Installing Scala On Linux

Scala runs on the Java Virtual Machine, so you’ll need Java 11 or later installed first. Check your current version:

java -version

If you don’t have Java installed, install it through your distribution’s package manager or use a tool like SDKMAN.

Installing via SDKMAN (Recommended)

SDKMAN is the most reliable way to manage Scala and other JVM tools. Install SDKMAN first if you haven’t:

curl -s "https://get.sdkman.io" | bash
source "$HOME/.sdkman/bin/sdkman-init.sh"

Then install Scala:

sdk install scala

This installs the latest stable version. To install a specific version:

sdk install scala 3.3.1

List available versions:

sdk list scala

Switch between installed versions:

sdk use scala 3.3.1

Installing from Official Distribution

Download the latest Scala release from scala-lang.org:

cd ~/Downloads
wget https://github.com/scala/scala/releases/download/v3.3.1/scala-3.3.1.tgz
tar -xzf scala-3.3.1.tgz
sudo mv scala-3.3.1 /opt/scala

Add Scala to your PATH by editing ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc:

export PATH="/opt/scala/bin:$PATH"

Reload your shell:

source ~/.bashrc

Verify the installation:

scala -version

Installing via Package Manager

Most distributions now carry reasonably current Scala packages:

Fedora/RHEL:

sudo dnf install scala

Debian/Ubuntu:

sudo apt install scala

Arch:

sudo pacman -S scala

Check what version your distro offers before installing this way — sometimes it lags behind the latest releases. If you need a newer version, use SDKMAN or the official distribution method.

Verification and Basic Usage

Verify installation worked:

scala -version
scala --version

Launch the interactive REPL:

scala

You’ll see the Scala prompt. Try a simple command:

scala> println("Hello, Scala")
Hello, Scala

Exit with Ctrl+D or :quit.

Create a simple Scala file to test compilation:

cat > HelloScala.scala << 'EOF'
object HelloScala {
  def main(args: Array[String]): Unit = {
    println("Hello from Scala!")
  }
}
EOF

Compile it:

scalac HelloScala.scala

Run it:

scala HelloScala

Troubleshooting

If scala command isn’t found after installation, verify the PATH is set correctly:

echo $PATH
which scala

Ensure the directory containing the scala binary is in your PATH. If using the official distribution, double-check the /opt/scala/bin symlink exists:

ls -la /opt/scala/bin/scala

If you’re behind a corporate proxy, configure it for SDKMAN:

export SDKMAN_CURL_CONNECT_TIMEOUT=15
export SDKMAN_CURL_TIMEOUT=120

For build tools like sbt (Scala Build Tool), install it separately:

sdk install sbt

Or via package manager:

sudo dnf install sbt        # Fedora
sudo apt install sbt        # Debian/Ubuntu

SDKMAN remains the cleanest approach for development since it isolates versions per-user and doesn’t require sudo.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

When encountering problems on Linux systems, follow a systematic approach. Check system logs first using journalctl for systemd-based distributions. Verify service status with systemctl before attempting restarts. For network issues, use ip addr and ss -tulpn to diagnose connectivity problems.

Package management issues often stem from stale caches. Run dnf clean all on Fedora or apt clean on Ubuntu before retrying failed installations. If a package has unmet dependencies, try resolving them with dnf autoremove or apt autoremove.

Related System Commands

These commands are frequently used alongside the tools discussed in this article:

systemctl status service-name – Check if a service is running
journalctl -u service-name -f – Follow service logs in real time
rpm -qi package-name – Query installed package information
dnf history – View package transaction history
top or htop – Monitor system resource usage

Quick Verification

After applying the changes described above, verify that everything works as expected. Run the relevant commands to confirm the new configuration is active. Check system logs for any errors or warnings that might indicate problems. If something does not work as expected, review the steps carefully and consult the official documentation for your specific version.

Installing Scala on Linux