good practice. This is done by opening your terminal and using the following command.

sudo dnf upgrade --refresh

Step 2: Install VSCodium

To install VSCodium, you must first add the VSCodium repository to your system by importing the GPG key and repository.

First, import the GPG key using the following command.

sudo rpmkeys --import https://gitlab.com/paulcarroty/vscodium-deb-rpm-repo/-/raw/master/pub.gpg

Next, import the repository using the following command.

printf "[gitlab.com_paulcarroty_vscodium_repo]\nname=download.vscodium.com\nbaseurl=https://download.vscodium.com/rpms/\nenabled=1\ngpgcheck=1\nrepo_gpgcheck=1\ngpgkey=https://gitlab.com/paulcarroty/vscodium-deb-rpm-repo/-/raw/master/pub.gpg\nmetadata_expire=1h" | sudo tee -a /etc/yum.repos.d/vscodium.repo

Finally, you can install VSCodium by running the following command.

sudo dnf install codium

Step 3: Launch VSCodium

Now that you have completed the installation, you can open the software in a few ways.

Using the command line terminal, you can open the software quickly by using the following command.

codium

Desktop users can use the following path in their applications menu.

Activities > Show Applications > VSCodium

Example:

Once opened, it is the same as it was when you used VSCode, just without as much tracking.

Example:

Step 4: Additional Commands & Tips

Update VSCodium

To check for updates using the command line, use the following command to allow a blanket check for any updates across all DNF packages.

sudo dnf update --refresh

Remove (Uninstall) VSCodium

Use the following command to remove VSCodium if you no longer require it on your desktop.

sudo dnf remove codium

Next, remove the repository using the following command if you plan never to re-install the IDE again.

sudo rm /etc/yum.repos.d/vscodium*

Conclusion

VSCodium is an excellent alternative to Visual Studio Code for Rocky Linux users. As it can be easily installed, updated, and removed on Rocky Linux using the command line terminal, there is no reason not to try it!