🚀 Complete Guide: Installing LazyVim on Ubuntu (Step-by-Step)

This guide walks you through installing Neovim, LazyVim, and all required tools including Git, Node.js, Tree-sitter, ripgrep, fd, fzf, Kitty terminal, and fonts — everything needed for a smooth modern Neovim setup.

🧩 Requirements Overview

LazyVim depends on:

• Neovim (latest)
• Git
• Node.js (for LSPs & Tree-sitter)
• Tree-sitter CLI
• ripgrep
• fd
• fzf
• Nerd Font (JetBrainsMono recommended)
• Kitty terminal (optional but recommended)

1️⃣ Install Neovim (Latest Version)

Option 1: Prebuilt Binary (Recommended)

curl -LO https://github.com/neovim/neovim/releases/latest/download/nvim-linux-x86_64.tar.gz
sudo rm -rf /opt/nvim-linux-x86_64
sudo tar -C /opt -xzf nvim-linux-x86_64.tar.gz

Add to PATH:

echo 'export PATH="$PATH:/opt/nvim-linux-x86_64/bin"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

Verify:

nvim --version

2️⃣ Install Git

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y git

3️⃣ Install Nerd Font (JetBrainsMono)

mkdir -p ~/.fonts
cd ~/.fonts
curl -LO https://github.com/ryanoasis/nerd-fonts/releases/latest/download/JetBrainsMono.zip
unzip JetBrainsMono.zip
fc-cache -fv

👉 Set your terminal font to JetBrainsMono Nerd Font

4️⃣ Install Node.js (Required for Tree-sitter & LSPs)

curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.3/install.sh | bash
source ~/.bashrc
nvm install 24

Verify:

node -v
npm -v

5️⃣ Install Tree-sitter CLI

npm install -g tree-sitter-cli

6️⃣ Install ripgrep

curl -LO https://github.com/BurntSushi/ripgrep/releases/download/14.1.1/ripgrep_14.1.1-1_amd64.deb
sudo dpkg -i ripgrep_14.1.1-1_amd64.deb

7️⃣ Install fd (fd-find)

sudo apt install -y fd-find
mkdir -p ~/.local/bin
ln -s $(which fdfind) ~/.local/bin/fd

Add to PATH if needed:

echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

Verify:

fd --version

8️⃣ Install fzf

sudo apt install -y fzf

9️⃣ Install Kitty Terminal (Optional but Recommended)

curl -L https://sw.kovidgoyal.net/kitty/installer.sh | sh /dev/stdin
mkdir -p ~/.local/bin
ln -s ~/.local/kitty.app/bin/kitty ~/.local/bin/kitty
ln -s ~/.local/kitty.app/bin/kitten ~/.local/bin/kitten

Verify:

kitty --version

🔟 Install LazyVim

Backup existing config (important)

mv ~/.config/nvim{,.bak}
mv ~/.local/share/nvim{,.bak}
mv ~/.local/state/nvim{,.bak}
mv ~/.cache/nvim{,.bak}

Clone LazyVim starter

git clone https://github.com/LazyVim/starter ~/.config/nvim
rm -rf ~/.config/nvim/.git

Launch Neovim

nvim

LazyVim will automatically install all plugins.

Run this inside Neovim once:

:LazyHealth

✅ One-Command Installer Script (Recommended)

Save this as install-lazyvim.sh and run once.

#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -e

echo "🚀 Installing LazyVim Environment..."

# Base tools
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y git curl unzip fzf fd-find

# Node + npm
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.3/install.sh | bash
export NVM_DIR="$HOME/.nvm"
source "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh"
nvm install 24

# Tree-sitter
npm install -g tree-sitter-cli

# Ripgrep
curl -LO https://github.com/BurntSushi/ripgrep/releases/download/14.1.1/ripgrep_14.1.1-1_amd64.deb
sudo dpkg -i ripgrep_14.1.1-1_amd64.deb

# fd
mkdir -p ~/.local/bin
ln -sf $(which fdfind) ~/.local/bin/fd

# Neovim
curl -LO https://github.com/neovim/neovim/releases/latest/download/nvim-linux-x86_64.tar.gz
sudo rm -rf /opt/nvim-linux-x86_64
sudo tar -C /opt -xzf nvim-linux-x86_64.tar.gz
echo 'export PATH="$PATH:/opt/nvim-linux-x86_64/bin"' >> ~/.bashrc

# Kitty
curl -L https://sw.kovidgoyal.net/kitty/installer.sh | sh /dev/stdin
ln -sf ~/.local/kitty.app/bin/kitty ~/.local/bin/kitty

# Nerd Font
mkdir -p ~/.fonts
curl -LO https://github.com/ryanoasis/nerd-fonts/releases/latest/download/JetBrainsMono.zip
unzip -o JetBrainsMono.zip -d ~/.fonts
fc-cache -fv

# LazyVim
mv ~/.config/nvim{,.bak} 2>/dev/null || true
git clone https://github.com/LazyVim/starter ~/.config/nvim
rm -rf ~/.config/nvim/.git

echo "✅ Installation complete! Restart your terminal and run: nvim"

Make it executable and run:

chmod +x install-lazyvim.sh
./install-lazyvim.sh