How to setup Void IDE in Linux

#ubuntu #voidide #vscode

What Is Void IDE?

Void IDE is an open-source alternative to Cursor, licensed under Apache 2.0 and hosted on GitHub. It was born as a fork of the VS Code codebase, retaining full extension and theme compatibility so you can migrate seamlessly. Void ships with Agent Mode (full read/write file operations), Gather Mode (read-only code exploration), and standard AI-powered completions—all locally controlled.

Prerequisites

Before installing Void IDE, make sure you have the following:

Ubuntu 18.04+ (Desktop or Server).
A user with sudo privileges.
200 MB of free disk space for the IDE itself.
Ollama installed and running locally for LLM hosting:

Install via Homebrew:
```
 brew install ollama
```

Or via the official Linux script:

 curl https://ollama.com/install.sh | sh

Verify and pull a model (e.g., llama2):

 ollama pull llama2
 ollama run llama2 --prompt "Hello"

Ensure the Ollama daemon is running:
```
 ollama daemon start
```

Quick Install on Ubuntu

Download the latest Linux .deb from GitHub Releases (e.g. void_1.99.30034_amd64.deb).

Download Link: https://github.com/voideditor/binaries/releases

Install with APT to auto-resolve dependencies:

   cd ~/Downloads
   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install ./void_1.99.30034_amd64.deb

Void vs. Cursor AI: Pros & Cons

	Void IDE	Cursor AI
Source & Privacy	Fully open source under Apache 2.0—audit the code, self-host your models, and keep all data in your infrastructure.	Proprietary; code and prompts typically go through Cursor’s managed service unless you opt—and pay—for enterprise hosting.
Model Flexibility	Connect any LLM—open-source or commercial—without vendor lock-in.	Provides a curated frontier-model backend with SLA guarantees but limited ability to swap in your own LLMs.
Cost	Free to use, no subscription or usage fees.	Subscription-based; costs scale with usage and seats, potentially expensive for heavy users.
Ecosystem	Leverages the vast VS Code extension marketplace, but smaller community around AI-specific plugins.	Rich, first-party integrations (Composer, diff viewers, built-in agents) with deeper AI features out of the box.
Stability & Polish	Early-stage UX; occasional rough edges and less extensive documentation.	Mature, polished UI and streamlined onboarding optimized for rapid productivity.
Community	Community-driven roadmaps; rapid iteration on GitHub with weekly contributor meetups.	Backed by Anysphere with deep pockets (recent \$9 bn valuation); robust support but less direct community control.