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Grok Bot Linux: Install, Hold And Update The Desktop App From Your Agent OS

By Julian Goldie · 2 November 2026 · agentos.guide

Grok Bot Linux and an Agent OS make a tidy pair on one machine: the Grok Bot app is your window onto Bots that work in the cloud, and your Agent OS handles the install, the version checks and the upkeep on the Linux box itself.

xAI builds the Linux desktop app for x64 and Arm64, per its Get Started guide.

This guide gives you a quick start, five prompts to paste into your Agent OS, and a fortnightly routine that stops the app ever locking you out.

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Who does what on a Linux desk

The deployment docs call the desktop app a client for chat, review and approvals.

That's why the split works so well on Linux: the package manager owns the client, your Agent OS drives the package manager, and the Bots never touch either.

Quick start in five moves

1. Check your plan: Grok Bot is included with Premium, Super and Ultra on The X Subscription, not Plus (plan page).
2. Find your CPU type with uname -m: x86_64 or aarch64.
3. Pick the format: .deb for Debian and Ubuntu, .rpm for Fedora and friends, AppImage for anything else.
4. Install, launch, and choose Sign in with your Cursor account.
5. Open Support → About from the account menu and note the version.

Prompt 1 below does steps two and three for you.

Look after more than one machine? Choose a package over the AppImage; the deployment docs favour packages for managed fleets because updates then move on your timetable.

The AppImage updates itself through Restart to Update, which is handy on a single laptop and awkward on ten.

Prompt 1: pick the right build and fetch it

Paste this into your Agent OS terminal tab.

Detect this machine's CPU (uname -m) and distro (/etc/os-release).
Then fetch the Grok Bot release feed for it:
  x86_64  -> https://api2.cursor.sh/updates/api/download/stable/linux-x64/sand
  aarch64 -> https://api2.cursor.sh/updates/api/download/stable/linux-arm64/sand
From the JSON, report version and commitSha, and pick:
  debUrl on Debian/Ubuntu, rpmUrl on Fedora/RPM systems,
  downloadUrl (the AppImage) on anything else.
Download that one file to ~/Downloads and show me the full URL you used.
Don't install anything yet.

The feed and its fields come straight from the deployment page, which says Linux download URLs include the build's commitSha.

Keep the full URL your agent prints; the docs recommend recording it alongside the version.

Prompt 2: install and confirm the repository

Install the Grok Bot package you just downloaded with the right tool
for this distro. Ask me before running anything with sudo.
After the install, confirm the repo file exists and show its contents:
  Debian/Ubuntu: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/grok-bot.sources
  Fedora/RPM:    /etc/yum.repos.d/grok-bot.repo
Write the version, the package type and the download URL to
~/agent-os/notes/grok-bot-linux.md.

That repo file is the whole point of the package route.

The docs say both repositories are signed, and each routine package upgrade then brings in the latest Grok Bot.

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Prompt 3: the fortnightly update check

This is the prompt that earns its keep.

On a .deb or .rpm install the app never updates itself; since V0.45.0 it only tells you a version is out, per the Grok Bot changelog.

Compare the installed Grok Bot version with the release feed for this
machine. If the feed is newer, show me the command and wait for my OK:
  Debian/Ubuntu: sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade grok-bot
  Fedora/RPM:    sudo dnf upgrade --refresh grok-bot
After the upgrade, remind me to restart Grok Bot, then log the old and
new versions with today's date in ~/agent-os/notes/grok-bot-linux.md.

Those two commands match the ones the troubleshooting page gives.

Run it every fortnight, because the same page warns that a build over a fortnight old gets locked behind Update required as soon as something newer ships.

Prompt 4: hold a tested version

I want to keep Grok Bot on the version I've tested.
On Debian/Ubuntu: run apt-mark hold grok-bot and confirm with apt-mark showhold.
On Fedora/RPM: set enabled=0 in /etc/yum.repos.d/grok-bot.repo.
Record what you changed and how to undo it in my notes, and add a
reminder for 10 days from now to release the hold and upgrade.

The deployment docs offer both routes: hold the package, or turn the repository off with Enabled: no or enabled=0.

The package keeps your on or off choice when it rewrites those files on later upgrades.

A held build still gets the Update required screen once it loses support, which is why the reminder is part of the prompt.

Prompt 5: check the network before you blame the app

Run the Grok Bot network checks from docs.x.ai/grok-bot/proxies:
  nslookup test.us9.cursorvm.com
  nslookup test.us9.cursorvm.com 1.1.1.1
  curl -v https://api2.cursor.sh 2>&1 | grep -C1 issuer:
Tell me whether the computer hostnames resolve, and whether the
certificate issuer is Amazon RSA or something else.

The proxy guide says the issuer should be Amazon RSA, and that a lookup which only works against 1.1.1.1 means the nested *.*.cursorvm.com exception is missing.

Chat can look perfectly healthy while the computer view refuses to connect, so this check saves a lot of head-scratching.

Linux quirks your agent should know about

Add these to your Agent OS notes so it doesn't chase ghosts.

• Hardware acceleration starts off on Linux. The settings docs say it's on for macOS and Windows; if a window flickers after you switch it on, turn it off and choose Restart Now.
• Notifications stay quiet while the app is focused. On Linux that's always the case, and alerts reach your phone instead.
• Hardware security keys aren't supported on Linux yet.
• Dictation is Ctrl+D with the prompt focused, a shortcut in place since V0.20.0.

Recent builds also tidied up Linux behaviour: V0.70.2 (11 October) fixed the app locking up, or refusing to close, while a notification was visible, and copied chat text now keeps curly quotes and non-English characters.

Since the 0.75.2 improvements, Grok Bot also picks up a local 1Password install and offers to link the two.

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What to keep out of your Agent OS

Two agents on one desk need clear lanes.

Let the Agent OS own the Linux machine: the package, the repo file, the notes and the network checks.

Let Grok Bot own the jobs on its cloud computer: the browser sessions, the inboxes and the connected apps.

Don't paste site passwords into either chat; the security docs say secrets go into the secure card the Bot shows, where the value is masked and kept out of the transcript.

The docs also describe a separate local-execution policy for the Mac or Windows computer in front of you, with Ask every time as the default.

Linux isn't named in that section, so let your Agent OS handle local commands on a Linux box and keep Grok Bot's work in the cloud.

On Enterprise, the one exception is networking: admins can install a VPN client such as Tailscale on each Bot's Linux computer with Team Setup Scripts, as the private networks page explains.

That's a dashboard job for an admin, not a prompt for your local agent.

The fortnightly routine, start to finish

1. Run Prompt 3 every other Monday.
2. If you're holding a version, Prompt 4's reminder fires first; test the new build on one machine, then release the hold.
3. Restart Grok Bot and check Support → About matches the new version.
4. If anything misbehaves, run Prompt 5 before you raise a ticket.
5. For a ticket, use Copy version info, which grabs the version, release track and OS in one go.

Your Bots keep working in the cloud through every one of these steps, so the routine never interrupts a running task.

Running a mixed Linux and Mac setup

If one of your machines is a Mac, the routine changes: one .dmg per chip, and updates are offered by the app rather than a package manager.

Our Grok Bot Mac guide covers that side of the desk.

On Linux, keep Prompts 3 and 4 in your Agent OS and you'll never see the block screen by surprise.

Prefer a human to plan the rollout with you? Book a free call with my team.

The full Agent OS, with these prompts saved as one-click jobs, lives inside the AI Profit Boardroom.

FAQ

Can my Agent OS update Grok Bot on Linux for me?

Yes, on .deb and .rpm installs. The app leaves updates to apt or dnf, so your agent can run the upgrade command once you approve it.

How often should the update prompt run?

Every fortnight. The troubleshooting docs say the app shows Update required once a version is more than 14 days old and a newer one is out.

Where does the agent find the latest Linux version?

In the release feed for linux-x64 or linux-arm64, which returns the version, the commitSha and the .deb, .rpm and AppImage URLs.

Will holding the package keep me on an old version forever?

No. A held build still gets the Update required screen once it loses support, so release the hold and upgrade regularly.

Final word on Grok Bot Linux

Paste Prompt 1 into your Agent OS now to grab the right build, then join the AI Profit Boardroom for the full Agent OS that keeps grok bot linux current.

Related guides on agentos.guide

→ Grok Bot Windows: Install And Run It In Your Agent OS

→ Grok Bot Computer Use: A Quick Start, Five Copy-Paste Prompts And A Daily Workflow In Your Agent OS

→ Grok Bot Connectors: Manage Apps In Your Agent OS

→ Grok Bot Android: Approve And Steer It In Your Agent OS

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