How to install PyCharm Professional Edition on a Chromebook in 2024

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In this guide, we'll walk you through the process of installing PyCharm Professional Edition on a Chromebook in 2024. PyCharm is a powerful integrated development environment (IDE) for Python, offering a wide range of features to enhance your coding experience. While Chromebooks are not traditionally seen as development machines, the addition of Linux app support has opened up new possibilities for developers.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, it's important to note that this tutorial is specifically for Chromebooks with an Intel or AMD CPU that support Linux Apps. Unfortunately, this method won't work on Chromebooks with an ARM64 architecture CPU. If you're unsure about your Chromebook's specifications, you can check our list of all Chromebooks with Linux Apps (Crostini) support.

Video Tutorial

For a visual guide, we've included a video tutorial above. We recommend following along with both the video and the written instructions below for the best results.

Step-by-Step Installation Guide

1. Enable Linux Apps

First, we need to enable Linux apps on your Chromebook:

  1. Go to your Chromebook's System Settings
  2. Click on the "About Chrome OS" section in the left panel
  3. Under the "Developer" section, choose "Set up Linux"
  4. Follow the prompts to turn on Linux

2. Open Terminal and Run Commands

Once Linux is enabled, open the Terminal app from your app menu. We'll use the following commands to install PyCharm Professional:

1) sudo apt update
2) sudo apt install python3 python3-pip build-essential libssl-dev libffi-dev python3-dev default-jdk kmenuedit
3) wget https://download.jetbrains.com/python/pycharm-professional-2024.1.tar.gz
4) tar -xf pycharm-professional-2024.1.tar.gz
5) ./pycharm-2024.1/bin/pycharm.sh
6) kmenuedit

Let's break down what each command does:

  1. Updates the package lists for upgrades and new package installations.
  2. Installs Python 3, pip, and other necessary dependencies including Java Development Kit and a menu editor.
  3. Downloads the PyCharm Professional Edition package.
  4. Extracts the downloaded package.
  5. Launches PyCharm to ensure it's working correctly.
  6. Opens the menu editor to add PyCharm to your app menu.

3. Add PyCharm to Your App Menu

After running the last command (kmenuedit), follow these steps:

  1. Choose a category for PyCharm (e.g., "Development")
  2. Click on "New Item"
  3. Choose a name for the desktop entry (e.g., "PyCharm Professional")
  4. Set the command to the path of pycharm.sh (e.g., "/home/yourusername/pycharm-2024.1/bin/pycharm.sh")
  5. Save the launcher

Additional Information

PyCharm Professional Edition offers a wide range of features that can significantly enhance your Python development workflow. Some key features include:

  • Intelligent code completion
  • On-the-fly error detection and quick-fixes
  • Powerful refactoring tools
  • Built-in developer tools like a debugger, test runner, and Python profiler
  • Support for web development frameworks like Django and Flask
  • Database tools and SQL support

While the Professional Edition is a paid product, JetBrains offers a free Community Edition with a more limited feature set. If you're a student or teacher, you may be eligible for a free educational license for the Professional Edition.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter any issues during the installation process, here are a few tips:

  • Ensure your Chromebook's Chrome OS is up to date
  • If a command fails, try running it again
  • Check that you have enough free space on your Chromebook
  • If PyCharm doesn't launch, try restarting your Chromebook

For more detailed information, you can refer to this Google Doc used in the tutorial.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You've successfully installed PyCharm Professional Edition on your Chromebook. This powerful IDE will help you write better Python code more efficiently. Remember to explore PyCharm's features and settings to customize it to your workflow.

For more information about PyCharm, visit the official JetBrains PyCharm website.

If you're in the market for a new Chromebook, check out our Chromebook comparison and Buyers Guide. To stay updated on Chromebook sales, consider joining our mailing list.

Happy coding!

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