How to Install VS Code on Kali Linux (Step by Step for Beginners)

This tutorial takes about 2 minutes to complete.

This guide shows how to install Visual Studio Code on Kali Linux with apt: download the .deb file, install it with one command and start it. It follows the video, and every command below is the one typed on screen, ready to copy.

Before you start

You need a computer running Kali Linux, an internet connection and your account password: the install command asks for it.

Jump to a chapter in the video: Download .deb · Install .deb · Run VS Code

Step 1: Download the VS Code .deb

Open your browser and go to code.visualstudio.com/download. Click the Debian/Ubuntu .deb download for Linux, then click Download. When it has finished, open your Downloads folder: the VS Code .deb file is there. You can close the file manager window.

Step 2: Open a terminal and go to your Downloads folder

Open a terminal and change into your Downloads folder with the first command below. Then run the second command to list the folder and see the exact name of the .deb file.

cd ~/Downloads
ls

Step 3: Install the .deb with apt

Now install the file. Type sudo apt install ./ followed by the first letters of the file name, press Tab to autocomplete the name and press Enter. The finished command is below. Type your password when the terminal asks for it. The install adds the Microsoft APT repository for Visual Studio Code, so whenever you run sudo apt update or sudo apt upgrade, VS Code is updated to the latest stable version as well. Answer yes when it asks. When it finishes, VS Code is installed.

sudo apt install ./code_1.145.2-1793945276_amd64.deb

Step 4: Start VS Code

To open it, type the command below in the terminal and press Enter. VS Code opens, so it is installed. You can also find it in your applications menu: open the menu, go to the next page and double-click Visual Studio Code.

code