Cursor AI Editor

Cursor is an AI-powered code editor built on the VS Code architecture. It comes with a built-in AI assistant, intelligent code completion, conversational programming capabilities, and advanced code refactoring tools. If you are already familiar with VS Code, you will feel right at home with Cursor.

Prerequisites

• Architecture: 64-bit x86_64 or ARM64 processor
• RAM: 4 GB minimum (8 GB or more recommended)
• Desktop environment: GNOME, KDE Plasma, Xfce, or any other graphical desktop
• Display: 1024x768 resolution or higher

Installation

Method 1: .deb Package (Recommended)

The .deb package is the cleanest way to install Cursor on Debian. It integrates with the system package manager and places menu entries automatically.

1. Visit https://www.cursor.com/downloads and download the .deb package for Linux.

2. Install the package:

# Install the downloaded .deb package
sudo dpkg -i cursor_*.deb

# Fix any missing dependencies
sudo apt install -f

Method 2: AppImage

AppImage files are portable and do not require installation. This method is useful if you want to test Cursor without modifying your system.

1. Visit https://www.cursor.com/downloads and download the AppImage for Linux.

2. Make it executable and run:

# Make the AppImage executable
chmod +x Cursor-*.AppImage

# Run Cursor
./Cursor-*.AppImage

3. (Optional) Create a desktop shortcut so Cursor appears in your application menu:

# Create the applications directory if it does not exist
mkdir -p ~/.local/share/applications

# Create a desktop entry file
cat > ~/.local/share/applications/cursor.desktop << 'EOF'
[Desktop Entry]
Name=Cursor
Comment=AI-powered code editor
Exec=/home/your-username/Applications/Cursor.AppImage
Icon=cursor
Type=Application
Categories=Development;IDE;TextEditor;
StartupWMClass=Cursor
EOF

TIP

Replace /home/your-username/Applications/Cursor.AppImage with the actual path where you placed the AppImage file.

WARNING

AppImage requires libfuse2 on Debian. If Cursor fails to launch, install it first:

sudo apt install libfuse2

Basic Configuration

Account Login

When you first launch Cursor, you will be prompted to sign in or create an account. A free tier is available with limited AI usage, while paid plans unlock full functionality.

AI Model Selection

Cursor supports multiple AI models. You can select your preferred model in the settings:

1. Open Settings with Ctrl + ,
2. Search for "AI model" or navigate to the AI section
3. Choose from available models (GPT-4, Claude, etc.)

Essential Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl + K	Open the AI code editing prompt -- type a natural language instruction to modify selected code
Ctrl + L	Open the AI chat panel for conversational interactions
Ctrl + I	Open Composer for multi-file AI-assisted editing
Ctrl + Shift + P	Open the command palette
Ctrl + P	Quick file open
Ctrl + ``	Toggle the integrated terminal

Migrating from VS Code

Cursor is built on VS Code, so migration is straightforward.

Import Extensions

On first launch, Cursor will offer to import your VS Code extensions and settings automatically. You can also do this manually:

1. Open the Command Palette (Ctrl + Shift + P)
2. Type "Import" and select the VS Code import option
3. Follow the prompts to transfer extensions, settings, and keybindings

Manual Settings Migration

If automatic import is not available, you can copy your VS Code configuration files manually:

# Copy VS Code settings to Cursor
cp -r ~/.config/Code/User/settings.json ~/.config/Cursor/User/
cp -r ~/.config/Code/User/keybindings.json ~/.config/Cursor/User/

# Copy extensions
cp -r ~/.vscode/extensions ~/.cursor/extensions

TIP

After migrating extensions, restart Cursor to ensure all extensions load correctly.

Updating Cursor

.deb Package

When a new version is available, download the latest .deb file from the Cursor website and install it over the existing version:

# Download the latest .deb and install
sudo dpkg -i cursor_*.deb
sudo apt install -f

AppImage

Simply download the new AppImage file and replace the old one:

# Remove the old version
rm ~/Applications/Cursor-old.AppImage

# Make the new version executable
chmod +x Cursor-*.AppImage

Troubleshooting

Black or blank screen on launch

This is typically caused by GPU acceleration issues. Try launching Cursor with GPU acceleration disabled:

# Launch with GPU acceleration disabled
./Cursor-*.AppImage --disable-gpu

If this resolves the issue, you can make the flag permanent by editing your desktop shortcut or alias.

Input method (IBus/Fcitx) not working

If your input method does not work inside Cursor, set the following environment variables before launching:

# For IBus
export GTK_IM_MODULE=ibus
export XMODIFIERS=@im=ibus
export QT_IM_MODULE=ibus

# For Fcitx
export GTK_IM_MODULE=fcitx
export XMODIFIERS=@im=fcitx
export QT_IM_MODULE=fcitx

You can add these lines to your ~/.bashrc or ~/.profile for persistence.

AppImage fails to launch -- libfuse2 missing

Debian 12 and later do not include libfuse2 by default. Install it:

sudo apt install libfuse2

High memory usage

Cursor, like VS Code, can consume significant memory with many extensions. To reduce memory usage:

# Launch with a lower memory limit
./Cursor-*.AppImage --max-memory=4096

Also consider disabling unused extensions via the Extensions panel (Ctrl + Shift + X).

Related Resources

• AI Tools Overview -- Overview of all AI tools on Debian
• Desktop Environments -- Choosing a desktop for Debian
• Cursor Official Website -- Downloads and documentation