atom/docs/build-instructions/linux.md

Linux

Ubuntu LTS 12.04 64-bit is the recommended platform.

Requirements

• OS with 64-bit or 32-bit architecture
• C++ toolchain
• git
• node.js v0.10.x
• npm 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.
• libgnome-keyring-dev

Ubuntu / Debian

• sudo apt-get install build-essential git libgnome-keyring-dev
• Instructions for node.js.

Fedora

• sudo yum --assumeyes install make gcc gcc-c++ glibc-devel git-core libgnome-keyring-devel
• Instructions for node.js.

Arch

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

Instructions

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

git clone https://github.com/atom/atom
cd atom
script/build # Creates application at $TMPDIR/atom-build/Atom
sudo script/grunt install # Installs command to /usr/local/bin/atom
script/grunt mkdeb # Generates a .deb package at $TMPDIR/atom-build, e.g. /tmp/atom-build

To run atom and apm from a terminal open atom's command palette ctrl+shift+p and run Window: Install Shell Commands

Troubleshooting

Exception: "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

sudo sysctl fs.inotify.max_user_watches=32768

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

echo 32768 > /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 nodejs installed, or node isn't identified as nodejs 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.

Linux build error reports in atom/atom

• Use this search to get a list of reports about build errors on Linux.