Google Antigravity: A new IDE from Google based on Microsoft's Visual Studio Code

We are sure that many of our loyal readers have read here, or know and have used at some point, about the Microsoft IDE called Visual Studio Code (VS Code)Or about some of its current and active forks, such as VS CodiumThis version aims to be a completely free alternative, without the traditional trackers of VS Code. In other words, a version where developers don't have to deal with the telemetry/trackers typically embedded in Microsoft products. However, other versions exist and will likely continue to exist that, for technological reasons, may move in a similar direction to VSC. Or perhaps a much more advanced and complex one, due to the trend of integrating Artificial Intelligence technologies (Chatbots, Agents, among others) into every product developed. And it is precisely in this direction that VSC now exists. "Google Antigravity", a new IDE from Google based on VS Code and with strong integration with Google's latest AI technology.

So, whether you're an expert software developer or a novice programmerFor those who enjoy testing and using Artificial Intelligence technology to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their developments and learning, without major fears about privacy and anonymity, this new IDE can undoubtedly be of great help to you.

But, before we begin to address this new Google tool geared towards software development and called "Google Antigravity"», we recommend you explore and read our previous related post with its base tool, called "Visual Studio Code", after finishing reading this publication:

Google Antigravity: A new IDE from Google based on Visual Studio Code

What is Google's new IDE called Antigravity?

According to Official website of said project called "Google Antigravity" It is briefly described as follows:

Google Antigravity is our agentic development platform, the natural evolution of an IDE within a first-generation AI Agent.

However, in its official documentation section They describe it in more detail, as follows:

Google Antigravity is an agent-based development platform that brings the IDE into an agent-centric era. Antigravity allows developers to work at a higher, task-oriented level, managing agents across different workspaces while maintaining the familiar experience of an AI IDE at its core. Antigravity integrates agents into its own interface and provides them with the tools they need to operate autonomously in the editor, terminal, and browser, emphasizing high-level verification and communication through tasks and artifacts. This capability allows agents to plan and execute more complex software tasks from start to finish, elevating all aspects of development, from feature creation, UI iteration, and bug fixing to research and reporting.

Outstanding Features

Among the most outstanding features and known from this new development tool Some of them stand out:

• It is capable of managing multiple agents simultaneously, in any workspace, from a central mission control view.
• It intuitively integrates user feedback.All of this is achieved through surfaces and artifacts to guide and refine the agent's work.
• It allows synchronized control of agents within the editor, terminal, and browser. with the goal of achieving more powerful development workflows.
• It has an Edit view that offers auto-completion with the Tab key, natural language code commands and a configurable, context-sensitive agent.
• It offers a more intuitive, task-based approach to monitor agent activity, in order to obtain essential artifacts and verification results that generate more confidence when working and obtaining the generated products.

In other words, it's an AI-powered IDE that includes all the AI ​​features developers commonly use, such as Agent, Tab, and Command. At the Agent level, it offers asynchronous local Agents that can work in parallel across all available workspaces. Meanwhile, its Agent Manager view provides an agent-centric experience, based on planning mode, a conversational interface, and document review. Furthermore, it's an excellent and comprehensive multi-window product with an editor, a manager, and a browser. And it's also worth noting that it's a cross-platform product, meaning it's available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Linux installation and screenshots of its visual interface

Following official guidelines, in their Download section We have installed and tested this tool as follows on our Debian base distro (MX Linux 25):

sudo mkdir -p /etc/apt/keyrings
curl -fsSL https://us-central1-apt.pkg.dev/doc/repo-signing-key.gpg | \
sudo gpg --dearmor -o /etc/apt/keyrings/antigravity-repo-key.gpg
echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/antigravity-repo-key.gpg] https://us-central1-apt.pkg.dev/projects/antigravity-auto-updater-dev/ antigravity-debian main" | \
sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/antigravity.list > /dev/null

sudo apt update

sudo apt install antigravity

Installation and initialization

Basic options of its visual interface

Set it to Spanish language

Menu bar options

Setup menu

While for Distributions with the RPM package system The following procedure can be used:

sudo tee /etc/yum.repos.d/antigravity.repo << EOL
[antigravity-rpm]
name=Antigravity RPM Repository
baseurl=https://us-central1-yum.pkg.dev/projects/antigravity-auto-updater-dev/antigravity-rpm
enabled=1
gpgcheck=0
EOL

sudo dnf makecache

sudo dnf install antigravity

Summary

In summary, and regardless of whether you are a expert software developer or novice programmerThis new IDE shows great promise with its philosophy of doing more with less, through a complete and advanced integration of Artificial Intelligence technology. Therefore, Trying it out and using it for a while for some tasks can always be a great help. Whether you're learning or teaching others, or need help solving problems when your natural intellect can't overcome certain obstacles or limitations in specific situations, we're here to help. If you'd like to suggest or recommend any other similar tools or programs (like a VS Code-based IDE with AI), please leave a comment so we can consider it for a future post.