Linux Installation Guide for NCode

Complete step-by-step guide for Linux users (Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch, and other distributions).

Linux Distributions Covered

Ubuntu / Debian - Most popular (uses apt)
Fedora / RHEL / CentOS - RedHat-based (uses dnf)
Arch Linux - Rolling release (uses pacman)
openSUSE - (uses zypper)
Other distros - Adapt Ubuntu instructions

Prerequisites for All Linux Users

10GB free disk space
sudo access (for installing packages)
Internet connection
Terminal/command line experience

Check what you have:

uname -a              # Shows Linux version
git --version        # Check if Git installed
node --version       # Check if Node installed
cargo --version      # Check if Rust installed

Ubuntu / Debian Installation

Complete Installation (10-15 minutes)

✅ Step 1: Update System Packages (2 minutes)

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y

✅ Step 2: Install Node.js (2 minutes)

Option A: Using NodeSource Repository (RECOMMENDED)

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_18.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install -y nodejs

Or for newer version:

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install -y nodejs

Option B: Using nvm (if you need multiple Node versions)

curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.0/install.sh | bash
source ~/.bashrc
# or source ~/.zshrc if using zsh
nvm install 18
# or nvm install 20

Verify:

node --version
npm --version

✅ Step 3: Install Rust (3 minutes)

curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh

When asked, press Enter for default option (1).

Then load Rust in current session:

source "$HOME/.cargo/env"

Verify:

rustc --version
cargo --version

✅ Step 4: Install Required Libraries (2 minutes)

These are needed for Tauri to work on Linux:

sudo apt install -y \
  libgtk-3-dev \
  libssl-dev \
  libayatana-appindicator3-dev \
  libwebkit2gtk-4.0-dev \
  libappindicator3-1 \
  webkit2gtk-driver \
  librsvg2-dev \
  patchelf

✅ Step 5: Install Git (1 minute)

sudo apt install -y git

✅ Step 6: Clone Repository (2 minutes)

Choose a location:

# Option A: Projects folder (recommended)
cd ~
mkdir -p Projects
cd Projects

# Option B: Desktop
cd ~/Desktop

# Option C: Documents
cd ~/Documents

Then clone:

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/ncode.git
cd ncode

✅ Step 7: Install Dependencies (5-10 minutes)

npm install

✅ Step 8: Install Tauri CLI (2-3 minutes)

cargo install tauri-cli

✅ Step 9: Run NCode!

npm run tauri dev

First time: Takes 3-5 minutes to compile
Later times: 20-30 seconds

🎉 You're done! NCode window should open!

Fedora / RHEL / CentOS Installation

Complete Installation (10-15 minutes)

✅ Step 1: Update System Packages (2 minutes)

sudo dnf update -y

✅ Step 2: Install Node.js (2 minutes)

curl -fsSL https://rpm.nodesource.com/setup_18.x | sudo bash -
sudo dnf install -y nodejs

Or for Node 20:

curl -fsSL https://rpm.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | sudo bash -
sudo dnf install -y nodejs

Verify:

node --version
npm --version

✅ Step 3: Install Rust (3 minutes)

curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh
source "$HOME/.cargo/env"

Verify:

rustc --version
cargo --version

✅ Step 4: Install Required Libraries (2 minutes)

sudo dnf install -y \
  gtk3-devel \
  openssl-devel \
  libayatana-appindicator-devel \
  webkit2gtk3-devel \
  libappindicator-gtk3 \
  librsvg2-devel \
  patchelf

✅ Step 5: Install Git (1 minute)

sudo dnf install -y git

✅ Step 6-9: Clone, Install Dependencies, Run

Same as Ubuntu steps 6-9:

cd ~
mkdir -p Projects
cd Projects
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/ncode.git
cd ncode
npm install
cargo install tauri-cli
npm run tauri dev

🎉 Done! NCode is running!

Arch Linux Installation

Complete Installation (10-15 minutes)

✅ Step 1: Update System (1 minute)

sudo pacman -Syu

✅ Step 2: Install Node.js (2 minutes)

sudo pacman -S nodejs npm

Verify:

node --version
npm --version

✅ Step 3: Install Rust (3 minutes)

curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh
source "$HOME/.cargo/env"

Verify:

rustc --version
cargo --version

✅ Step 4: Install Required Libraries (2 minutes)

sudo pacman -S \
  gtk3 \
  openssl \
  webkit2gtk \
  libappindicator-gtk3 \
  librsvg \
  patchelf

✅ Step 5: Install Git (1 minute)

sudo pacman -S git

✅ Step 6-9: Clone, Install, Run

cd ~
mkdir -p Projects
cd Projects
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/ncode.git
cd ncode
npm install
cargo install tauri-cli
npm run tauri dev

🎉 Done!

Setting Up AI on Linux

Option A: Local AI with Ollama (FREE)

Runs AI models on your Linux machine. Best for privacy, no costs.

Install Ollama

curl -fsSL https://ollama.ai/install.sh | sh

Or using package manager:

Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt install -y ollama

Fedora:

sudo dnf install -y ollama

Arch:

sudo pacman -S ollama

Start Ollama Service

# Start manually:
ollama serve

# Or enable as a service:
sudo systemctl enable ollama
sudo systemctl start ollama

Download an AI Model

Choose one (opens in Terminal):

# Lightweight and fast (1GB) - GOOD FOR BEGINNERS
ollama pull deepseek-coder:1.3b

# Better quality (4GB)
ollama pull codellama:7b-code-q4_0

# Even better (13GB)
ollama pull codellama:13b-code-q4_0

# Very lightweight (387MB)
ollama pull phi:2.7b

Configure in NCode

In NCode, press: Ctrl+, (comma)
Click "AI / LLM" tab
Select "Ollama (Local)"
Click "Fetch"
Select your model
Start chatting!

Option B: Cloud AI (OpenAI, Anthropic, Groq)

Uses cloud services. Costs money, often better quality.

Get an API Key

OpenAI:

Go to https://platform.openai.com/api-keys
Create new key
Copy it (starts with sk-)

Anthropic (Claude):

Go to https://console.anthropic.com/
Get API key
Copy it

Groq (Fast, partly free):

Go to https://console.groq.com/
Sign up
Get API key
Copy it

Configure in NCode

Open Settings (Ctrl+,)
Click "AI / LLM" tab
Select "API Key (Cloud)"
Pick your provider
Paste your API key
Enter model name (e.g., gpt-4o, claude-3-sonnet)
Click "Add Key"
Select it
Start chatting!

First Things to Try

Open a Project
- In NCode, File → Open Folder
- Select a folder with code
- Files appear on left
Quick Open Files
- Press Ctrl+P
- Type filename
- Press Enter
Use Terminal in NCode
- Press Ctrl+` (backtick)
- Terminal appears at bottom
- Run Linux commands!
Search Code
- Press Ctrl+H
- Search in all files
- Super fast!
Chat with AI
- Click AI button (top right)
- Ask programming questions
- Get instant help!

Essential Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	What it does
Ctrl+P	Quick open files (fastest!)
Ctrl+H	Find & replace
Ctrl+F	Find in file
Ctrl+T	Jump to symbol/function
Ctrl+/	Comment/uncomment
Ctrl+S	Save file
Ctrl+Z	Undo
Ctrl+Y	Redo
Ctrl+X	Cut line
Ctrl+C	Copy
Ctrl+V	Paste
Ctrl+,	Open Settings
Ctrl+J	Toggle Terminal
Ctrl+B	Toggle File Explorer
Ctrl+Shift+X	Extensions
Ctrl+`	Focus Terminal
Ctrl+K Ctrl+C	Line comment
Ctrl+K Ctrl+U	Uncomment

Building for Distribution

Share NCode with others:

npm run tauri build

Creates:

AppImage - Single file, runs anywhere
deb file - For Debian/Ubuntu users
rpm file - For Fedora/RHEL users

Find them in: target/release/

Share the AppImage - works on almost any Linux!

Troubleshooting

"npm: command not found"

Solution:

# Close and reopen Terminal
# If still doesn't work:
source ~/.bashrc
# or if using zsh:
source ~/.zshrc

"cargo: command not found"

Solution:

source "$HOME/.cargo/env"
# Then try cargo command again

"Cannot find GTK-3"

Solution:

For Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt install libgtk-3-dev

For Fedora:

sudo dnf install gtk3-devel

For Arch:

sudo pacman -S gtk3

Build takes too long (first time normal!)

First build: 5-10 minutes (normal!)
Later builds: 20-30 seconds

Use npm run tauri dev for development, not tauri build

Ollama is not responding

Check if it's running:

curl http://localhost:11434/api/tags

Should return JSON with your models.

If not running, start it:

ollama serve

Can't use GUI apps

Make sure you have display:

echo $DISPLAY
# Should show something like :0 or :1

If empty, you might be in a terminal-only environment.

Import/Library Errors During Build

Some packages need extra tools:

# Ubuntu/Debian:
sudo apt install build-essential

# Fedora:
sudo dnf groupinstall "Development Tools"

# Arch:
sudo pacman -S base-devel

Advanced Configuration

Use Custom Node Version with nvm

# Install nvm
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.0/install.sh | bash

# Reload shell
source ~/.bashrc

# Install Node versions you want
nvm install 18
nvm install 20

# Switch versions:
nvm use 18   # Use Node 18
nvm use 20   # Use Node 20

Faster Builds

# Add to ~/.profile or ~/.bashrc:
export CARGO_BUILD_JOBS=$(nproc)

# Or set Node to use more cores:
npm config set package-lock false

Run as Systemd Service (Advanced)

Create /etc/systemd/system/ncode.service:

[Unit]
Description=NCode Editor
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=yourusername
WorkingDirectory=/home/yourusername/Projects/ncode
ExecStart=/usr/bin/npm run tauri dev
Restart=on-failure

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Then:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable ncode
sudo systemctl start ncode

Tips for Linux Users

✅ Do this:

Keep terminal open while running npm run tauri dev
Learn keyboard shortcuts (Ctrl+P is your friend!)
Make sure Ollama is running before using AI
Check uname -a if you're unsure what distro
Use sudo apt/dnf/pacman for system-level installs

❌ Don't do this:

Close terminal while NCode is running
Edit huge files (>100MB) without SSD
Try to run GUI apps in SSH (no display)
Blame the distro if a command doesn't exist
Use sudo for npm installs (causes permission issues)

Getting Help

If you get stuck:

Check this guide - Most issues are here
Read README.md - Full documentation
Check QUICK_START.md - Beginner guide
Open GitHub Issue - Report bugs
Open GitHub Discussion - Ask questions
Stack Overflow - Search Tauri/Rust errors
Arch Wiki - Excellent Linux reference
Your distro's forum - Community help

You're Ready! 🎉

You now have NCode installed and running on Linux!

Next steps:

Open a project folder
Try Ctrl+P to open files
Set up AI in Settings
Start coding with AI assistance!

Welcome to NCode on Linux!

Distribution-Specific Commands Quick Reference

Task	Ubuntu/Debian	Fedora/RHEL	Arch
Update	`apt update && apt upgrade`	`dnf update`	`pacman -Syu`
Install Package	`apt install -y <pkg>`	`dnf install -y <pkg>`	`pacman -S <pkg>`
Search Package	`apt search <pkg>`	`dnf search <pkg>`	`pacman -Ss <pkg>`
Remove Package	`apt remove <pkg>`	`dnf remove <pkg>`	`pacman -R <pkg>`
Clean Cache	`apt clean`	`dnf clean all`	`pacman -Sc`

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Linux Installation Guide for NCode

Linux Distributions Covered

Prerequisites for All Linux Users

Ubuntu / Debian Installation

Complete Installation (10-15 minutes)

✅ Step 1: Update System Packages (2 minutes)

✅ Step 2: Install Node.js (2 minutes)

✅ Step 3: Install Rust (3 minutes)

✅ Step 4: Install Required Libraries (2 minutes)

✅ Step 5: Install Git (1 minute)

✅ Step 6: Clone Repository (2 minutes)

✅ Step 7: Install Dependencies (5-10 minutes)

✅ Step 8: Install Tauri CLI (2-3 minutes)

✅ Step 9: Run NCode!

Fedora / RHEL / CentOS Installation

Complete Installation (10-15 minutes)

✅ Step 1: Update System Packages (2 minutes)

✅ Step 2: Install Node.js (2 minutes)

✅ Step 3: Install Rust (3 minutes)

✅ Step 4: Install Required Libraries (2 minutes)

✅ Step 5: Install Git (1 minute)

✅ Step 6-9: Clone, Install Dependencies, Run

Arch Linux Installation

Complete Installation (10-15 minutes)

✅ Step 1: Update System (1 minute)

✅ Step 2: Install Node.js (2 minutes)

✅ Step 3: Install Rust (3 minutes)

✅ Step 4: Install Required Libraries (2 minutes)

✅ Step 5: Install Git (1 minute)

✅ Step 6-9: Clone, Install, Run

Setting Up AI on Linux

Option A: Local AI with Ollama (FREE)

Install Ollama

Start Ollama Service

Download an AI Model

Configure in NCode

Option B: Cloud AI (OpenAI, Anthropic, Groq)

Get an API Key

Configure in NCode

First Things to Try

Essential Keyboard Shortcuts

Building for Distribution

Troubleshooting

"npm: command not found"

"cargo: command not found"

"Cannot find GTK-3"

Build takes too long (first time normal!)

Ollama is not responding

Can't use GUI apps

Import/Library Errors During Build

Advanced Configuration

Use Custom Node Version with nvm

Faster Builds

Run as Systemd Service (Advanced)

Tips for Linux Users

Getting Help

You're Ready! 🎉

Distribution-Specific Commands Quick Reference