# Linux

Ubuntu LTS 12.04 64-bit is the recommended platform.

## Requirements

  * OS with 64-bit or 32-bit architecture
  * C++ toolchain
  * [Git](http://git-scm.com/)
  * [Node.js](http://nodejs.org/download/) v0.10.x
  * [npm](http://www.npmjs.org/) v1.4.x (bundled with Node.js)
    * `npm -v` to check the version.
    * `npm config set python /usr/bin/python2 -g` to ensure that gyp uses python2.
      * You might need to run this command as `sudo`, depending on how you have set up [npm](https://github.com/joyent/node/wiki/Installing-Node.js-via-package-manager#ubuntu-mint-elementary-os).
  * development headers for [GNOME Keyring](https://wiki.gnome.org/Projects/GnomeKeyring)

### Ubuntu / Debian

* `sudo apt-get install build-essential git libgnome-keyring-dev fakeroot`
* Instructions for  [Node.js](https://github.com/joyent/node/wiki/Installing-Node.js-via-package-manager#ubuntu-mint-elementary-os).

### Fedora / CentOS / RHEL

* `sudo yum --assumeyes install make gcc gcc-c++ glibc-devel git-core libgnome-keyring-devel rpmdevtools`
* Instructions for [Node.js](https://github.com/joyent/node/wiki/Installing-Node.js-via-package-manager#fedora).

### Arch

* `sudo pacman -S base-devel git nodejs libgnome-keyring python2`
* `export PYTHON=/usr/bin/python2` before building Atom.

## Instructions

If you have problems with permissions don't forget to prefix with `sudo`

1. Clone the Atom repository:

  ```sh
  git clone https://github.com/atom/atom
  cd atom
  ```

2. Checkout the latest Atom release:

  ```sh
  git fetch
  git checkout $(git describe --tags `git rev-list --tags --max-count=1`)
  ```

3. Build Atom:

  ```sh
  script/build
  ```

  This will create the atom application at `$TMPDIR/atom-build/Atom`.

4. Install the `atom` and `apm` commands to `/usr/local/bin` by executing:

  ```sh
  sudo script/grunt install
  ```

  To use the newly installed Atom, quit and restart all running Atom instances.

5. *Optionally*, you may generate distributable packages of Atom at `$TMPDIR/atom-build`. Currenty, `.deb` and `.rpm` package types are supported. To create a `.deb` package run:

  ```sh
  script/grunt mkdeb
  ```

  To create an `.rpm` package run

  ```sh
  script/grunt mkrpm
  ```

## Advanced Options

### Custom install directory

```sh
sudo script/grunt install --install-dir /install/atom/here
```

### Custom build directory

```sh
script/build --build-dir /build/atom/here
```

## Troubleshooting

### TypeError: Unable to watch path

If you get following error with a big traceback right after Atom starts:

  ```
  TypeError: Unable to watch path
  ```

you have to increase number of watched files by inotify.  For testing if
this is the reason for this error you can issue

  ```sh
  sudo sysctl fs.inotify.max_user_watches=32768
  ```

and restart Atom.  If Atom now works fine, you can make this setting permanent:

  ```sh
  echo 32768 | sudo tee -a /proc/sys/fs/inotify/max_user_watches
  ```

See also https://github.com/atom/atom/issues/2082.

### /usr/bin/env: node: No such file or directory

If you get this notice when attempting to `script/build`, you either do not
have Node.js installed, or node isn't identified as Node.js on your machine.
If it's the latter, entering `sudo ln -s /usr/bin/nodejs /usr/bin/node` into
your terminal may fix the issue.

### AttributeError: 'module' object has no attribute 'script_main'

If you get following error with a big traceback while building Atom:

  ```
  sys.exit(gyp.script_main()) AttributeError: 'module' object has no attribute 'script_main' gyp ERR!
  ```

you need to uninstall the system version of gyp.

On Fedora you would do the following:

  ```sh
  sudo yum remove gyp
  ```

#### You can also use Alternatives

On some variants (mostly Debian based distros) it's preferable for you to use
Alternatives so that changes to the binary paths can be fixed or altered easily:

```sh
sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/node node /usr/bin/nodejs 1 --slave /usr/bin/js js /usr/bin/nodejs
```

### Linux build error reports in atom/atom
* Use [this search](https://github.com/atom/atom/search?q=label%3Abuild-error+label%3Alinux&type=Issues)
  to get a list of reports about build errors on Linux.