Installing Cursor from an AppImage (on Ubuntu)

Description

This article explains how to download and configure the cursor.AppImage on your Debian based system.

Installation

Setup Instructions for Ubuntu

0. Download the latest AppImage:

• Go to https://www.cursor.com/changelog
  • Click the Download button at the top-right of the page.
  • This will get you a file that looks like this: cursor-0.44.9-build-2412268nc6pfzgo-x86_64.AppImage
  • For the purposes of the following instructions, we have renamed the file to cursor.AppImage

1. Extract the AppImage:

   ./cursor.AppImage --appimage-extract

   This creates a directory named squashfs-root (or similar).

2. Fix permissions:

   sudo chown root:root squashfs-root/chrome-sandbox
   sudo chmod 4755 squashfs-root/chrome-sandbox

3. Run from the extracted folder to ensure it launches properly:

   ./squashfs-root/AppRun

4. Move the Extracted Folder to a Permanent Location

By default, the folder is named squashfs-root. Rename it and place it in /opt/ (a common location for third-party apps).

sudo mv squashfs-root /opt/cursor

5. Make It Launchable by Typing cursor in the Terminal

Create a symbolic link in /usr/local/bin/ pointing to the AppRun file. This way, when you type cursor, the system will launch the application.

sudo ln -s /opt/cursor/AppRun /usr/local/bin/cursor

Now, if you open a new terminal (or re-source your shell), you should be able to type:

cursor

and it will launch the app.

6. Create a Desktop Entry (so it appears in the Applications menu)

Create a .desktop file in your local applications directory:

nano ~/.local/share/applications/cursor.desktop

Paste the following (modify Name/Icon if desired):

[Desktop Entry]
Name=Cursor
Exec=/opt/cursor/AppRun
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Icon=/opt/cursor/cursor.png
StartupWMClass=Cursor
X-AppImage-Version=2412268nc6pfzgo
Comment=Cursor is an AI-first coding environment.
MimeType=x-scheme-handler/cursor;
Categories=Utility;

Save (Ctrl+O, Enter), then exit (Ctrl+X).

Make the .desktop file executable (this step is sometimes optional, but it’s good practice):

chmod +x ~/.local/share/applications/cursor.desktop

Within a few moments, you should see “Cursor” appear in the Ubuntu/GNOME application launcher or “Show Applications” overview.

(Optional) Validate the Desktop File

You can run:

desktop-file-validate ~/.local/share/applications/cursor.desktop

to ensure there are no syntax errors.

If you do not see the new entry right away:

• Log out and log back in, or

• Run:

  update-desktop-database ~/.local/share/applications/

  on some systems to refresh the menu.

• Launch from Terminal: Just type cursor

• Launch from Applications menu: Look for “Cursor” (or whatever Name= you set in the .desktop file)