The guide shows how to install any of JetBrains PyCharm’s three official editions on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS using either Snap or Flatpak, avoiding stale .deb packages and unreliable third‑party PPAs. It walks through enabling snapd and installing the desired edition with sudo snap install … --classic for full system access, then explains adding Flathub, pulling the appropriate com.jetbrains.PyCharm-* package via Flatpak, and launching it with flatpak run. Both methods keep each edition isolated (so licenses don’t leak) and automatically manage dependencies, while manual update commands (snap refresh … or flatpak update …) let you stay current if you prefer not to rely on auto‑updates. The result is a clean, up‑to‑date PyCharm installation ready for coding on Ubuntu 22.04.

Install PyCharm IDE on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS – Snap or Flatpak Options

You’re looking to get JetBrains’ Python powerhouse running on Jammy Jellyfish without hunting down ancient .deb files. This guide walks you through the three official editions (Community, Professional and Educational) using either snapcraft or flatpak, so you can pick the method that fits your workflow.

Why I avoid the “apt‑get PyCharm” myth

A few months back I tried installing PyCharm from a third‑party PPA because the Ubuntu Software Center claimed it had the package. The result was a three‑year‑old Community build that refused to recognize my newer Python interpreters. Snap and flatpak pull the current binaries straight from JetBrains, so you stay up‑to‑date with minimal fuss.

Snapcraft method – quick and self‑updating

1. Open a terminal and make sure snapd is running.

   sudo systemctl enable --now snapd.socket
   

   This step guarantees that the snap daemon starts automatically; without it, any snap install will fail silently.

2. Install the edition you need. Replace edition with pycharm-community, pycharm-professional or pycharm-educational.

   sudo snap install pycharm-community --classic
   

   The --classic flag gives PyCharm access to your system Python, virtual environments and the usual file locations. If you skip it, the sandbox will block many useful features.

3. Launch from the menu or type pycharm-community (or the appropriate command) in a terminal.
   The first run may take a minute while snap extracts the compressed files; this is normal.

Flatpak method – good if you already use Flathub

1. Add the Flathub repository if it isn’t present yet.

   sudo flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo
   

   Without this source Flatpak won’t know where to fetch PyCharm.

2. Install the desired edition; again replace edition with com.jetbrains.PyCharm-Community, ...Professional or ...Educational.

   flatpak install flathub com.jetbrains.PyCharm-Community
   

   Flatpak handles runtime dependencies automatically, so you don’t have to worry about missing Qt libraries that sometimes bite snap users.

3. Run it with:

   flatpak run com.jetbrains.PyCharm-Community
   

   The first launch will create a hidden .var directory in your home folder; this holds the sandbox’s configuration files and is safe to delete if you ever need a fresh start.

Switching between editions

If you need both Community and Professional on the same machine (perhaps for work vs. hobby projects), install each under its own snap or flatpak name. They keep separate settings, so your professional licence won’t leak into the free version.

Updating manually (when you don’t trust auto‑updates)

• Snap:

  sudo snap refresh pycharm-community
  

• Flatpak:

  flatpak update com.jetbrains.PyCharm-Community
  

Both commands pull the latest release from their respective stores. I usually run them once a month; otherwise the auto‑update background job does the job.

That’s it—PyCharm should now be humming along on your Ubuntu 22.04 system, whether you chose snap or flatpak. Happy coding!