You can install Obsidian on Linux with an AppImage, Snap, Flatpak or the .deb package, whichever fits your distro. Obsidian 1.14.5 is the current desktop release as of late October 2026. The download page lists every format plus an arm64 AppImage. This guide covers each method + the libfuse2 fix for newer Ubuntu releases and your first vault and plugin setup.
What to check before you install Obsidian on Linux
Obsidian ships in several Linux formats, and not every format supports every CPU. Run the command below in a terminal to see which type of processor your machine has.
uname -m
If it prints x86_64, you have a regular Intel or AMD 64-bit machine and every format works. If it prints aarch64, you have a 64-bit ARM machine such as a Raspberry Pi 5 or an ARM laptop, and the .deb package will not work because it is built for amd64 only. Use the arm64 AppImage or the Flatpak there.
The official download page lists an AppImage first for Linux, then Snap, Deb, an arm64 AppImage and a Flatpak. The page labels the Flatpak as community maintained. Pick one format and stick with it, because two installs create duplicate menu entries.
How to install Obsidian on your Linux machine (AppImage)
First, go over to this website. You will see a download link, click on that and you’ll be good to go. The default is an AppImage, however, if you want another package, you can visit this link and download whichever one you prefer.
We have gone for the AppImage version. Once downloaded we can right click on the file and enable it to be run as executable. If you prefer the terminal, chmod u+x Obsidian-1.14.5.AppImage does the same thing.
However if you are on Ubuntu 23.04 or any newer release such as 24.04 you may face the following problem:
There is a simple fix: you just need to install the relevant FUSE library. On Ubuntu 22.04 and Debian the package is called libfuse2, so run the following command:
sudo apt install libfuse2
Ubuntu renamed that package to libfuse2t64 starting with 24.04, so on newer releases run this one instead:
sudo apt install libfuse2t64
Once installed you can try and run the appimage file:
./Obsidian-1.14.5.AppImage
You can check out this article if you’re unsure how to easily integrate appimages like the obsidian file into your Linux desktop!
Fix the AppImage sandbox error on Ubuntu 24.04 and later
Ubuntu 24.04 and later restrict unprivileged user namespaces through AppArmor, so the Electron sandbox inside an AppImage can abort with a SUID sandbox message. People report online that this is an AppArmor issue and not an Obsidian bug.
Obsidian’s help page starts the AppImage with the –no-sandbox flag, which gets past the error but switches off the Chromium sandbox. Treat it as a quick test and pick the DEB or Flatpak route for daily use.
./Obsidian-1.14.5.AppImage --no-sandbox
Install Obsidian on Linux with Snap
Snap is the quickest route on Ubuntu because snapd (the background service that runs Snap packages) is usually installed already. Obsidian publishes its own snap, and the Snap Store lists version 1.14.5 on the stable channel.
sudo snap install obsidian --classic
The –classic flag matters. Obsidian’s help page explains that it lets the app reach folders outside the Snap sandbox, which is where your notes live. Without it snapd refuses to install the package.
Snaps refresh on their own by default, so new Obsidian releases arrive without any command. If snap is missing on your distro, our guide to install Snap on Linux covers snapd for Ubuntu, Debian, Mint and Arch.
snap run obsidian
Install Obsidian on Linux with Flatpak
Flatpak runs Obsidian in a sandbox from Flathub and works on x86_64 and aarch64 systems. Flathub says the Obsidian team verified this build but does not support it, which matches the community maintained label on the download page.
On Debian-based distros, install Flatpak first and then add Flathub. The –if-not-exists flag makes the remote command safe to repeat. Our guide to set up Flatpaks on Linux covers other distros.
sudo apt install flatpak
flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://dl.flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo
flatpak install flathub md.obsidian.Obsidian
flatpak run md.obsidian.Obsidian
The application ID is case sensitive, so keep the capital O at the end. Flathub’s notes tell regular users to switch off automatic updates inside Obsidian because Flatpak delivers public releases itself.
The sandbox exposes your home directory and an SSH agent socket so drag and drop and the Git plugin work. Skip the Git plugin and you can trim those permissions with Flatseal.
Install Obsidian on Linux with the DEB package
The official .deb package suits Debian and Ubuntu desktops on amd64 hardware. Ubuntu’s default repositories do not carry Obsidian, so sudo apt install obsidian fails and you need the Deb file from the download page instead.
Run APT from the folder that holds the download. The ./ prefix tells APT the argument is a local file, and APT then pulls in any missing dependencies. Our guide to installing DEB files on Ubuntu explains the prefix in detail.
cd ~/Downloads
sudo apt install ./obsidian_1.14.5_amd64.deb
Plain dpkg -i can leave the package unconfigured when a library such as libxss1 is missing. People report online that sudo apt -f install finishes the job, though the APT route avoids the problem in the first place.
The package adds Obsidian to your app menu, so launch it from there once the install finishes.
Which Obsidian install method should you pick
- Ubuntu 24.04 or later on amd64: the DEB package, or Flatpak if you want a sandbox
- Any distro with snapd where automatic updates matter: Snap
- A portable copy or a machine without root access: the AppImage
- A 64-bit ARM board: the arm64 AppImage or Flatpak
These picks follow how each format updates and sandboxes the app. If you want a single answer, I would choose the DEB package on Ubuntu 24.04 and later because it skips the AppImage sandbox error.
Update or remove Obsidian on Linux
Update commands depend on how you installed Obsidian. Snap and Flatpak update through their own tools, while the DEB and AppImage routes need a fresh download of the new file.
sudo snap refresh obsidian
flatpak update md.obsidian.Obsidian
sudo apt install ./obsidian_<new-version>_amd64.deb
Obsidian 1.14.5 arrived on 22 October 2026 and moves the bundled Electron framework from 43.7.5 to 43.8.3 with security fixes. The release notes tell users to download Obsidian again and reinstall, which matters most for the DEB and AppImage routes.
To remove the app, use the command that matches your install. Your vaults are ordinary folders you chose, so they stay put as long as they sit outside the app’s own data folders. Delete an AppImage file by hand.
sudo snap remove obsidian
flatpak uninstall md.obsidian.Obsidian
sudo apt remove obsidian
Our guide on uninstalling packages with apt explains remove versus purge.
Understanding the Obsidian Vault System
Now that we have gone through the installation let’s talk about how to effectively use the app. In Obsidian we have something called “Vaults”. Every vault is the root folder for all your notes. We can have multiple vaults, but it’s difficult to navigate from one vault to the other. We can of course have our own folder structure inside the vaults as well. But navigating folders is far easier. This allows users to have separate vaults and further segregation inside each of their vaults.
Typically one user would use multiple vaults very rarely. Suppose you have all your notes from your university in one vault and another dedicated vault for keeping all your internship-related notes and folders. However, all of your University class notes, lectures, and PDFs will be staying in separate folders inside the University vault. This way you can have separate folders inside one single vault and keep things organized. However, there exists also the very famous “Zettelkasten” method, where there are no (or very few) sub-folders inside the vault. Instead, it uses tags and filters for organizing files. First, you may take a look at some of the in-built features of obsidian here.
On first launch Obsidian asks you to create a vault or open an existing folder as one. Since a vault is just a folder of Markdown files, an old notes folder works from day one. Pick a normal folder in your home directory.
You can read more about PKM (personal knowledge management) systems in Obsidian’s knowledge management category.
How to Install Third-Party Plugins in Obsidian
Once you have covered the basics, you can install additional third-party plugins in Obsidian too! Every addon has a GitHub page you can look into for the installation procedure, but there’s a standard procedure to it nonetheless. Let’s see what it is.
To install third-party plugins first you’ll need to enable them in the settings menu. To do that, open up Settings (click on the gear icon near the down-left corner) open up Community Plugins, and finally click on Turn on community plugins.
Once enabled, you can now browse them and pick and choose any one you like.
For example, say I want to install the Iconize plugin. To do that, I’d navigate to the Iconize plugin from the Browse page, then click on Install.
After the necessary files are downloaded, we’d need to enable the plugin by clicking on the enable button. Finally, the installation is complete and we can further tweak the settings of the plugin if need be.
Community plugins run third-party code, so Obsidian keeps them off in Restricted Mode (the locked-down default) until you turn them on. Obsidian’s help page also says plugins never update by themselves.
To update them, open Settings and go to Community plugins. Select Check for updates, then choose Update all or update one plugin at a time.
Frequently asked questions
How do I install Obsidian on Ubuntu?
Download the .deb file from the Obsidian download page, then run sudo apt install ./obsidian_<version>_amd64.deb from that folder. APT installs any missing dependencies, which plain dpkg does not.
Is Obsidian free on Linux?
Yes. Obsidian is free for personal and commercial use, and the core app needs no account. Sync and Publish are paid add-ons, and a Catalyst license gives early access to insider builds.
Why does the Obsidian AppImage need libfuse2?
The AppImage runtime loads the FUSE 2 library to mount itself. Newer Ubuntu releases ship FUSE 3 only, so install libfuse2t64 on 24.04 and later or libfuse2 on 22.04.
Which Obsidian install method is best on Linux?
The DEB package or Flatpak works on most current Ubuntu releases. Snap suits automatic updates and the AppImage fits portable use. Choose one method so you avoid duplicate launchers.
Does Obsidian run on ARM Linux?
Yes, on 64-bit ARM. Obsidian publishes an arm64 AppImage and Flathub lists an aarch64 build, but the official .deb package is amd64 only.
How do I update Obsidian on Linux?
Snap and Flatpak update with snap refresh obsidian or flatpak update md.obsidian.Obsidian. The DEB and AppImage installs need a fresh download of the newest file from the Obsidian site.
Where does Obsidian store my notes on Linux?
Notes live in a vault, which is an ordinary folder of Markdown files in a place you choose. Uninstalling Obsidian leaves that folder untouched.
Conclusion
Install Obsidian on Linux with the format that matches your distro. Use the .deb package or Flatpak on current Ubuntu releases, Snap for automatic updates and the AppImage for a portable copy. Add libfuse2t64 for AppImages, keep one method only, then create a vault and turn on community plugins.