Linux Installation
Instructions for installing Jan on Linux. In the .deb and AppImage commands below, replace {version} with the version in your downloaded filename (without a leading v). Run each command from the directory containing that file. For example, a file named Jan_0.8.6_amd64.deb uses 0.8.6 in place of {version}.
Install Jan
Flatpak is the recommended way to install Jan on Linux. It runs on any distribution and updates automatically through Flathub. Use the .deb or AppImage only if you can't use Flatpak.
Install from Flathub:
flatpak install flathub ai.jan.JanThen launch it:
flatpak run ai.jan.JanIf you don't have the Flathub remote set up yet:
flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepoDownload the .deb, then install it:
sudo apt-get install ./Jan_{version}_amd64.debOr with dpkg:
sudo dpkg -i ./Jan_{version}_amd64.debDownload the AppImage, then run it:
chmod +x ./Jan_{version}_amd64.AppImage
./Jan_{version}_amd64.AppImageUpdating Jan
How Jan updates depends on which package you installed:
Flatpak updates through Flathub along with the rest of your system. The in-app updater is disabled — your package manager handles it:
flatpak update ai.jan.JanThe AppImage supports Jan's built-in auto-updater. When a new release is available, Jan downloads and applies it in place, then restarts.
The .deb package is not updated by the in-app updater — the auto-updater only ships the AppImage as the Linux update artifact. Update the .deb manually by downloading the latest package and reinstalling. Replace {version} with the version in the newly downloaded filename:
sudo apt-get install ./Jan_{version}_amd64.debYour data and settings (by default under ~/.local/share/Jan) are preserved across reinstalls.
Compatibility
- OS: Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora/RHEL, Arch, openSUSE
- CPU: AVX2 required — Intel Haswell (2013+), AMD Excavator (2015+)
- Memory: 8GB minimum (16GB recommended)
- GPU: 6GB VRAM minimum
- Storage: 10GB free space minimum
Jan Data Folder
Jan stores all your data locally — downloaded models, conversation threads, settings, and logs generated from using the app. Nothing is sent to the cloud.
Default locations depend on the installation method:
| Installation | Data folder | Configuration file (records the data folder location) |
|---|---|---|
| Flatpak | ~/.var/app/ai.jan.Jan/data/Jan/data | ~/.var/app/ai.jan.Jan/data/Jan/settings.json |
.deb / AppImage | ~/.local/share/Jan/data | ~/.local/share/Jan/settings.json |
Jan resolves these locations via XDG_DATA_HOME unless overridden. Flatpak sets its own XDG directories under ~/.var/app/ai.jan.Jan/, including data and config. Older configuration files may be recovered from ~/.var/app/ai.jan.Jan/config/Jan/ (Flatpak) or ~/.config/Jan/ (native, via XDG_CONFIG_HOME). A custom data folder can be elsewhere; check its location in Jan before removing data.
See Jan Data Folder for details.
GPU Acceleration
Configuration for GPU support:
Step 1: Verify Hardware & Install Dependencies
1.1. Check GPU Detection
lspci | grep -i nvidia1.2. Install Required components
NVIDIA Driver:
- Install the NVIDIA Driver, ideally via your package manager.
- Verify:
nvidia-smiJan bundles its CUDA 13 engine and runtime libraries. Installing the CUDA Toolkit, GCC, or a custom LD_LIBRARY_PATH is not required to run the packaged app. GPUs or drivers that cannot use CUDA 13 use Vulkan instead. For Vulkan fallback, install your distribution's Vulkan loader and a Vulkan-capable NVIDIA driver; since v0.8.6, the AppImage uses your system's Vulkan loader.
Step 2: Enable GPU Acceleration
Navigate to Settings () > Hardware > GPUs and turn on your GPU's switch if disabled. Jan uses the backends bundled with the app; there is no backend version to download or select in Model Providers. See Hardware Backends.
Install your distribution's Vulkan loader and a Vulkan-capable graphics driver. Since v0.8.6, the AppImage uses your system's Vulkan loader.
- Navigate to Settings () > Hardware > GPUs
- Turn on your GPU's switch if disabled. Jan uses its bundled Vulkan backend. Details in our guide.
Install your distribution's Vulkan loader and a Vulkan-capable graphics driver. Since v0.8.6, the AppImage uses your system's Vulkan loader.
- Navigate to Settings () > Hardware > GPUs
- Turn on your GPU's switch if disabled. Jan uses its bundled Vulkan backend. Details in our guide.
Uninstall Jan
Removal commands:
To uninstall while keeping your data:
flatpak uninstall ai.jan.JanTo also remove the current user's Flatpak data:
--delete-data permanently deletes ~/.var/app/ai.jan.Jan/, including models, conversations, settings, and logs stored there, and resets the app's permissions. Back up anything you need first. Do not use it if you are keeping another Flatpak installation or branch of Jan with the same app ID: they share this data.
flatpak uninstall --delete-data ai.jan.JanAs explained in the Flathub uninstall guide, data outside this directory is not removed. Leave native Jan directories (~/.local/share/Jan and ~/.config/Jan) and any custom data folders intact unless you separately intend to delete them; they may be used by another installation.
sudo apt-get remove jan
rm -rf ~/.local/share/Jan # data folder (models, threads, logs)
rm -rf ~/.config/Jan # app configurationrm ./Jan_{version}_amd64.AppImage
rm -rf ~/.local/share/Jan # data folder (models, threads, logs)
rm -rf ~/.config/Jan # app configurationThe rm -rf commands in the native-install tabs permanently delete the default native data and configuration directories, which may be shared by .deb and AppImage installations. Omit them to preserve data or another installation. They do not cover custom data folders or overridden XDG paths.