Got it — here’s how to go from zero to running C# on Linux in a clean, beginner-friendly way.

1. Install .NET SDK

The .NET SDK is the tool you need to write and run C# code.

On most Linux distros:

Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install dotnet-sdk-8.0

(Replace 8.0 with the latest LTS version if needed — currently .NET 8.)

If your distro's repo is outdated, use Microsoft's official package repo:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y wget apt-transport-https
wget https://packages.microsoft.com/config/ubuntu/$(lsb_release -rs)/packages-microsoft-prod.deb
sudo dpkg -i packages-microsoft-prod.deb
sudo apt update
sudo apt install dotnet-sdk-8.0

2. Verify Installation

dotnet --version

You should see something like:

8.0.100

3. Create Your First C# Project

From your terminal:

mkdir MyFirstCSharpApp
cd MyFirstCSharpApp
dotnet new console

 

This creates:

  • Program.cs → your C# code
  • MyFirstCSharpApp.csproj → project file

 

4. Run the Program

dotnet run

You'll see:

Hello, World!

5. Edit the Code

Open Program.cs in a text editor (like nano, vim, or VS Code):

using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        if (args.Length == 0)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Usage: mycli <command> [options]");
            return;
        }

        string command = args[0].ToLower();

        switch (command)
        {
            case "greet":
                string name = args.Length > 1 ? args[1] : "World";
                Console.WriteLine($"Hello, {name}!");
                break;

            case "time":
                Console.WriteLine($"Current time: {DateTime.Now}");
                break;

            default:
                Console.WriteLine("Unknown command.");
                break;
        }
    }
}

Save the file, then run:

dotnet run