How to Install Cisco Packet Tracer on Linux

To install Cisco Packet Tracer on Linux, download Cisco’s Ubuntu 64-bit DEB package, then install it from Terminal with apt-get. Cisco’s current instructions document Ubuntu (Linux); the Resource Hub currently lists Packet Tracer 9.0.1 for Ubuntu 64-bit. The installer asks you to accept its license during the command-line setup, so keep the Terminal open until it finishes.

Before you start

You need an internet connection, an Ubuntu desktop running on a 64-bit x86 system, and a Cisco Networking Academy account. The package is a .deb installer, not a general Linux archive. Check Cisco’s official Resource Hub for the current build and use the Ubuntu 64-bit download. Cisco’s free Getting Started with Cisco Packet Tracer course is another access route if the download is not visible in your account.

1. Download Packet Tracer from Cisco

Sign in to Cisco Networking Academy and open the Resource Hub. Find Packet Tracer and choose the Ubuntu 64-bit package. At the time of this update, Cisco lists version 9.0.1. Save the DEB file in your Downloads folder. If Cisco has released a newer version by the time you read this, download the version currently shown there rather than searching for an old 8.0 package.

If the download controls are unavailable, make sure you are signed in. If your account still does not show the package, open the free Getting Started course, enroll, and return to the Resource Hub. Cisco may adjust the page layout, so follow the current labels rather than older screenshots or instructions that refer to a specific “Introduction to Packet Tracer” page.

2. Check your architecture and find the file

Open Terminal with Ctrl+Alt+T and check the machine architecture:

uname -m

For the Ubuntu 64-bit installer, the expected output is x86_64. Cisco’s current download page lists an Ubuntu 64-bit package; if your system reports a different architecture, stop and check Cisco’s current requirements before installing. Then move to Downloads and confirm the package name:

cd ~/Downloads
ls -lh CiscoPacketTracer_*_Ubuntu_64bit.deb

The wildcard matches Cisco’s documented filename pattern. If it reports that no file matches, list the DEB files with ls -lh *.deb and check that the download completed and was saved in this folder.

3. Install the DEB package

Refresh Ubuntu’s package index, then install the downloaded file. The example below uses the current 9.0.1 filename; if Cisco’s download uses a different version number, replace the filename with the exact name shown in Downloads. Keep the ./ prefix so APT treats it as a local package.

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install ./CiscoPacketTracer_901_Ubuntu_64bit.deb

Enter your Ubuntu password when prompted. Cisco’s installer then opens a text-based license setup inside Terminal. The mouse does not work in this prompt: use Tab to move to <OK>, press Enter, then use Tab to select <Yes> and press Enter to accept the license. Wait for APT to finish and return to the shell prompt before closing Terminal. Cisco’s download and installation instructions describe this Ubuntu flow.

4. Open Packet Tracer and sign in

Launch the application from Ubuntu’s Applications menu, or type this command in Terminal:

packettracer

On first launch, sign in with your Cisco Networking Academy account. A browser tab may open to complete authentication; after it confirms sign-in, return to Packet Tracer. If a multi-user prompt appears and you are setting up a regular local lab, you can choose No and enable multi-user use later if you need it.

Fix common installation problems

• “No such file” or no matching package: run cd ~/Downloads, check the exact filename with ls -lh *.deb, and use that name in the install command. Linux filenames are case-sensitive.
• Wrong architecture: the current Cisco Linux package is Ubuntu 64-bit. Confirm uname -m returns x86_64 and download the matching package from Cisco.
• APT reports missing dependencies: run sudo apt-get update and retry the local-file install command. APT can resolve dependencies from your configured Ubuntu repositories. If a dependency is unavailable, check that the package and Ubuntu release are supported and consult Cisco’s current resources; avoid installing random dependency packages from third-party sites.
• The app does not open: run packettracer from Terminal to see an error message. Recheck that installation completed and that you installed the official Ubuntu DEB.

Which Linux distributions are covered?

Cisco’s current download and installation material identifies Ubuntu (Linux) and documents the Ubuntu apt-get procedure. A DEB may work on some compatible Debian-based systems, but Cisco’s guide does not verify every Debian release or derivative. The older advice to install through an Arch User Repository package is not part of Cisco’s current instructions, so this guide sticks to the official Ubuntu package and support path.

Cisco references

• Cisco Networking Academy Resource Hub
• Cisco announcement for Packet Tracer 9.0.1
• Cisco Packet Tracer download and installation instructions