Installation & Setup

This guide will get Cursor installed and configured with your preferences in just 10 minutes. We’ll cover platform-specific installation, VS Code migration, and essential first-launch settings.

Quick Install by Platform

macOS

Option 1: Direct Download (Recommended)

# Download from cursor.com
curl -L https://cursor.com/download/mac -o cursor.dmg

# Mount and install
hdiutil attach cursor.dmg
cp -R /Volumes/Cursor/Cursor.app /Applications/
hdiutil detach /Volumes/Cursor

Option 2: Homebrew

brew install --cask cursor

First Launch Security

When first opening Cursor, macOS may show a security prompt:

1. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security
2. Click “Open Anyway” next to the Cursor message
3. Enter your password when prompted

Windows

Option 1: Direct Installer

1. Download from cursor.com/download/win
2. Run Cursor-Setup.exe
3. Follow the installation wizard
4. Cursor installs to %APPDATA%\Local\Programs\cursor

Option 2: Package Manager

# Using winget
winget install Anysphere.Cursor

# Or using Chocolatey
choco install cursor

Add to PATH (Optional)

To use cursor command in terminal:

1. Open Cursor
2. Press Ctrl+Shift+P
3. Run: “Install ‘cursor’ command in PATH”

Linux

AppImage Installation

# Download appropriate version
curl -L https://cursor.com/download/linux-x64 -o cursor.AppImage

# Make executable
chmod +x cursor.AppImage

# Install libfuse2 if needed (Ubuntu/Debian)
sudo apt install libfuse2

# Run directly or install system-wide
./cursor.AppImage

# Optional: Install system-wide
sudo mv cursor.AppImage /opt/
sudo ln -s /opt/cursor.AppImage /usr/local/bin/cursor

Create Desktop Entry

cat > ~/.local/share/applications/cursor.desktop << EOF
[Desktop Entry]
Name=Cursor
Exec=/opt/cursor.AppImage --no-sandbox %F
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Icon=cursor
StartupWMClass=Cursor
Categories=Development;IDE;
EOF

VS Code Migration (2 minutes)

Tip

If you’re coming from VS Code, Cursor can import all your settings, extensions, and keybindings in one click.

Automatic Import

1. Open Cursor Settings Press Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + J or navigate to Settings

2. Navigate to General → Account Look for the VS Code section

3. Click “Import from VS Code” Cursor will automatically detect and import:

   • All installed extensions
   • User settings and preferences
   • Keyboard shortcuts
   • Snippets and tasks
   • Theme selections

4. Restart Cursor Changes take effect after restart

Manual Migration (If Needed)

If automatic import fails, you can manually copy settings:

macOS/Linux

# Copy VS Code settings to Cursor
cp ~/.config/Code/User/settings.json ~/.config/Cursor/User/
cp ~/.config/Code/User/keybindings.json ~/.config/Cursor/User/
cp -r ~/.config/Code/User/snippets ~/.config/Cursor/User/

Windows

# Copy VS Code settings to Cursor
copy %APPDATA%\Code\User\settings.json %APPDATA%\Cursor\User\
copy %APPDATA%\Code\User\keybindings.json %APPDATA%\Cursor\User\
xcopy %APPDATA%\Code\User\snippets %APPDATA%\Cursor\User\snippets /E /I

Shell Command Installation

Enable the cursor and code commands for terminal usage:

1. Open Command Palette: Cmd/Ctrl + P
2. Type “Install” to filter commands
3. Select Install 'cursor' command in PATH
4. Repeat for Install 'code' command in PATH

Now you can open projects from terminal:

cursor ./my-project
code ./another-project  # Also works for VS Code compatibility

First Launch Configuration

1. Privacy Mode Setup

Critical for Enterprise

Enable Privacy Mode to ensure your code is never used for training and is not retained beyond the session.

1. Open Settings: Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + J
2. Navigate to General → Privacy
3. Enable Privacy Mode
4. Verify the status shows: “Privacy Mode enabled: code will not be stored”

2. Account Creation

While Cursor works without an account, signing up unlocks all AI features:

1. Click Sign Up in the welcome screen
2. Choose authentication method:
   • Email/Password
   • GitHub (Recommended for team features)
   • Google
3. Select your plan:
   • Free: Limited AI requests
   • Pro: $20/month, 500 fast requests
   • Business: $40/user/month, team features

3. Initial Workspace Setup

New Project

# Create project directory
mkdir my-ai-project && cd my-ai-project

# Initialize git
git init

# Open in Cursor
cursor .

Existing Project

# Navigate to your project
cd path/to/your-project

# Open in Cursor
cursor .

# Cursor will begin indexing automatically

Indexing Your Codebase

Note

Indexing is crucial for AI understanding. It typically takes 1-15 minutes depending on project size.

When you open a project, Cursor automatically:

1. Scans all files in your workspace
2. Creates semantic embeddings for AI context
3. Builds a search index for fast retrieval
4. Monitors changes to keep index current

Monitor Indexing Progress

1. Open Settings: Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + J
2. Navigate to Indexing & Docs
3. View progress and statistics

Indexing Indicators

• Status Bar: Shows “Indexing…” with progress
• AI Quality: Improves as indexing completes
• Search Accuracy: Becomes more precise
• Context Relevance: Better file suggestions

Quick Settings Tour

Essential settings to review before starting:

Theme

Settings → Themes

Choose your preferred color scheme

Font Size

Settings → Editor

Adjust editor and terminal font sizes

Auto-Save

Settings → Files

Enable auto-save for smoother AI workflows

Format on Save

Settings → Editor

Auto-format code when saving

Verify Installation

Run this quick check to ensure everything is working:

1. Open terminal in Cursor: Ctrl + `
2. Check Node.js: node --version (Should be 18+)
3. Check Git: git --version
4. Test AI: Press Cmd/Ctrl + K and type “Hello”

Tip

If you see an AI response to “Hello”, your installation is complete!

Common Installation Issues

macOS

“Cursor is damaged and can’t be opened”

xattr -cr /Applications/Cursor.app

Command not found: cursor

• Restart terminal after installation
• Manually add to PATH: export PATH="$PATH:/Applications/Cursor.app/Contents/Resources/app/bin"

Windows

Installation hangs

• Disable antivirus temporarily
• Run installer as Administrator
• Check Windows Defender exclusions

Extensions not loading

• Clear extension cache: %APPDATA%\Cursor\CachedExtensions
• Reinstall problematic extensions

Linux

FUSE errors

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install libfuse2

# Fedora
sudo dnf install fuse

# Arch
sudo pacman -S fuse2

GPU/Display issues

# Launch with disabled GPU
cursor --disable-gpu

Next Steps

Continue to Essential Configuration

Now that Cursor is installed, let’s configure the AI models and power features.

Essential Configuration →

Time: 15 minutes

Tip

Pro Tip: Keep Cursor open during the rest of this guide. We’ll be configuring settings and testing features hands-on.