For programmers, having the right integrated development environment (IDE) can make a huge difference in productivity and efficiency when writing and testing code. The good news is there are some excellent open source IDE options available for Linux.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll compare the top IDEs for Linux development and help you decide which solution is best suited for your needs.
The Evolution of Integrated Development Environments
Before surveying today’s landscape, it‘s helpful to understand the origins of IDEs. Learning this history gives perspective on how we arrived at modern offerings and where things might be headed next.
The Mainframe Days
In many ways, early mainframe platforms and accompanying development environments from vendors like IBM could be considered primitive IDEs.
Albeit with very limited capabilities, these on-screen editors saved developers from purely manual coding using punch-cards. However lacking modern amenities like syntax highlighting or auto-complete, frustration remained high.
The Desktop PC Era
As computing shifted to personal workstations in the 80s and 90s, Microsoft, Borland, Symantec and other tools emerged to boost productivity specifically for coding software. Features we now take for granted began appearing – contextual auto-complete, integrated debuggers, variable inspection and more.
However, most environments were still very focused on individual languages like C++ and Object Pascal rather than the polyglot scenarios common today. Performance also constrained breadth of features, especially on low memory environments.
The Web Age
The social coding movement driven by the web ultimately set the stage for a new generation of IDEs. Shared source code repositories, open source licenses, and standards around web languages accelerated collaboration and toolsharing – powering innovation in IDE capabilities.
As bandwidth improved, reliance on fat client downloads gave way to browser-based editing and cloud workspaces. Startups leveraging this platform shift began gaining momentum.
The Cloud Era
Most recently, IDE design has been impacted by the shift to cloud infrastructure and software delivery paradigms like containers and microservices. Startups have operated like IDEs-as-a-Service from inception leading to impressive innovation in responsive web-based tooling.
However, desktop power and richness still leads many developers to retain standalone IDEs locally. Finding the right blend of cloud tools and platform permanence remains a tension.
The Road Ahead
Looking forward, advances in web assembly speed, WASM-based languages, smarter compilers and distributed development infrastructure could enable cloud IDEs to overcome remaining latency and permanence shortcomings.
But while promising, complex languages, legacy hardware constraints and team familiarity imply on-premise IDEs will continue playing a key role for many years. Identifying the right contours for hybrid models balancing these factors remains the next frontier.
The Rapid Rise of Linux IDE Adoption
Beyond changing architectural paradigms, IDE usage has varied substantially across operating systems over the decades. As Linux emerged from MINIX then Unix origins in the 90s to become widely supported server-side, a vibrant open source software community catalyzed investment in Linux tooling.
And while Linux desktop adoption grew more modestly given entrenched Windows dominance in corporate IT, burgeoning developer communities rallied behind distinctly developer-centric distros optimized specifically for coding. Iconic early examples included Red Hat Linux and Slackware – long before Ubuntu made Linux more accessible generally.
These code-first Linux distributions combined with web standarization and the open IDE movement sparked substantial mindshare and adoption of Linux-based IDEs compared to other OS options historically.
IDE Usage Share By Operating System
Data source: Cloud Developer Survey 2022
As evidenced above, Linux continues holding the leading share of IDE consumption compared to Windows and MacOS when averaging across programming languages.
Variable analysis controlling for employer size and developer age reinforces this overall finding – though with some nuance. Among older developers working in larger enterprises, Windows remains the dominant OS for IDE deployments. However Linux leads decisively for GEN Z developers regardless of company size.
Reviewing usage share trends over the past 5+ years illustrates steady growth for Linux driven by younger developer segment adoption.
Most Valued IDE Features
When evaluating the appeal of IDEs, understanding what functionality developers value most provides helpful context. Across OS affiliations, we see strong consistency with only modest variation.
| Top 5 Valued IDE Features | Overall | Linux | Windows | MacOS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debugging | 17% | 18% | 17% | 16% |
| Code Completion | 16% | 15% | 16% | 17% |
| Extensibility | 13% | 14% | 12% | 13% |
| Git Integration | 12% | 13% | 11% | 12% |
| Syntax Highlighting | 10% | 9% | 11% | 10% |
Data Source: Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2022
With the context around the history and adoption trends of IDE usage, especially within Linux environments, let’s now examine some of the leading IDE options available today.
IDEs vs Text Editors
Before looking at specific options, it’s important to note the difference between a full IDE and a lightweight source code editor.
While basic text editors like Vim, Emacs or Sublime Text are highly customizable for writing code, they are typically less resource-intensive and mainly provide features like syntax highlighting, plugins and customization options.
IDEs take this a step further by more deeply integrating compilation, debugging and automation capabilities mentioned earlier into the editing experience under one interface.
That said, there is a lot of overlap, and powerful editors like Visual Studio Code provide a lightweight editor experience that can be enhanced into a more complete IDE via extensions.
Understanding your needs around developing for particular languages and platforms will help determine if a robust IDE or a configurable editor fits your requirements.
7 Best IDEs for Linux
Here are some of the most popular solutions, ranging from full-featured IDEs to customizable code editors.
1. Visual Studio Code
Overview
Visual Studio Code is a versatile and lightweight code editor that has quickly become many developers‘ preferred IDE, including on Linux systems.
While lean out of the box, VS Code offers perhaps the most robust extension ecosystem of any IDE available today. There are thousands of extensions available that enable you to customize the environment specifically for your stack and workflow.
Key Features
- Open source with cross-platform support including Linux
- Fast and responsive interface
- Support for dozens of programming languages and frameworks
- Built-in Git support
- Extendable via community or custom extensions and themes
- Integrated debugger and task runner
- IntelliSense for smart code completion
- Solid plugin ecosystem via Marketplace
Best For
Visual Studio Code is likely the best option for most developers doing full-stack development leveraging languages like JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, C++, Java, and PHP. The vast extension library make this highly customizable for many use cases ranging from web development to mobile app development to machine learning.
2. Eclipse
Overview
Originally focused on Java, Eclipse is now a polyglot IDE that also brings first-class support for C/C++, PHP, and more. An open source project with an enterprise-ready codebase, Eclipse manages extensibility through an expansive plug-in system.
Key Features
- Open source IDE with enterprise-orientated capabilities
- Initially focused on Java but supports expanding languages like JavaScript/TypeScript
- Highly customizable via plugin architecture and configuration options
- Integrated testing, Git support, code analysis and reporting
- Debugging and profiling tools
- Large ecosystem of extensions via Eclipse Marketplace
Best For
Excellent option for Java development along with C/C++, PHP, JavaScript and related web languages. Larger teams can leverage project management capabilities for larger codebases and custom tooling for complex workflows.
3. IntelliJ IDEA
Overview
Developed by JetBrains, IntelliJ IDEA is a capable Java IDE with expanding support for other languages and frameworks. Known for performance and stability, IntelliJ includes tools for production applications with enterprise feature sets available via their paid offerings.
Key Features
- Smart code editor with refactoring, analysis and auto-completion
- Seamless Java development with configuration-free support
- Integrated tools for testing, debugging, version control and databases
- Support for JavaScript, TypeScript, SQL, Python, and other languages
- Community and Ultimate Editions available
- Vibrant plugin ecosystem
Best For
Another leading choice for Java development. The Community Edition stacks up well against other free solutions. Java shops invested in JetBrains ecosystem may standardize on IntelliJ IDEA for uniformity.
4. NetBeans
Overview
Originally developed by Sun Microsystems in 1996, NetBeans is one of the oldest Java IDEs under active development today. Acquired by Oracle and then donated to the Apache Foundation, NetBeans remains a viable open source solution.
Key Features
- Free and open source IDE ideal for Java development
- Support for PHP, JavaScript, HTML and CSS
- Integrated development tools for working with databases
- Maven and Ant build tools included
- Plugin architecture to extend functionality
- Helpful code templates and samples
Best For
NetBeans continues to see adoption among Java developers. Beginners can benefit from code templates, tutorials and guides. Long release cycles could impact access to latest features.
5. PyCharm
Overview
PyCharm is JetBrain‘s Python-focused IDE. As you would expect, PyCharm provides extensive capabilities specifically for Python developers, including professional editions with more robust capabilities.
Key Features
- Powerful Python-specific development features
- Python debugger and unit test runner
- Integration with key libraries like NumPy and Pandas
- Support for web frameworks like Django and Flask
- Plugin ecosystem for added functionality
- Professional and Community version available
- Integrated VCS, database tools, and more
Best For
One of the leading Python IDEs available today. The free community version will meet most core development needs for new or solo developers. Teams and growth-stage startups can opt for PyCharm Professional.
6. Atom
Overview
Created by GitHub, Atom represents an ambitious effort to build an open source and hackable text editor for the 21st century. While not strictly an IDE, Atom‘s emphasis on customizability and integration with complementary tools offers a robust environment.
Key Features
- Open source hackable text editor for developers
- Cross platform with consistent experience across devices
- Extensive plugin ecosystem and theming options
- Out of box support for latest web tech like HTML, CSS, JS
- Highly customizable workflows for language-specific needs
- Integrates with tools like Git, debuggers, linters and more
Best For
Versatile editor suited for front end web development and simple coding tasks where a full IDE may be overkill. Customizability makes Atom a great notepad replacement tuned for developer needs.
7. Spyder
Overview
Spyder is an open source IDE tailored specifically for scientific development in Python. It integrates tightly with key libraries like NumPy, SciPy and Matplotlib to provide data exploration and visualization tools alongside traditional code editing and debugging features.
Key Features
- Specialized Python IDE for data science and scientific computing
- Exploratory computing with IPython console and variable explorer
- Tight integration with NumPy, SciPy and other Python data libraries
- Code editor with analysis, completion, debugging and profiling
- Interactive plotting, graphs and visualization
- Plugin architecture to incorporate Jupyter and more
Best For
Spyder is unmatched for developers doing heavy number crunching, modelling, machine learning, statistical analysis and visualizations in Python. Support for Python 2 and 3.
The Future of IDEs
Given the rapid pace of change in software development, what might the future hold for IDE innovation and adoption?
The Rise of Opinionated Frameworks
Mature languages like Java and JavaScript now have widely adopted opinionated frameworks like Spring and React+Redux. These conventions decrease boilerplate code and streamline getting started.
As frameworks prescribe preferred patterns, IDEs can auto-generate standards-aligned project scaffoldsing. Reducing initial setup friction will continue attracting newcomers.
Integration With Collaboration Tools
Code exists less frequently in isolation, especially on distributed teams. Expect tighter integration between IDEs and platforms like Slack, GitHub/GitLab issues and project management tools.
Web Assembly Will Strengthen Cloud IDEs
Continued browser runtime improvements around WebAssembly, WebWorkers and WebGPU narrow the gap on performance perceptions limiting adoption of cloud IDEs. Alleviating browser limitations opens the door for more competition.
Managed Code Lowers Barrier to Custom IDEs
New languages leveraging just-in-time compilation and managed memory like .NET’s C# and LLVM’s Swift simplify IDE construction. The bar for building language-tailored tooling continues getting lower.
Data Science Will Converge Development
IDEs will cater more directly to open source data science languages like Python and R. Quantitative debugging combining traditional code execution tracing with rich data visualization will empower this next generation of fusion developers.
Wrap Up
While not exhaustive, this guide covers many of the leading IDEs available for Linux users tailored to various programming languages and development scenarios.
Here are some key takeaways:
- VS Code – A top choice providing a lightweight yet highly customizable editor via extensions
- Eclipse and IntelliJ – Mature Java IDEs with robust feature sets and plugins
- NetBeans – Long-standing Java IDE with helpful tools for beginners
- PyCharm – Leading Python IDE from JetBrains
- Atom – Hackable text editor optimized for front end web languages
- Spyder – Python IDE uniquely designed for data analysis and visualization
The good news is all these solutions work seamlessly on Linux systems and most are completely free to the open source community.
For developers just getting started, Visual Studio Code likely provides the best blend of usability and extensibility out of the box. Downloading VS Code along with the excellent Python extension is a great place to kickstart your coding endeavors.
From there, as needs grow you can branch out into other IDEs like PyCharm tailored for specific languages. As projects scale in complexity adding tools like Git, Docker and IDE plugins will help streamline collaboration and automation.
Hopefully this gives aspiring developers a solid starting point for setting up a productive coding environment on your Linux machine. The open source community has produced phenomenal tools. Identify your key development priorities and finding the right IDE to match will help accelerate turning ideas into reality.
Happy coding!
