How to Install PyCharm Python IDE on Debian

Introduction

PyCharm is a popular Python IDE developed by JetBrains. This guide will walk you through the process of installing PyCharm on Debian.

Step 1: Download PyCharm

Go to the JetBrains website and download the PyCharm Community or Professional edition based on your preference.

Step 2: Extract the Tarball

Once the download is complete, navigate to the directory where the tarball was downloaded and extract it:

tar -xzf pycharm-.tar.gz

Step 3: Move PyCharm to the Installation Directory

Move the extracted PyCharm directory to the desired installation location. For example, to move it to /opt:

sudo mv pycharm- /opt/pycharm

Step 4: Create a Desktop Entry

Create a desktop entry for PyCharm:

sudo nano /usr/share/applications/pycharm.desktop

Add the following lines to the file:

[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Type=Application
Name=PyCharm
Icon=/opt/pycharm/bin/pycharm.svg
Exec="/opt/pycharm/bin/pycharm.sh" %f
Comment=The Python IDE
Categories=Development;IDE;
Terminal=false
StartupWMClass=jetbrains-pycharm

Save and close the file.

Step 5: Create a Symlink for Command-Line Use

Create a symlink to the PyCharm executable to make it accessible from the command line:

sudo ln -s /opt/pycharm/bin/pycharm.sh /usr/local/bin/pycharm

Step 6: Launch PyCharm

You can now launch PyCharm by searching for it in your desktop environment's application menu or by running the following command in the terminal:

pycharm

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully installed PyCharm Python IDE on Debian. You can now start using PyCharm for Python development.