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Windsurf / Devin Desktop Installation Guide

Install Windsurf, now shipped as Devin Desktop, from the official Codeium apt and yum repositories, import your Cursor or VS Code settings and start an agent session.

Windsurf is an AI editor built on the Codeium engine. It has been rebranded to Devin Desktop by Cognition — the Linux packages are now called devin-desktop, and the windsurf package remains as a transitional alias.

System Requirements

  • macOS — Yosemite (10.10) or newer
  • Windows — Windows 10 or newer
  • Linux — glibc 2.28+, glibcxx 3.4.25+ (Ubuntu 20, Debian 10, Fedora 36, RHEL 8)
  • A Devin account (the free tier is enough to start)

Installation Instructions

Ubuntu / Debian (apt)

# Install the prerequisites
sudo apt-get install -y wget gpg
 
# Import the signing key
wget -qO- "https://windsurf-stable.codeiumdata.com/wVxQEIWkwPUEAGf3/windsurf.gpg" \
  | gpg --dearmor > windsurf-stable.gpg
sudo install -D -o root -g root -m 644 windsurf-stable.gpg \
  /etc/apt/keyrings/windsurf-stable.gpg
rm -f windsurf-stable.gpg
 
# Add the repository
echo "deb [arch=amd64 signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/windsurf-stable.gpg] https://windsurf-stable.codeiumdata.com/wVxQEIWkwPUEAGf3/apt stable main" \
  | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/windsurf.list > /dev/null
 
# Install
sudo apt install -y apt-transport-https
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y devin-desktop

The windsurf package is still published and pulls in devin-desktop, so you can install either one:

sudo apt install -y windsurf

First Run

  1. Launch the editor and pick your theme.
  2. Leave "Install devin-desktop terminal command" checked so you can open projects from a terminal: 
    devin-desktop ~/Developer/my-project
  3. Import your existing settings — both VS Code and Cursor configurations are supported.
  4. Sign in with your Devin account, or provide a Devin API key for manual authentication.

Working with the Agent

The starting page is centred on the agent input. A good first session in an unfamiliar repository:

Explore my codebase and diagram how it works
FeatureWhat it is for
CascadeThe agent loop: it plans, edits files, runs commands and reports back
WorkflowsAutomate repetitive multi-step trajectories
Memories and rulesPersistent instructions and preferences for the agent
MCPExtend the agent with external tools and data sources
Context AwarenessFast retrieval of the files relevant to your prompt
App DeploysShip the result to a deployed application

Troubleshooting

Best Practices

  1. Import your Cursor or VS Code settings during onboarding so you keep your keybindings and extensions.
  2. Start with an exploration prompt before asking for changes.
  3. Use Workflows for repetitive tasks you would otherwise spell out every time.
  4. Keep rules and memories in version control so the team shares them.
  5. Review each diff before accepting the agent's work.
  6. Check the devin-desktop package name in your automation — the windsurf alias is transitional.
  7. Install the terminal command so you can open projects from a shell.

Next Steps

Zed

Install the open-source Zed editor with its install script, pin a specific version, migrate your VS Code settings and use the built-in agent panel and inline assistant.

Kiro

Install AWS Kiro, the agentic IDE for spec-driven development, and connect the CLI, web and cloud surfaces to the same project context.