How do I setup auto update for Cursor on Linux (Ubuntu)?

[evgenyneu]

I downloaded the cursor*.AppImage file and run it to open the editor. Will it auto-update? If not, how do I set it up?

[deanrie]

Hi @evgenyneu

Here’s some information on how to enable updates in Linux.

Install Cursor AI as an Application on a Linux System | by Zoheb Abai - Freedium

[pesho-ivanov]

Seems that cursor does not prioritize linux users so all updates are delayed, missing, and not integrated with the OS. This led me to windsurf which is also a vscode fork but native for linux.

Check out a thread about this issue: Please improve Linux support

[charlesk]

Well these instructions did not work. Appreciate the effort though. It is shameful that the Cursor team cannot develop a proper install/update process for Cursor in Linux.

[Muhammad_Sadiq]

It works but needed a small tweak in the update-cursor.sh script, the url used in the tutorial doesn’t work anymore so replaced it with the new url and the new url doesn’t directly give you the AppImage, it returns a JSON with the actual download URL inside it. So I had to update the script to first fetch that URL using. Also, make sure both are installed (sudo apt install curl jq if needed).

#!/bin/bash

APPDIR=~/Applications/cursor
APPIMAGE_URL_API="https://www.cursor.com/api/download?platform=linux-x64&releaseTrack=stable"

# Create the app directory if it doesn't exist
mkdir -p "$APPDIR"

# Fetch the actual AppImage URL from the API
echo "Fetching latest Cursor AppImage URL..."
DOWNLOAD_URL=$(curl -s "$APPIMAGE_URL_API" | jq -r '.downloadUrl')

# Check if we got a valid URL
if [[ -z "$DOWNLOAD_URL" || "$DOWNLOAD_URL" == "null" ]]; then
  echo "Error: Failed to retrieve download URL from Cursor API."
  exit 1
fi

# Download and make it executable
echo "Downloading Cursor AppImage from $DOWNLOAD_URL..."
wget -O "$APPDIR/cursor.AppImage" "$DOWNLOAD_URL"
chmod +x "$APPDIR/cursor.AppImage"

echo "Cursor AppImage installed at $APPDIR/cursor.AppImage"

[Vanman]

This is great - I made some adjustments to follow the redirect from cursor as well as check the version instead of downloading the newest image every time regardless of updates, if any interest.

#!/bin/bash

APPDIR=~/Applications/cursor
APPIMAGE_URL_API="https://www.cursor.com/api/download?platform=linux-x64&releaseTrack=stable"
VERSION_FILE="$APPDIR/current_version.txt"

# Create the app directory if it doesn't exist
mkdir -p "$APPDIR"

echo "Checking for Cursor updates..."

# Fetch the latest release info from the API
API_RESPONSE=$(curl -sL --connect-timeout 30 --max-time 60 "$APPIMAGE_URL_API")

if [ $? -ne 0 ] || [ -z "$API_RESPONSE" ]; then
    echo "Error: Failed to connect to Cursor API."
    exit 1
fi

# Extract download URL and version info
DOWNLOAD_URL=$(echo "$API_RESPONSE" | jq -r '.downloadUrl' 2>/dev/null)
LATEST_VERSION=$(echo "$API_RESPONSE" | jq -r '.version // .tag_name // "unknown"' 2>/dev/null)

if [[ -z "$DOWNLOAD_URL" || "$DOWNLOAD_URL" == "null" ]]; then
    echo "Error: Failed to retrieve download URL from Cursor API."
    exit 1
fi

# If we can't get version info from API, use URL as version identifier
if [[ -z "$LATEST_VERSION" || "$LATEST_VERSION" == "null" || "$LATEST_VERSION" == "unknown" ]]; then
    LATEST_VERSION=$(echo "$DOWNLOAD_URL" | grep -o '/[^/]*\.AppImage' | sed 's|/||' | sed 's|\.AppImage||')
fi

echo "Latest version: $LATEST_VERSION"

# Check current version
CURRENT_VERSION=""
if [ -f "$VERSION_FILE" ]; then
    CURRENT_VERSION=$(cat "$VERSION_FILE")
    echo "Current version: $CURRENT_VERSION"
fi

# Check if we need to update
if [ "$CURRENT_VERSION" = "$LATEST_VERSION" ] && [ -f "$APPDIR/cursor.AppImage" ]; then
    echo "Cursor is already up to date (version: $CURRENT_VERSION)"
    exit 0
fi

echo "New version available! Updating from '$CURRENT_VERSION' to '$LATEST_VERSION'"

# Download the new version
echo "Downloading Cursor AppImage from $DOWNLOAD_URL..."

if curl -L --fail --progress-bar -o "$APPDIR/cursor.AppImage.tmp" "$DOWNLOAD_URL"; then
    if [ -s "$APPDIR/cursor.AppImage.tmp" ]; then
        # Backup old version if it exists
        if [ -f "$APPDIR/cursor.AppImage" ]; then
            mv "$APPDIR/cursor.AppImage" "$APPDIR/cursor.AppImage.backup"
        fi
        
        # Install new version
        mv "$APPDIR/cursor.AppImage.tmp" "$APPDIR/cursor.AppImage"
        chmod +x "$APPDIR/cursor.AppImage"
        
        # Save version info
        echo "$LATEST_VERSION" > "$VERSION_FILE"
        
        echo "✅ Cursor successfully updated to version $LATEST_VERSION"
        echo "File size: $(ls -lh "$APPDIR/cursor.AppImage" | awk '{print $5}')"
        
        # Clean up backup after successful update
        rm -f "$APPDIR/cursor.AppImage.backup"
    else
        echo "Error: Downloaded file is empty"
        rm -f "$APPDIR/cursor.AppImage.tmp"
        exit 1
    fi
else
    echo "Error: Failed to download Cursor AppImage"
    rm -f "$APPDIR/cursor.AppImage.tmp"
    exit 1
fi

[emilsharkoff]

Updated install-cursor.sh

#!/bin/bash
set -euo pipefail

# --- Config ---
API_URL="https://cursor.com/api/download?platform=linux-x64&releaseTrack=stable"
ICON_URL="https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/126759922"
INSTALL_DIR="$HOME/Applications/cursor"
CURSOR_APP_IMAGE="$INSTALL_DIR/cursor.AppImage"
CURSOR_ICON="$INSTALL_DIR/cursor-icon.png"
DESKTOP_FILE="$HOME/.local/share/applications/cursor.desktop"
WRAPPER_SYS="/usr/local/bin/cursor"
WRAPPER_USER="$HOME/.local/bin/cursor"

# --- Helpers ---
need_cmd() {
  command -v "$1" >/dev/null 2>&1 || { echo "Missing dependency: $1" >&2; exit 1; }
}

# --- Checks ---
need_cmd curl
need_cmd jq
need_cmd wget

# --- Fetch latest download URL ---
echo "Fetching latest Cursor release info..."
json=$(curl -fsSL "$API_URL")
download_url=$(echo "$json" | jq -r '.downloadUrl')

if [[ -z "$download_url" || "$download_url" == "null" ]]; then
  echo "Failed to retrieve downloadUrl from API: $API_URL" >&2
  exit 1
fi

# --- Prepare directories ---
mkdir -p "$INSTALL_DIR"

# --- Download AppImage ---
echo "Downloading Cursor AppImage from:"
echo "  $download_url"
# show a progress bar; follow redirects if any
wget --progress=bar:force:noscroll -O "$CURSOR_APP_IMAGE" "$download_url"
chmod +x "$CURSOR_APP_IMAGE"
echo "✔ AppImage saved to $CURSOR_APP_IMAGE"

# --- Create launcher wrapper that adds --no-sandbox ---
create_wrapper() {
  local path="$1"
  mkdir -p "$(dirname "$path")"
  cat > "$path" <<'EOF'
#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -euo pipefail
APPIMAGE_PATH="__APPIMAGE_PATH__"
exec "$APPIMAGE_PATH" --no-sandbox "$@"
EOF
  # Inject the real AppImage path safely
  sed -i "s#__APPIMAGE_PATH__#$(printf '%q' "$CURSOR_APP_IMAGE")#g" "$path"
  chmod +x "$path"
}

EXEC_PATH=""
if sudo -n true 2>/dev/null; then
  echo "Creating system-wide wrapper at $WRAPPER_SYS (using sudo)..."
  tmpfile="$(mktemp)"
  create_wrapper "$tmpfile"
  sudo mv "$tmpfile" "$WRAPPER_SYS"
  EXEC_PATH="$WRAPPER_SYS"
else
  echo "No passwordless sudo detected. Attempting sudo for system-wide wrapper..."
  if sudo true; then
    echo "Creating system-wide wrapper at $WRAPPER_SYS..."
    tmpfile="$(mktemp)"
    create_wrapper "$tmpfile"
    sudo mv "$tmpfile" "$WRAPPER_SYS"
    EXEC_PATH="$WRAPPER_SYS"
  else
    echo "Falling back to user wrapper at $WRAPPER_USER"
    create_wrapper "$WRAPPER_USER"
    EXEC_PATH="$WRAPPER_USER"
  fi
fi
echo "✔ Wrapper created at $EXEC_PATH (adds --no-sandbox)"

# --- Download icon (best-effort) ---
echo "Fetching icon..."
wget -q -O "$CURSOR_ICON" "$ICON_URL" || echo "Icon download failed; continuing."

# --- Create .desktop entry ---
mkdir -p "$(dirname "$DESKTOP_FILE")"
cat > "$DESKTOP_FILE" <<EOF
[Desktop Entry]
Name=Cursor
Exec=$EXEC_PATH %U
TryExec=$EXEC_PATH
Icon=$CURSOR_ICON
Type=Application
Categories=Utility;Development;
Terminal=false
StartupNotify=true
EOF
echo "✔ Desktop entry created at $DESKTOP_FILE"

# --- Refresh desktop database / menus (best-effort) ---
if command -v update-desktop-database >/dev/null 2>&1; then
  update-desktop-database "$HOME/.local/share/applications" || true
fi
if command -v xdg-desktop-menu >/dev/null 2>&1; then
  xdg-desktop-menu forceupdate || true
fi

echo
echo "✅ Cursor installed."
echo "   AppImage: $CURSOR_APP_IMAGE"
echo "   Launcher: $EXEC_PATH (always runs with --no-sandbox)"
echo "   Menu entry: $DESKTOP_FILE"
echo
echo "You should now find 'Cursor' in your applications menu."
echo "Or run: $(printf '%q' "$EXEC_PATH")"

Updated update-cursor.sh

#!/bin/bash
set -euo pipefail

API_URL="https://cursor.com/api/download?platform=linux-x64&releaseTrack=stable"
INSTALL_DIR="$HOME/Applications/cursor"
CURSOR_APP_IMAGE="$INSTALL_DIR/cursor.AppImage"

# Check dependencies
for cmd in curl jq wget; do
  command -v "$cmd" >/dev/null 2>&1 || {
    echo "Missing required command: $cmd" >&2
    exit 1
  }
done

# Fetch latest release info
echo "Checking for updates..."
json=$(curl -fsSL "$API_URL")
download_url=$(echo "$json" | jq -r '.downloadUrl')
version=$(echo "$json" | jq -r '.version')

if [[ -z "$download_url" || "$download_url" == "null" ]]; then
  echo "Failed to retrieve download URL from $API_URL" >&2
  exit 1
fi

echo "Latest Cursor version: $version"
echo "Downloading from: $download_url"

# Ensure install dir exists
mkdir -p "$INSTALL_DIR"

# Download to a temp file first
tmpfile=$(mktemp)
wget --progress=bar:force:noscroll -O "$tmpfile" "$download_url"

# Replace old AppImage
mv "$tmpfile" "$CURSOR_APP_IMAGE"
chmod +x "$CURSOR_APP_IMAGE"

echo "✔ Cursor updated to version $version"
echo "Executable: $CURSOR_APP_IMAGE"

[sanjeed5]

Native .deb and RPM releases are now available!

Linux DEB and RPM Downloads

Hey all, It’s taken us some time, but we now have both .deb and RPM releases of Cursor available for download and use, alongside our standard AppImage format. Once you download it via the website, Cursor will automatically add the necessary repositories to your system on first launch, which can then be used to update Cursor using your package manager of choice. Happy coding

Get it from Downloads | Cursor - The AI Code Editor

[lehinsun]

don’t blame them. may be they are using Cursor to develop that

[arham]

The issue has been fixed! Cursor AppImage automatically updates for me.