CortexIDE 1.4.9 Advanced Editor Review

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CortexIDE A Comprehensive Open-Source Code Editor for Developers

If you are looking for an AI-powered code editor that can boost your coding productivity with features like code completion, error detection, and intelligent suggestions, then CortexIDE is definitely worth considering. In this post, we will review CortexIDE, an open-source editor designed to make your programming tasks more efficient, especially when integrated with Local AI via Ollama and the Qwen 2.5-coder 7B model.

What is CortexIDE?

CortexIDE is an open-source, AI-driven code editor built to support modern development workflows. It integrates advanced AI models like Qwen 2.5-coder 7B to assist with real-time code generation, completion, error detection, and even code refactoring. This editor is designed for developers who want a smarter way to write code, helping them increase productivity without having to leave the editor.

Key Features

• Intelligent Code Completion: CortexIDE uses AI models like Qwen 2.5-coder to provide context-aware code suggestions, which speed up the coding process.
• Real-Time Error Detection: The editor can spot errors as you code, offering suggestions for corrections.
• Code Refactoring: Automatically suggests improvements to make your code cleaner and more efficient.
• Cross-Platform Support: CortexIDE works on various operating systems, but here we will focus on its installation and setup on Fedora Linux.

Installing CortexIDE on Fedora Linux

CortexIDE is available for download from the official website at opencortexide.com, and it can be easily installed on Fedora Linux. Below are the steps to install CortexIDE and get it up and running with Local AI via Ollama.

Prerequisites

• Ollama installed via Fedora’s official repository.
• CortexIDE app downloaded from the official website.
• A working GPU if you intend to use the Qwen 2.5-coder 7B model for AI-powered code completion.

Step-by-Step Installation

1. Install Ollama

To install Ollama on Fedora, simply run:

sudo dnf install ollama

2. Download and Install CortexIDE

Visit the official CortexIDE website and download the app for Linux. After downloading, follow the installation steps provided on the site.

3. Launch CortexIDE

After installing, launch CortexIDE from your applications menu or via the terminal:

cortexide

4. Start Ollama (Local AI Server)

Before you can use the Qwen 2.5-coder 7B model in CortexIDE, you need to start the Ollama server. Run the following command to start Ollama:

ollama serve

This will start the Ollama server, which will allow CortexIDE to access AI models locally.

5. Download the Model via CortexIDE

Once Ollama is running, CortexIDE will automatically recognize it as the local AI provider and pull the necessary Qwen 2.5-coder 7B model. No manual download is necessary—CortexIDE will handle this seamlessly.

6. Start Using CortexIDE

After the model is downloaded and Ollama is running, you can start coding with AI-powered features like code completion, real-time error detection, and more.

Requirements For Programming Text Editor

Glossary:

Code Editor

Designed for writing and editing source code.

IDE

Integrated Development Environment combines various tools need for software development.

Plugin

Software component that adds specific functionality.

Theme

Preset package containing graphical appearance to customize look and feel.

Open source

Freely available for possible modification and redistribution.

SCM

Source code management use to manage and track modifications to a source code repository.

LMB

Left Mouse Button (LMB) or left click

MMB

Middle Mouse Button (MMB) or scroll wheel

Test Tools

Test System

Name	Description
CPU	Ryzen 5 5600GT @ 3.60GHz.
Memory	32GB DDR4.
Operating System	Fedora Linux Workstation 43.
Desktop Environment	Gnome 49.
Name	Description

Test Suite

Name	Description
Large File	1GB human-readable text.
Regex File	Text with word “Helix” repeated.
Syntax File	PHP file containing HTML, CSS & JavaScript.
Media File	Smiley face or Tux Linux JPEG file.
Java Version	OpenJDK 21.0.9.
PHP Version	PHP 8.4.14.
Python Version	Python 3.14.0.
CortexIDE Version	1.4.9
Name	Description

Test Scoring

1. Each feature has two parts.
2. Score of zero indicates a missing feature.
3. A part of a feature is work a score of 0.5.

Three bias elimination steps were utilized. The editor was used for at least three years on different platforms. Attempts were made to get stable plug-ins for missing features. The same editor was compared between the one in the repository, the developers website, and the compiled version if applicable.

Selecting Editor Version

For this review, CortexIDE was downloaded from the developers website and it did not require additional plugins.

Features

1. The theme can be native for the editor in terms of the background, and the dark theme did not need tweaks for source code management. CortexIDE comes with dark and light themes and others can be created or downloaded or changed from the menu File > Preferences > Theme > Color Theme. The score for the theme was 1.0.
2. Dragging and dropping a text file into the editor opens a new tab. It is possible to specify the tab location during the drag and drop operation. The score for drag and drop into editor was 1.0.
3. Opening a very large text file did not crash CortexIDE. An out of memory window was shown and it was not possible to edit the large file. The score for opening a large file was 0.5.
4. Multiple documents can opened in multiple tabs. Tear-off tabs work by opening a new CortexIDE editor instances which is handy for multiple monitors. The score for multiple documents was a perfect 1.0.
5. Multiple editors can be opened as new tabs with drag options. Every new editor tab can be split vertically or horizontally. The score for multiple editor view was a perfect 1.0.
6. Creating non-project files is possible by dragging the folder into the workspace. Non-project files can be opened by the drag and drop operation. The score for creating non-project files was a perfect 1.0.
7. Soft word wrap can be enabled in the menu View > Word Wrap. Automatic soft wrap for documents is available for CortexIDE. The score for word wrap was a perfect 1.0.
8. Spell check works as words are typed but it requires an extension, I was not able to install Code Spell Checker due to the Editor version. Spelling errors are shown in opened documents. The score for spell check was a perfect 1.0.
9. Word count is available for CortexIDE, but it requires an extension, I was not able to install Word Count due to the Editor version.. Selection word count is available. The score for word count was 1.0.
10. Go to line CTRL-G can jump to a specified line. It is possible to jump to either the first or last line. The score for go to line was a perfect 1.0.
11. Indentation can default to user-defined tab stops. Children are automatically indented. The score for indentation was a perfect 1.0
12. Fonts can be dynamically scaled using CTRL-MMB after enabling feature in File > Preferences > Settings. The system font can be bypassed and a new editor font and size can be set. The score for fonts was a perfect 1.0.
13. Find and replace using regular expressions can be utilized for all open documents in the current session. Find and replace will work for the current document or a selection in the current document. The score for find and replacing using regular expressions was 1.0.
14. Multiple language syntax highlighting in one file is enabled if the language plug-ins are installed. Each language has code-sensitive syntax colors which can be modified. The score for multiple language syntax highlighting was a perfect 1.0.
15. Code folding works for markup languages such as HTML. Code folding also works for programming languages such as Java and PHP. The score for code folding was 1.0.
16. Selecting rectangular block per column works via a toggle or ALT-SHIFT on Linux. Rectangular block selections doe not work properly with word wrap enabled. The score for selecting rectangular block was a 0.5.
17. Multiple selection works using the shortcut ALT and CTRL-SHIFT-L for words. Search multiple selection is not available. The score for multiple selection was 0.5.
18. Distraction-free mode to hide panes works. Line numbers can be toggled to improve distraction-free mode. The score for distraction-free was a perfect 1.0.
19. The file manager can create and delete folders. Media files can be dragged and dropped into the file manager pane. The score for file manager was a perfect 1.0.
20. Terminal is integrated into CortexIDE. The terminal can follow folder. Terminal can execute system commands. The score for terminal was 1.0.

Results

CortexIDE is a very powerful IDE. By default, the CortexIDE editor is no longer missing required features which can be installed by using extensions. For my required features, the CortexIDE editor scored 92.50% or 9.25 out of 10.

📱 Screenshots

🞍 Screencast Tour

Take a guided walk-through of some of CortexIDE 1.4.9’s best new features—from productivity tools to AI chat agents:

How CortexIDE Makes Programming Easier

With CortexIDE, you get access to powerful AI features that streamline your coding workflow. By integrating Local AI via Ollama and using the Qwen 2.5-coder 7B model, the editor provides intelligent, real-time suggestions that help you write better code faster. Whether you are writing complex functions or need help debugging, CortexIDE serves as a capable assistant.

Learn More and Connect

If you are looking to further improve your programming skills, check out these resources:

• Programming Books by Edward Ojambo: Explore my collection of programming books to help you become a better developer.
• Online Programming Courses: Check out my programming courses to enhance your coding skills.
• One-on-One Online Tutorials: If you need personalized guidance, I offer one-on-one online programming tutorials. Contact me via this link.
• CortexIDE Installation and Migration: Need help installing or migrating CortexIDE? I can assist you. Visit my services page to get started.

Conclusion

In this post, we have covered how to install and set up CortexIDE on Fedora Linux, and how it integrates with Ollama and the Qwen 2.5-coder 7B model for AI-powered code completion, error detection, and more. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced developer, CortexIDE offers a streamlined and efficient way to code.