HOW-TO · DEV
How to install and set up the Cursor IDE AI extension for AI-first coding
Target environment
Ubuntu 24.04 · Cursor 0.45.x
PREREQUISITES
Cursor IDE downloaded, internet connection
What this does
Cursor IDE is a fork of VS Code that places AI assistance at the center of the editing experience. It includes features such as AI code generation, inline predictions, a conversational debugger, and built-in access to multiple LLM backends. Setting up the IDE involves downloading the application, configuring a model provider, and enabling the core AI features for the first project.
Steps
- Run the downloaded installer and follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation.
- Launch Cursor IDE from the applications menu or terminal using
cursor. - On first launch, the welcome screen presents model options: choose Built-in (Default) for immediate access or select Custom to configure an external provider.
- Open the Settings panel via File → Preferences → Settings and navigate to AI.
- Enter the API key for the chosen provider if a custom backend is selected.
- Enable "Inline AI Completions" and "AI Code Actions" by toggling the corresponding switches to On.
- Open a workspace folder via File → Open Folder and create or open a source file to verify the AI bar appears at the bottom of the editor.
- Type a comment describing a function, such as
// fetch user data from API, and confirm that an AI-powered completion appears.
Verification
cursor --version
Expected output: a version string such as 0.45.x, confirming the binary is accessible from the shell.
Common failures
- API key rejected: Verify the key is copied without leading or trailing whitespace and that the provider account has available quota.
- AI completions silent: Check that the active file language is supported (Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Go, and others are enabled by default).
- Installation incomplete: Re-running the installer and choosing "Repair" corrects missing runtime dependencies on Windows.