Sep 23, 2026, 1:16 AMSeriously, every Linux guide is like "Just download the saltbox into the infirmary. Then unpack it with your box-sorter. DO NOT use Box Sorter Q or you will wreck your system!! Unless you're on a Testes-type fork, then you HAVE to use Box Sorter Q or you WILL WRECK YOUR SYSTEM. After unpacking, you'll need to run the stump command. And that should do it! Easy as pie!"
Sep 23, 2026, 1:20 AMI have to install Python and PyCharm on my computer for a class. I've been using my work computer so far for class work but I don't have install privileges. So I'm attempting to install it on my personal Linux system and it's a fucking joke. The instructions on the Python site are gibberish so I looked it up and found a forum post directly on point where all the responses are DO NOT INSTALL PYTHON YOU WILL WRECK YOUR COMPUTER! Instead do this other thing: <gibberish>
@Karstan I like when people say to just use a docker image
@crowdotblack @Karstan if you can't do it with apt on debian oldstable, it's probably not worth installing. (c/w advice: Maybe make a recent usb stick of something the devs use and just install it in there.)
Sep 23, 2026, 3:09 PM@enobacon @crowdotblack I can't tell if any of this is supposed to be helpful, lol. I mean, I appreciate it if so, but this is mostly gibberish to me. So maybe it's going along with the joke?😆
@Karstan @crowdotblack if you need that level of help, I can look at it with you. Every Linux distro is different, but generally they have python and depend on not changing that in the system's default. You can build and install stuff in alternative locations, but then have to set the environment to find it there.
Sep 23, 2026, 4:22 PM@enobacon I'd love some help if you're game to ELI5!
My instructor wants us to install Python and Pycharm: https://www.jetbrains.com/pycharm/download/?section=linux
I'm on Linux Mint. Though I'm terrible about updates so I'm likely on an outdated version.
I got as far as this forum post which was more unhelpful than it was helpful:
@Karstan is mint based on ubuntu or debian, and what version do you have? The `python --version` (or maybe `python3 --version`) information, and your free disk space would be other things to check against this list of requirements, along with `dpkg -l 'libglib*'` https://www.jetbrains.com/help/pycharm/installation-guide.html#requirements
They only have a tar.gz download, which might need `make`.
If you're not able to run those things in a console/terminal, I'll probably have to look over your shoulder or something to figure out what to explain.
Sep 24, 2026, 12:10 AM@enobacon I'm still set up to dual boot. It sounds like it might be a million times easier to just boot it up in <shudder> windows.
Thanks for the offer to help!
Sep 24, 2026, 2:05 AMI tried booting into Windows but it just stuck in a boot loop during the very overdue updates. So I guess I'm stuck trying it in Linux.
I'm pretty sure I'm on an Ubuntu version. Mint Cinnamon 21.1 according to this welcome message that shows when log in and I never disabled.
Sep 24, 2026, 2:10 AMper @mossyfoot's suggestion "sudo apt install python3-full" seems to have successfully installed python. WOO! Now to figure out pycharm?
edit: oh there's a pycharm-professional in the Software Manager! maybe that'll work? Gods I hope it's that simple. But it never is, is it?
Sep 24, 2026, 2:30 AMSUCCESS!!!! Thanks for holding my hand through that, friends. :)
@Karstan @ansate @enobacon you already had some python, as various parts of the operating system are written in it. The full package is like the SDK, kinda like there's a Java runtime package and a Java SDK in Windows land. And software Manager is a UI over apt, the Debian command line package tool. Sudo is super-user do <something that needs root>.
@Karstan it sounds like once you have python that it's just download, unpack, and run their code. But those instructions are all assuming console fluency. Your linux should have python if the version is new enough. "Install PyCharm manually", "Run pycharm from the bin subdirectory." -- there are some "<hand-waving>" parts to the instructions that aren't going to work verbatim though.
Maybe the windows installer includes python and works, but there are some specific notes in there about it.
@Karstan sudo apt install python3-full should install All The Python. Pycharm seems to want you to use a (bad?) packaging tool named snap that I have somehow avoided ever using and seems to require unblocking on Mint because they hate it that much.
@Karstan oh and let me know if you need any of those commands translated to English.
@Karstan oh and finally, there is a version of Mint I believe that's based on regular Debian rather than Ubuntu.
snap is awful, but I am told that it solves problems I don't have. Problems like how does apt even work and what if I wanted to run software on my computer that couldn't access files on my computer.