How to Set Up Development Tools with Cinnamon Desktop on Linux Mint

Learn how to set up a comprehensive development environment on Linux Mint with the Cinnamon desktop environment.
by İbrahim Korucuoğlu ( @siberoloji) |
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  7 minute read  

Linux Mint with the Cinnamon desktop environment has become one of the most popular Linux distributions for both casual users and developers. Its combination of user-friendliness and powerful capabilities makes it an excellent platform for software development. This guide will walk you through setting up a comprehensive development environment on Linux Mint Cinnamon, covering everything from basic tools to language-specific setups and productivity enhancements.

Getting Started: System Preparation

Before diving into specific development tools, it’s important to ensure your Linux Mint system is properly prepared.

Updating Your System

Always start with a fully updated system:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

This ensures you have the latest security patches and package versions before installing development tools.

Installing Essential Build Tools

Linux Mint doesn’t come with all development libraries and compilers by default. Install the build-essential package to get the basics:

sudo apt install build-essential

This package includes the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC), GNU debugger (GDB), and other development libraries and tools essential for compiling software.

Setting Up Version Control

Git is the industry standard for version control. Install it with:

sudo apt install git

Configure your Git identity:

git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "your.email@example.com"

Consider setting up SSH keys for secure authentication with services like GitHub or GitLab:

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your.email@example.com"

Text Editors and IDEs

Linux Mint offers numerous options for code editing, from lightweight text editors to full-featured integrated development environments.

Lightweight Text Editors

Visual Studio Code

VS Code has become the editor of choice for many developers:

# Add the Microsoft GPG key
wget -qO- https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc | gpg --dearmor > packages.microsoft.gpg
sudo install -D -o root -g root -m 644 packages.microsoft.gpg /etc/apt/keyrings/packages.microsoft.gpg
sudo sh -c 'echo "deb [arch=amd64,arm64,armhf signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/packages.microsoft.gpg] https://packages.microsoft.com/repos/code stable main" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/vscode.list'
rm -f packages.microsoft.gpg

# Install VS Code
sudo apt update
sudo apt install code

VS Code’s extensive marketplace allows you to customize it for virtually any programming language or framework.

Sublime Text

For a faster, lightweight alternative:

wget -qO - https://download.sublimetext.com/sublimehq-pub.gpg | sudo apt-key add -
sudo apt install apt-transport-https
echo "deb https://download.sublimetext.com/ apt/stable/" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/sublime-text.list
sudo apt update
sudo apt install sublime-text

JetBrains Tools

JetBrains offers specialized IDEs for different languages and frameworks:

  • IntelliJ IDEA for Java
  • PyCharm for Python
  • WebStorm for web development
  • PhpStorm for PHP

Install them using the JetBrains Toolbox:

# Download the Toolbox App
wget https://download.jetbrains.com/toolbox/jetbrains-toolbox-1.20.8804.tar.gz
tar -xzf jetbrains-toolbox-1.20.8804.tar.gz
cd jetbrains-toolbox-1.20.8804
./jetbrains-toolbox

Eclipse

For a free, open-source IDE with extensive plugin support:

sudo apt install eclipse

Language-Specific Development Environments

Web Development Setup

Node.js and npm

Install Node.js and npm using Node Version Manager (nvm) for better version control:

# Install NVM
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.1/install.sh | bash

# Activate NVM
export NVM_DIR="$([ -z "${XDG_CONFIG_HOME-}" ] && printf %s "${HOME}/.nvm" || printf %s "${XDG_CONFIG_HOME}/nvm")"
[ -s "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh" ] && \. "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh"

# Install the latest LTS version of Node.js
nvm install --lts

Frontend Development Tools

Install common frontend build tools:

# Install Yarn (alternative to npm)
npm install -g yarn

# Install useful global packages
npm install -g @angular/cli    # Angular CLI
npm install -g create-react-app  # React
npm install -g vue-cli         # Vue.js
npm install -g typescript      # TypeScript
npm install -g sass            # Sass

Python Development

Linux Mint comes with Python pre-installed, but you may want to set up a proper development environment:

# Install Python development tools
sudo apt install python3-dev python3-pip python3-venv

# Install useful Python packages
pip3 install ipython jupyterlab pytest flake8 black mypy

Set up virtual environments for project isolation:

# Create a virtual environment
python3 -m venv ~/projects/myproject/venv

# Activate it
source ~/projects/myproject/venv/bin/activate

Alternatively, install pyenv for managing multiple Python versions:

# Install dependencies
sudo apt install -y make build-essential libssl-dev zlib1g-dev libbz2-dev \
libreadline-dev libsqlite3-dev wget curl llvm libncurses5-dev \
libncursesw5-dev xz-utils tk-dev libffi-dev liblzma-dev python-openssl

# Install pyenv
curl https://pyenv.run | bash

Java Development

Set up Java Development Kit:

# Install OpenJDK
sudo apt install default-jdk

# Or install a specific version
sudo apt install openjdk-11-jdk

Install build tools:

# Maven
sudo apt install maven

# Gradle
sudo apt install gradle

C/C++ Development

Linux Mint’s build-essential package already includes GCC and G++, but you may want additional tools:

# Install Clang (alternative C/C++ compiler)
sudo apt install clang

# Install CMake (build system)
sudo apt install cmake

# Install Valgrind (memory debugger)
sudo apt install valgrind

Database Tools

Set up local database servers for development:

# PostgreSQL
sudo apt install postgresql postgresql-contrib

# MySQL/MariaDB
sudo apt install mariadb-server

# SQLite
sudo apt install sqlite3

Install GUI database management tools:

# DBeaver (universal database tool)
sudo apt install dbeaver-ce

# pgAdmin for PostgreSQL
sudo apt install pgadmin4

Docker and Containerization

Docker allows you to create consistent development environments:

# Install prerequisites
sudo apt install apt-transport-https ca-certificates curl software-properties-common

# Add Docker's official GPG key
curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | sudo apt-key add -

# Set up the stable repository (using Ubuntu focal repository for compatibility)
sudo add-apt-repository "deb [arch=amd64] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu focal stable"

# Install Docker
sudo apt update
sudo apt install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io

# Add your user to the docker group to avoid using sudo with docker commands
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

# Install Docker Compose
sudo apt install docker-compose

Terminal and Shell Enhancements

A productive developer needs a powerful terminal environment:

Terminal Emulators

While Cinnamon comes with a default terminal, consider alternatives:

# Tilix (tiling terminal emulator)
sudo apt install tilix

# Terminator (multiple terminals in one window)
sudo apt install terminator

Shell Enhancements

Upgrade your shell experience:

# Install Zsh
sudo apt install zsh

# Install Oh My Zsh for a better Zsh experience
sh -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh/master/tools/install.sh)"

Terminal Utilities

Install useful command-line tools:

# The Silver Searcher (faster grep alternative)
sudo apt install silversearcher-ag

# Ripgrep (even faster search tool)
sudo apt install ripgrep

# bat (better cat with syntax highlighting)
sudo apt install bat

# fd (simpler, faster find alternative)
sudo apt install fd-find

# fzf (fuzzy finder)
sudo apt install fzf

# tmux (terminal multiplexer)
sudo apt install tmux

API Development and Testing

Set up tools for API development:

# Install Postman
sudo snap install postman

# Install cURL
sudo apt install curl

# Install HTTPie (human-friendly CLI HTTP client)
sudo apt install httpie

Productivity Enhancements for Cinnamon Desktop

Linux Mint’s Cinnamon desktop can be optimized for development:

Workspace Organization

Cinnamon allows you to set up multiple workspaces:

  1. Right-click on the workspace switcher in the panel
  2. Select “Workspace Settings”
  3. Customize the number of workspaces and their behavior

Custom Keyboard Shortcuts

Create shortcuts for development tools:

  1. Open “System Settings” > “Keyboard” > “Shortcuts” > “Custom Shortcuts”
  2. Add shortcuts for common tasks like launching your terminal or IDE

Useful Cinnamon Applets

Enhance your desktop with development-focused applets:

  1. Right-click on the panel and select “Add applets to panel”
  2. Search for and install:
    • CPU Temperature
    • Resources Monitor
    • Weather
    • Workspace Grid

Project Organization

Set up a consistent project structure:

# Create a projects directory
mkdir -p ~/Projects

# Create directories for different types of projects
mkdir -p ~/Projects/{personal,work,learning,opensource}

Consider using a project management tool:

# Install a local Jira alternative
sudo snap install planner

Backup and Synchronization

Protect your development work:

# Install Timeshift for system backups
sudo apt install timeshift

# Install Syncthing for file synchronization
sudo apt install syncthing

Customizing Your Development Environment

GTK Themes

Install development-friendly themes for reduced eye strain:

# Install a dark theme optimized for long coding sessions
sudo apt install arc-theme

# Apply it via "System Settings" > "Themes"

Font Configuration

Install programming fonts with ligatures:

# Install JetBrains Mono
wget https://download.jetbrains.com/fonts/JetBrainsMono-2.242.zip
unzip JetBrainsMono-2.242.zip -d ~/.fonts
fc-cache -f -v

Configure your editors to use these fonts for a better coding experience.

Conclusion

Linux Mint with Cinnamon Desktop provides an excellent foundation for a productive development environment. By following this guide, you’ve set up a comprehensive toolkit spanning multiple programming languages and development paradigms.

Remember that the best development environment is one tailored to your specific needs. Feel free to mix and match tools based on your projects and preferences. The beauty of Linux Mint is its flexibility—you can easily add, remove, or replace any component of your development environment as your needs evolve.

With regular system updates and occasional tool upgrades, your Linux Mint development environment will continue to serve you well for years to come, providing a stable, powerful platform for all your coding projects.


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