How to Install PhpStorm on Linux: Toolbox, Tar.gz, Snap, and AUR

For most Linux users, the simplest way to install PhpStorm is with JetBrains Toolbox: unpack the Toolbox App, launch it, and click Install next to PhpStorm. You can also install the standalone Linux archive directly, use the official Snap package, or build the Arch User Repository (AUR) package. PhpStorm includes JetBrains Runtime, so you do not need to install Java separately.

Check Linux compatibility first

JetBrains lists x86_64 and ARM64 processors, a four-core CPU, 8 GB of total RAM with 3 GB available to the IDE, and 10 GB of disk space as the current desktop requirements. Its tested Linux list includes Ubuntu 24.04 and 26.04 LTS, Fedora 43 and 44, Debian 13, and Amazon Linux 2023, with GNOME or KDE Plasma and glibc 2.28 or later. Check the PhpStorm installation guide if you use another distribution. The download page offers separate Linux builds for ARM64 and other supported systems, so select the one that matches your processor.

Choose one installation method. Toolbox is easiest to update and roll back; the archive gives you control over its folder; Snap is convenient where snapd is enabled; and AUR is for Arch-based systems comfortable with community packages.

Install with JetBrains Toolbox

1. Download the Linux Toolbox archive. Open the JetBrains Toolbox App page, select Linux, and download the .tar.gz file. The browser usually saves it in ~/Downloads.

2. Extract and launch Toolbox. In a terminal, extract the archive to a dedicated folder and run Toolbox from there. Make sure only one Toolbox archive matches the filename pattern.

mkdir -p ~/apps/jetbrains-toolbox
tar -xzf ~/Downloads/jetbrains-toolbox-*.tar.gz -C ~/apps/jetbrains-toolbox
cd ~/apps/jetbrains-toolbox
./bin/jetbrains-toolbox

3. Install PhpStorm. In Toolbox, open Products, find PhpStorm, and select Install. Toolbox handles the download and keeps the IDE available for updates or rollback. You can sign in to your JetBrains Account in Toolbox to activate any license available to your account.

4. Open the IDE. Start PhpStorm from Toolbox or your desktop application launcher. On first launch, import settings from another IDE if you want them, or skip the import. From the welcome screen, choose Open for a local project or Get from VCS to check out a repository.

Toolbox creates a desktop entry on first launch. If you install PhpStorm through the standalone archive instead, you can create one inside the IDE from Tools > Create Desktop Entry.

Install from the standalone Linux archive

Use this method if you prefer to keep the IDE in a folder you choose. On the PhpStorm download page, select Linux and download the .tar.gz archive for your processor. Do not unpack a new version over an existing installation; use a clean directory for each version.

The following commands create a folder in your home directory, extract the archive there, and start the launcher. If the wildcard matches more than one download or installation, substitute the exact filename and folder name.

mkdir -p ~/apps
tar -xzf ~/Downloads/PhpStorm-*.tar.gz -C ~/apps
~/apps/PhpStorm-*/bin/PhpStorm.sh

The standalone installation can run without root access when placed under your home directory. For a shared system installation, JetBrains documents extracting the archive to /opt; that location requires administrator permission. See JetBrains’ first-run guide for launch and welcome-screen options.

Install the Snap package

If snapd is installed and running on your distribution, install the stable Snap from a terminal:

sudo snap install phpstorm --classic

Launch it with phpstorm or from the application menu. The --classic flag is required by this package. JetBrains notes that the Snap can have performance, file-management, or Chromium debugging issues; if those affect your setup, try the Toolbox App instead. See the verified PhpStorm listing in Snap Store for current channels and setup details.

Install on Arch Linux from the AUR

The phpstorm AUR package is maintained outside Arch’s official repositories. Review its build files before installing, because an AUR PKGBUILD is a shell script. Install the build tools, clone the package, inspect the PKGBUILD, then build and install it as your normal user:

sudo pacman -S --needed base-devel git
git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/phpstorm.git
cd phpstorm
less PKGBUILD
makepkg -si

Press q to leave less. Read the file and check for unexpected changes before continuing. Do not run makepkg with sudo; it installs required dependencies with permission when needed. Arch’s makepkg guidance explains the build process and safety requirements.

After installation

Java is bundled, but PhpStorm is an IDE rather than the PHP runtime. To run or debug PHP code, install PHP locally or configure a remote interpreter, then add it under Settings > PHP. JetBrains explains the steps in its guide to configuring a local PHP interpreter. If the launcher will not start, first check that you downloaded the correct CPU architecture and that your Linux libraries meet the current system requirements.