How to update Sublime Text-3 in Ubuntu 16.04?

Follow the steps given below:

  1. Download the latest version of Sublime Text 3 (at this time, it is Build-3126) as a .deb package

  2. Install GDebi Package Installer (if not installed).

  3. Then remove Sublime Text 3 (Build-3114) by opening its .deb package(which you downloaded earlier) using GDebi Package Installer and then click on Remove Package.

  4. Then open the .deb package of the latest Sublime Text 3 version (probably, Build-3126) using GDebi Package Installer and click Install Package and install Sublime Text 3 Build-3126.

All your configurations (packages installed and other customisations) in Sublime Text 3 which you did earlier will be restored automatically even after following the above procedure. So you need not worry about installing the packages again. You will find those customisations and packages automatically in the latest version you have installed, because updating through this procedure doesn't remove/purge Sublime Text 3 configuration files.

This procedure works also for other code editors like Visual Studio Code and Atom. I have myself tested and verified it.

But you have to install Package Control again.

EDIT: Sublime Text 3.0 has been released. To install it in Ubuntu, use apt package manager and run the commands given below one-by-one in terminal:

  1. Install the GPG key:

    wget -qO - https://download.sublimetext.com/sublimehq-pub.gpg | sudo apt-key add -
    
  2. Select the channel to use:

    • Stable

      echo "deb https://download.sublimetext.com/ apt/stable/" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/sublime-text.list
      
    • Dev

      echo "deb https://download.sublimetext.com/ apt/dev/" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/sublime-text.list
      
  3. Update apt sources and install Sublime Text

    sudo apt-get update
    sudo apt-get install sublime-text
    

Now whenever a Sublime Text update(after Sublime Text 3.0) will be available (depending on the channel you chose while installing Sublime Text), you can update it using Software Updater or by running the commands given below (one-by-one) in terminal:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade

Update or Install Sublime Text 3 in Ubuntu 16.04 or 18.04+.

  1. Check the path of your executable (e.g. subl) if you have one (if you know where your installation is e.g. in /opt/sublime_text you may skip this step):
cat $(which subl)

This will look inside the executable for the installation path.

Alternatively you can use a command like locate sublime_text/ to help you find the installation directory.

From the official website, the latest version as of editing is build 3211 (1 October 2019).

The 64-bit tarball can be downloaded there as well as the 32-bit one.

  1. Download and untar the file (one command):
curl https://download.sublimetext.com/sublime_text_3_build_3211_x64.tar.bz2 | tar vxj
  1. Overwrite your old installation e.g.
sudo cp -rf sublime_text_3/. /opt/sublime_text/
  1. Remove the extracted .bz2
rm -rf sublime_text_3

And you're done!

PS: adding the executable to your path e.g:

sudo ln -s /opt/sublime_text_3/sublime_text /usr/local/bin/subl

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:webupd8team/sublime-text-3
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install sublime-text-installer
sudo apt-get install sublime-text

Frankly speaking just copy and paste these commands in your terminal... and you are done ;-) ;-) if previously there sublime was absent in your Ubuntu ,it is now there...otherwise now it's updated... And also maintain the sequence .

Edit: Now, you can install it directly from software center (for 16.04 LTS).