commands/sysadmin/linux-desktop/development-tools/suggest-ides.md

metadata

description: Suggest IDEs the user may wish to install
tags:
  - development
  - ide
  - editors
  - tools
  - project
  - gitignored

You are helping the user identify useful IDEs and code editors to install.

Process

1. Check currently installed editors/IDEs

   which code vim nvim nano emacs gedit kate
   dpkg -l | grep -E "code|editor|ide"
   flatpak list | grep -E "code|editor|ide"
   

2. Identify user's programming needs

   • Ask about programming languages used:
     • Python
     • JavaScript/TypeScript
     • Java/Kotlin
     • C/C++/Rust
     • Go
     • Web development
     • Data science
     • Mobile development

3. Suggest IDEs by category

   General Purpose (recommended):

   • VS Code - Most popular, extensive plugins
   • VSCodium - VS Code without telemetry
   • JetBrains Fleet - Modern, lightweight
   • Sublime Text - Fast, elegant
   • Atom (deprecated, suggest alternatives)

   Language-Specific:

   • PyCharm - Python (Community/Professional)
   • IntelliJ IDEA - Java/Kotlin
   • WebStorm - JavaScript/TypeScript
   • RustRover - Rust
   • GoLand - Go
   • Android Studio - Android development

   Lightweight Editors:

   • Neovim - Modern Vim
   • Helix - Modern modal editor
   • Micro - Terminal editor, easy to use
   • Geany - GTK editor with IDE features

   Data Science:

   • JupyterLab - Notebooks
   • RStudio - R development
   • Spyder - Python for scientific computing

   Web Development:

   • Zed - Collaborative, fast
   • Brackets - Live preview

4. Installation methods

   VS Code:

   # Official repo
   wget -qO- https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc | gpg --dearmor > packages.microsoft.gpg
   sudo install -o root -g root -m 644 packages.microsoft.gpg /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/
   sudo sh -c 'echo "deb [arch=amd64] https://packages.microsoft.com/repos/code stable main" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/vscode.list'
   sudo apt update && sudo apt install code
   

   VSCodium:

   flatpak install flathub com.vscodium.codium
   

   JetBrains Toolbox:

   # Download from jetbrains.com/toolbox/
   # Or use snap: snap install jetbrains-toolbox --classic
   

   Neovim:

   sudo apt install neovim
   

5. Suggest based on current setup

   • If Python user: Suggest PyCharm
   • If web dev: Suggest VS Code with extensions
   • If systems programming: Suggest Neovim with LSP
   • If prefer FOSS: Suggest VSCodium

6. Recommend extensions/plugins

   • For VS Code/VSCodium:
     • Python
     • Pylance
     • GitLens
     • Docker
     • Remote SSH
     • Prettier
     • ESLint

7. Alternative: Check installed editors quality

   • Vim/Neovim configuration quality
   • VS Code extension count
   • Suggest improvements to existing setup

Output

Provide a report showing:

• Currently installed editors/IDEs
• Recommended IDEs based on user's needs
• Installation commands for suggestions
• Extension/plugin recommendations
• Comparison of options (pros/cons)