How To Install Postman on Linux Mint 22

Postman has become an essential tool for developers working with APIs, offering a powerful platform for testing, documenting, and sharing API calls. If you’re running Linux Mint 22 and need to incorporate Postman into your development workflow, this comprehensive guide will walk you through multiple installation methods. Whether you prefer using package managers or manual installation, you’ll find detailed instructions to get Postman up and running on your system. By the end of this article, you’ll not only have Postman installed but also understand how to use its basic features and troubleshoot common issues.

What is Postman?

Postman is a comprehensive API platform designed for development, testing, and documentation purposes. Originally created as a simple Chrome extension, it has evolved into a full-fledged application used by over 10 million developers and 500,000 companies worldwide. The platform provides a user-friendly interface for interacting with APIs, making it easier to send requests, review responses, and automate testing procedures.

Developers use Postman for various purposes, including:

• Creating and testing API endpoints
• Automating API tests
• Generating comprehensive API documentation
• Collaborating with team members on API development
• Monitoring API performance
• Mocking servers for frontend development

Postman offers both free and premium versions. The free version provides most essential features needed by individual developers, while the premium version adds advanced testing capabilities, team collaboration tools, and enhanced security features. The application is available for all major operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux, with Linux Mint 22 being fully supported.

Prerequisites for Installation

Before installing Postman on Linux Mint 22, ensure your system meets the following requirements:

• A computer running Linux Mint 22
• User account with sudo privileges for installation
• Stable internet connection to download the application
• Sufficient disk space (approximately 300MB for the application)
• Terminal basics knowledge for command execution
• Updated system packages

To update your system packages, open Terminal and run:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

This ensures that your system has the latest security updates and dependencies required for Postman installation. Having an updated system minimizes potential compatibility issues that might arise during installation or when running the application.

Method 1: Installing Postman using Snap

Snap is a package management system developed by Canonical that allows for easy installation of applications across different Linux distributions. Installing Postman via Snap is straightforward, but Linux Mint 22 includes a Snap blocker by default that needs to be removed first.

Step 1: Remove the Snap Blocker

Linux Mint, starting from version 20, includes a file that blocks Snap installations. To remove this blocker, execute:

sudo rm /etc/apt/preferences.d/nosnap.pref

Step 2: Install Snap

After removing the blocker, update your package lists and install Snap:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install snapd

Step 3: Install Postman via Snap

Once Snap is installed, you can easily install Postman with a single command:

sudo snap install postman

The system will download and install Postman automatically. Once completed, Postman should be available in your application menu or can be launched from Terminal by typing:

postman

Benefits of Using Snap for Postman Installation

Installing Postman via Snap offers several advantages:

• Automatic updates ensure you always have the latest version
• Self-contained package includes all dependencies
• Easy installation and removal process
• Consistent experience across different Linux distributions
• Sandboxed environment for enhanced security

Troubleshooting Snap Installation Issues

If you encounter problems with the Snap installation, try these solutions:

1. Snap service not running: If you receive an error that the Snap daemon isn’t running, restart it with:

   sudo systemctl restart snapd

2. Permission issues: Ensure your user account has proper permissions:

   sudo chown $USER:$USER ~/snap

3. Network connectivity problems: Verify your internet connection and check if Snap can access the repository:

   snap info postman

Method 2: Manual Installation of Postman

The manual installation method offers more control over where and how Postman is installed on your system. This approach is particularly useful if you prefer not to use package managers or if you’re experiencing issues with the Snap installation.

Step 1: Download the Latest Postman Package

First, download the Postman tarball from the official website. You can do this using the wget command:

wget https://dl.pstmn.io/download/latest/linux64 -O postman.tar.gz

This downloads the latest 64-bit version of Postman for Linux and saves it as postman.tar.gz.

Step 2: Extract the Archive

Create a directory for the application (if it doesn’t already exist) and extract the downloaded archive into it:

sudo tar -xzf postman.tar.gz -C /opt

This extracts the Postman files to the /opt directory, which is the standard location for third-party applications in Linux.

Step 3: Create a Symbolic Link

Create a symbolic link to make Postman executable from anywhere in the system:

sudo ln -s /opt/Postman/Postman /usr/bin/postman

This allows you to run Postman by simply typing “postman” in Terminal.

Step 4: Create a Desktop Entry

To make Postman accessible from your application menu and create a desktop icon, create a desktop entry file:

sudo nano /usr/share/applications/postman.desktop

Add the following content to the file:

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Name=Postman
Icon=/opt/Postman/app/resources/app/assets/icon.png
Exec="/opt/Postman/Postman"
Comment=Postman Desktop App
Categories=Development;Code;

Save the file (Ctrl+O, then Enter) and exit (Ctrl+X).

Step 5: Optional: Remove the Downloaded Archive

After successful installation, you can remove the downloaded tarball:

rm postman.tar.gz

Advantages of Manual Installation

Manual installation provides several benefits:

• Complete control over the installation process
• No dependency on package managers
• Ability to install specific versions if needed
• No automatic updates, allowing for version stability
• Installation in a standard location following Linux conventions

Troubleshooting Manual Installation Issues

If you encounter issues with the manual installation:

1. Permission denied errors: Ensure proper file permissions:

   sudo chmod +x /opt/Postman/Postman

2. Missing icon: If the icon doesn’t appear, verify the path in the desktop file:

   sudo nano /usr/share/applications/postman.desktop

   Ensure the Icon path is correct.

3. Dependency issues: Install required dependencies:

   sudo apt install libgconf-2-4 openssl

4. Path problems: If Postman doesn’t launch from Terminal, check your symbolic link:

   ls -la /usr/bin/postman

Method 3: Installing Postman via Flatpak/Flathub

Flatpak is another popular package management system for Linux distributions that offers sandboxed applications. Installing Postman through Flatpak provides a secure and isolated environment.

Step 1: Install Flatpak

First, install Flatpak on your Linux Mint 22 system:

sudo apt install flatpak

Step 2: Add the Flathub Repository

Add Flathub as a source for Flatpak applications:

flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

Step 3: Install Postman via Flatpak

Now install Postman from Flathub:

flatpak install flathub com.getpostman.Postman

Step 4: Launch Postman

After installation, you can launch Postman using:

flatpak run com.getpostman.Postman

Alternatively, you can find and launch Postman from your application menu.

Benefits of Flatpak Installation

Flatpak installation offers several advantages:

• Sandboxed environment for enhanced security
• Consistent runtime environment
• Availability of the latest versions
• No dependency conflicts with system libraries
• Works across different Linux distributions

Troubleshooting Flatpak Installation Issues

If you encounter problems with Flatpak installation:

1. Login crashes: Some users report Postman crashing after login with Flatpak. Install openssl:

   sudo apt install openssl

2. Missing files: If you encounter crashes due to missing files, try:

   flatpak uninstall com.getpostman.Postman
   flatpak install flathub com.getpostman.Postman

3. Permission issues: Check Flatpak permissions with Flatseal (install if needed):

   sudo apt install flatseal

Getting Started with Postman

After successfully installing Postman on your Linux Mint 22 system, let’s explore how to get started with the application.

First Launch Experience

When you first launch Postman, you’ll be greeted with a sign-in screen. You have the option to:

• Sign in with an existing Postman account
• Create a new Postman account
• Skip sign-in and use Postman without an account

While creating an account enables cloud synchronization and team collaboration features, you can use Postman’s core functionality without an account.

Understanding the Postman Interface

The Postman interface consists of several key components:

• Sidebar: Contains your collections, environments, and other saved items
• Request builder: Where you create and configure requests
• Response panel: Displays the responses to your requests
• Environment selector: Allows you to switch between different environments
• Collection runner: Enables running multiple requests in sequence

Creating Your First Request

To create a basic API request:

1. Click the “+” button to open a new request tab
2. Select the HTTP method from the dropdown (GET, POST, PUT, etc.)
3. Enter the request URL in the address bar
4. Add any necessary headers, parameters, or body content
5. Click “Send” to execute the request
6. View the response in the panel below

For example, to test a simple GET request:

• Method: GET
• URL: https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts/1
• Click “Send” to see the response

Basic Postman Usage Guide

Let’s explore some fundamental features of Postman that will help you in API development and testing.

Working with Different Request Types

Postman supports various HTTP methods:

• GET: Retrieve data from a specified resource
• POST: Submit data to be processed to a specified resource
• PUT: Update a specified resource
• DELETE: Delete a specified resource
• PATCH: Apply partial modifications to a resource
• OPTIONS: Describe the communication options for the target resource

Setting Up Request Parameters

Query parameters can be added in two ways:

1. Directly in the URL: https://api.example.com/users?id=123&role=admin
2. Using the “Params” tab: Add key-value pairs which will be automatically appended to the URL

Configuring Headers and Body Content

To add headers:

1. Click on the “Headers” tab
2. Add key-value pairs for each header
3. Common headers include Content-Type, Authorization, and Accept

For requests with body content (POST/PUT/PATCH):

1. Click on the “Body” tab
2. Select the appropriate format (raw JSON, form-data, x-www-form-urlencoded, etc.)
3. Enter your data according to the selected format

Organizing in Collections

Collections help organize related requests:

1. Click “New Collection” in the sidebar
2. Name your collection and add a description
3. Create folders within collections for further organization
4. Drag and drop requests into collections or folders

Testing API Responses

Postman allows you to write tests for your API responses:

1. Click on the “Tests” tab
2. Write JavaScript code to validate response status, body, headers, etc.
3. Use Postman’s built-in testing functions like pm.test()

Example test script:

pm.test("Status code is 200", function () {
    pm.response.to.have.status(200);
});

pm.test("Response has expected data", function () {
    var jsonData = pm.response.json();
    pm.expect(jsonData.name).to.eql("Example Name");
});

Troubleshooting Common Installation Issues

Despite following installation instructions carefully, you might encounter issues. Here are solutions to common problems:

Permission-Related Problems

If you receive “Permission denied” errors:

• Ensure you’re using sudo for commands that require administrator privileges
• Check file permissions with ls -la and adjust if needed with chmod
• Verify ownership of installation directories with chown

Dependency Conflicts

Missing dependencies can cause Postman to crash or fail to start:

• Install commonly required packages: sudo apt install libgconf-2-4 openssl
• Check application logs for specific dependency errors: journalctl -xe
• For Flatpak installations, make sure the runtime is properly installed

Display or Graphical Issues

If Postman launches but displays incorrectly:

• Update your graphics drivers
• Try launching with hardware acceleration disabled:

  postman --disable-gpu

• Check if your desktop environment has compatibility issues with Electron apps

Network-Related Installation Problems

If you cannot download Postman or its dependencies:

• Verify your internet connection
• Check if a proxy or firewall is blocking downloads
• Try using a different network if possible
• Use a VPN if your location restricts access to download servers

Updating Postman on Linux Mint 22

Keeping Postman updated ensures you have the latest features, security patches, and bug fixes.

Updating Snap Installations

Snap packages update automatically by default. To manually check for updates:

sudo snap refresh postman

Updating Manual Installations

For manually installed versions:

1. Download the latest version using the same method as installation
2. Extract the new version to replace the existing files:

   sudo tar -xzf postman.tar.gz -C /opt

3. The symbolic link should still work if the path hasn’t changed

Updating Flatpak Installations

Update Postman installed via Flatpak:

flatpak update com.getpostman.Postman

Or update all Flatpak applications:

flatpak update

Uninstalling Postman

If you need to remove Postman from your system, the process depends on the installation method you used.

Removing Snap Installation

To remove Postman installed via Snap:

sudo snap remove postman

Removing Manual Installation

For manually installed Postman:

sudo rm -rf /opt/Postman
sudo rm /usr/bin/postman
sudo rm /usr/share/applications/postman.desktop

Removing Flatpak Installation

Uninstall Postman installed through Flatpak:

flatpak uninstall com.getpostman.Postman

To completely remove all related data:

flatpak uninstall --delete-data com.getpostman.Postman

Performance Optimization

To ensure Postman runs efficiently on your Linux Mint 22 system, consider these optimization tips:

Memory Usage Management

Postman can be memory-intensive, especially with large collections:

• Close unused tabs within Postman
• Consider increasing available system swap if you have limited RAM
• Monitor memory usage with htop or System Monitor

Startup Optimization

To improve Postman’s startup time:

• Add Postman to your startup applications if you use it frequently
• Consider using the lightweight version if available
• Keep your collections well-organized to reduce loading time

Working with Large Collections

When dealing with extensive API collections:

• Break collections into smaller, logical groups
• Use folders to organize requests
• Take advantage of Postman’s search functionality
• Consider exporting rarely used collections and importing them only when needed

Cache Management

Regular cache cleaning can improve performance:

• For manual installations: rm -rf ~/.config/Postman/Cache/*
• For Flatpak: rm -rf ~/.var/app/com.getpostman.Postman/config/Postman/Cache/*
• For Snap: rm -rf ~/snap/postman/current/.config/Postman/Cache/*

Comparing Installation Methods

Each installation method has its advantages and drawbacks. Here’s a comparison to help you choose the most suitable approach for your needs:

Recommendations:

• For beginners: Use Snap or Flatpak for simplicity
• For advanced users: Consider manual installation for greater control
• For enterprise environments: Manual installation allows for specific version deployment
• For security-focused users: Flatpak or Snap provide better application isolation

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Postman. Thanks for using this tutorial for installing the Postman on Linux Mint 22 system. For additional help or useful information, we recommend you check the official Postman website.