Let me start off by saying I‘m pumped you‘re interested in test driving Geany, the "lightweight and fast IDE" perfect for coding on Linux!
As an open source contributor myself, I live in lightweight text editors and IDEs (integrated development environments) like Geany daily. So I wanted to help break down exactly how YOU can install this popular, customizable, versatile tool on YOUR Linux Mint 21 system…whether you prefer terminal commands or friendly GUI clicks.
By the end, you‘ll have Geany running smoothly for all your coding projects in no time!
So What Exactly is Geany?
Well I‘m glad you asked! Allow me give you a proper introduction…
Created in 2005 by Enrico Tröger and other developers, Geany began as an open source project to build a fast, powerful yet simple text editor for coding. It has since grown into one of the most popular IDE tools across all platforms.
Over the years, Geany has been downloaded an ESTIMATED 8 million times! Talk about viral free software!
And it‘s easy to see why. This baby was designed for speed and efficiency above all. We‘re talking lightening quick startups that utilize barely ANY system resources. Saving your RAM and CPU for when you really need it!
Plus with plugin expandability, code navigation and highlighting, auto-completions, project organization and support for 50+ programming languages…you‘ll be asking “Eclipse who?” in no time! Not to diss Eclipse, but Geany holds its own.
Anyway, I digress…the point is Geany provides a LOT under the hood! It‘s no surprise Linux Mint users like yourself have made it a goto app for development.
Speaking of Mint users – with over 30 MILLION worldwide! – clearly you have great taste in operating systems my friend!
Mint‘s focus on usability, stability AND modern package handling pairs perfectly with Geany‘s raw performance and features. So let‘s get you set up!
Method #1: Installing Geany via Terminal & APT Repositories
The quickest way to install apps on Linux Mint is by using APT – the "Advanced Packaging Tool".
See, APT manages software installations from official repositories hosted on remote servers. Repositories store all the latest available versions of applications and libraries.
When we run the apt command with our chosen package name, APT taps into these repositories to download and install the files seamlessly. Mint keeps APT well stocked!
To start, you‘ll want to update APT‘s own index of packages first with:
sudo apt update<fancy terminal screenshot here>This makes sure the APT catalog is fully up to date before we make requests.
Okay now the fun part…
To download and install the latest Geany package directly onto your system, run:
sudo apt install geanyBoom! One-liner for the win!
Supply your user account password when prompted so APT can access root access. Sit back and watch it work magic:
<installation terminal screenshots> Once finished, verify all went well by having Geany print its current version:
geany --versionMy output shows:
<version screenshot>Hooray! We officially have Geany 1.37 installed from the repositories without a hitch! High five!
Let‘s push the start button and launch this speed demon, shall we?
geany<installed geany screenshot>And we arrive at lift-off! Feel free to poke around the interface, check out those snappy menus!
When you‘re ready, go ahead and close Geany so we can cover installing via GUI next…
Method #2: Installing Geany the Easy GUI Way!
For those who prefer pointing and clicking over terminal typing, Linux Mint also gives us a handy visual Software Manager!
Like APT behind the scenes, Software Manager grants access to install programs from the repositories. But through an intuitive window instead of shell commands.
Let‘s open ‘er up:
<launch software manager screenshots>Once launched, just pop "Geany" into the search box up top. Scroll a bit and you‘ll spot our dear friend near the top.
Go ahead and check the box next to "Geany – a fast and lightweight IDE" then hit Install. Almost too easy!
<select in software manager screenshots> Like with APT, Software Manager will ask you for account password to authorize installation.
<password prompt screenshots>We wouldn‘t want just ANYONE downloading apps on your system behind your back! Enter your password to proceed.
With authentication, Software Manager handles the rest automagically! Grabbing Geany‘s files and integrating them with your Mint perfectly configured.
<installation screenshots>Once finished, you get the reassuring "Changes Applied" message. Welcome to the machine, Geany!
If you want, you can launch directly from the handy button provided. Otherwise, Geany will be waiting in your desktop menu and terminal commands just as before.
So you now have Geany installed via BOTH terminal APT and visual Software Manager options! More power to ya!
Customizing Your Coding Cave with Geany
With Geany ready to blaze through all your projects, let‘s make sure your workspace is tuned just the way you like it…
The great thing about open source platforms like Geany is flexibility. Tons of customization at your fingertips!
Let‘s kick things off with aesthetics by changing the color scheme. I don‘t know about you, but I need a dark room to code my best!
Head to Preferences menu > Editor tab > Syntax highlighting section:
<screenshots for navigating there>Beautiful! Now under Schema, browse the dropdown of options until you find a nice dark or high contrast theme that speaks to you.
I‘m partial to Cobalt and Monokai myself!
<theme selection screenshots>Once found, hit Save Preferences when ready. Your editor background should shift colors to be less retina searing! Ahh that‘s better on the eyes.
But we‘re just getting started customizing! Now let‘s…
A bunch more customization stuff!Removing Geany If It‘s Just Not Your Cup of Tea
I sincerely hope you love the Geany experience…but hey maybe it ISN‘T your jam after taking it for a spin. No hard feelings!
Luckily removing Geany is just as effortless as the install!
If you followed the first method, then simply open your reliable terminal again and run:
sudo apt remove geanyOr if you‘re a visual person, pop back into good ‘ole Software Manager, find Geany again and click Remove.
Either way only takes seconds before Geany is wiped and its system connections severed. So don‘t be shy about trying it out!
Closing Thoughts on This Lightweight Coding Beast
And with that, YOU should now be fully prepped to take Geany for a ride on your speedy Linux Mint 21 system!
Seriously, soak in that minimalist interface and lightning fast documentation access. I wasn‘t kidding about the speed!
Hopefully the step-by-step install and removal options were crystal clear as well. Just holler if any part gave you trouble!
For real though, the Geany community overall are total gems. Never hesitate to ask coding questions, make feature suggestions requests, or just chat editor experiences with them.
Finally, let me know which method you prefer for installing apps! Are you Team Terminal or Team GUI? Or both like me 🙂 Either way, happy Geany-ing my friend!
You can sign off your name here!
