Keep Cursor IDE Updated Automatically on Linux with cursor-updater

Source: Dev.to

Introduction

If you use Cursor IDE on Linux, you’ve probably noticed that updates aren’t exactly smooth. Cursor ships as an AppImage, which means updates usually involve downloading a new file and replacing the old one manually.

cursor-updater is a small, reliable Linux updater that keeps Cursor up to date automatically using Cursor’s official download API. This guide explains why it exists, how it works, and how to set it up in minutes.

Why a Updater Is Needed

Updating Cursor IDE on Linux typically requires:

• Manually checking for a new version
• Downloading a new AppImage
• Replacing the old file
• Fixing permissions
• Updating symlinks

Doing this once or twice is fine, but it becomes annoying if you use Cursor daily and want to stay current.

Features

• ✅ Fetches the latest Cursor release via the official API
• ✅ Downloads and installs the AppImage automatically
• ✅ Creates timestamped backups before updating
• ✅ Manages symlinks cleanly
• ✅ Supports stable and insiders tracks
• ✅ Can run automatically using systemd timers
• No GUI, no Electron wrapper – just a tool that does one job well

Installation

Quick Install

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/takiuddinahmed/cursor-updater/main/scripts/install.sh | bash

This script will:

• Install update-cursor to /usr/local/bin
• Optionally install a systemd service + timer for auto‑updates

Manual Install (Inspect the Code First)

git clone https://github.com/takiuddinahmed/cursor-updater.git
cd cursor-updater
./scripts/install.sh

Usage

Update to the Latest Stable Release

sudo update-cursor

Update to the Insiders Track

sudo update-cursor insiders

Internals

The updater performs the following steps:

1. Detects CPU architecture (x86_64 or ARM64)
2. Calls Cursor’s official download API
3. Resolves the correct AppImage URL
4. Creates a timestamped backup
5. Installs the new AppImage to /opt/cursor/
6. Updates the /usr/local/bin/cursor symlink

Core Logic Excerpt (Bash)

ARCH="$(uname -m)"
case "$ARCH" in
  x86_64) PLATFORM="linux-x64" ;;
  aarch64|arm64) PLATFORM="linux-arm64" ;;
esac

API_URL="https://www.cursor.com/api/download?platform=${PLATFORM}&releaseTrack=${TRACK}"
JSON="$(curl -fsSL --retry 5 "$API_URL")"

DOWNLOAD_URL="$(parse_json "$JSON")"
curl -fL -o "$TMP_APP" "$DOWNLOAD_URL"

• Uses python3 if available (recommended)
• Falls back to sed/grep for minimal systems
• Includes validation so empty or invalid API responses fail safely

Systemd Timer Integration

Enable Daily Updates

sudo systemctl enable --now cursor-update.timer

Check Timer Status

systemctl status cursor-update.timer

View Logs

journalctl -u cursor-update.service

Switch to Weekly Updates

Edit /etc/systemd/system/cursor-update.timer and change:

OnCalendar=daily

to

OnCalendar=weekly

Uninstall

./scripts/uninstall.sh

This removes the updater and optionally disables the timer.

Contributing & Links

• Issues, pull requests, and ideas are welcome:
• GitHub profile:
• Personal site:
• LinkedIn:

If you want Cursor updates to behave more like a package manager—without waiting for official distro support—this tool does exactly that. Install it once and forget about manual updates.