📥 How to Install JetBrains Toolbox on Linux Mint (or Any Ubuntu-Based Distro)

JetBrains Toolbox is the official manager for installing and updating IDEs like IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, CLion, and others.
It makes life a lot easier — but installation can be confusing the first time.
For example, I used to download the .tar.gz, extract it into Downloads, run it, and later delete the folder — which, of course, broke everything because the app could no longer find its binary.

Here’s a simple and direct guide to properly install Toolbox on Linux Mint (and it works the same for Ubuntu/Debian in general).

1. Download the Toolbox​

Go to the official JetBrains website and download the latest .tar.gz file.

Assuming it was downloaded to ~/Downloads, extract it with:

cd ~/Downloads
tar -xvf jetbrains-toolbox-<version>.tar.gz -C ~/.local/

This will create something like:

~/.local/jetbrains-toolbox-<version>/

⚠️ Important: > Do not extract it inside ~/.local/share/JetBrains/Toolbox/. That folder is used by the app itself to store data and settings. The downloaded binary should stay in a separate directory, such as ~/.local/.

2. Run It for the First Time​

Navigate to the extracted directory and run the app:

cd ~/.local/jetbrains-toolbox-<version>/
./jetbrains-toolbox

Here’s what happens the first time you run it:

• It creates internal folders in ~/.local/share/JetBrains/Toolbox/
• It automatically generates a .desktop shortcut in ~/.local/share/applications
• From then on, JetBrains Toolbox appears in your system menu (Mint Menu / Application Menu)

3. Updates​

The Toolbox updates itself automatically. You don’t need to repeat this process every time a new version is released.

JetBrains Toolbox is designed to run entirely inside the user’s directory (~/.local), so it doesn’t require root privileges or system-wide installation.

Once installed, it takes care of everything — shortcuts, updates, and maintenance.

Install it at once and forget about it.