How to Install Thinkorswim Trading Platform on Ubuntu 24.04/22.04

This tutorial will show you how to install the Thinkorswim trading platform on Ubuntu 24.04/22.04 desktop, so you can trade stocks.

ThinkorSwim Features

• It allows you to trade stocks, options, options on futures, ETFs, futures, and forex.
• Free level 2 data.
• Economic data straight from the Fed.
• Trade select securities 24 hours a day, 5 days a week. Available securities include FXI, SPY, EEM, GLD, SLV, DIA, UNG, TLT, IWM, QQQ, USO, SH, RWM, PSQ, AGG, DOG, EWA, EFA, EWJ, IJH, VTI, XLF, XLE, and XLK.
• Practice paper trading with the paperMoney feature.
• Track and modify your watchlist, orders, and alerts, including saved orders.
• Live stream programming from TD Ameritrade Network and CNBC
• Custom alerts: Choose from pre-selected lists of popular events or create your own using a powerful array of parameters.
• Market Maker Move: Determine which stocks may be making big moves by tracking the expected magnitude of price movement based on market volatility.
• Market Monitor: In real time, view the whole market displayed in easy-to-read heat mapping and graphics.
• Available for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS

Step 1: Create a Brokerage Account

Thinkorswim was developed by TD Ameritrade, which was one of the big four stock brokerage firms in the United States. It was acquired by Charles Schwab in 2020.

• U.S. traders should open a brokerage account at Charles Schwab. There’s no minimum deposit requirement to use the Thinkorwim trading platform for U.S. person.
• If you are not a U.S. person, then you should go to the international client signup page. Note that you will need to deposit at least $25,000 in order to use its services.
• If you don’t want to trade real money right away, Thinkorswim allows you to create a simulated trading account to practice trading before using real money. It’s free for everyone.

Step 2: Install Java on Ubuntu Desktop

Thinkorswim is written with the Java programming language. We need to install the Java runtime environment to use the Thinkorswim software.

sudo apt install openjdk-17-jre

Next, check your Java version.

java -version

Sample output:

openjdk version "17.0.11" 2024-04-16
OpenJDK Runtime Environment (build 17.0.11+9-Ubuntu-122.04.1)
OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM (build 17.0.11+9-Ubuntu-122.04.1, mixed mode, sharing)

If you have already installed other versions of Java, then run the following command to set Java 17 as the default version.

sudo update-alternatives --config java

Sample output.

There are 2 choices for the alternative java (providing /usr/bin/java).

  Selection    Path                                         Priority   Status
------------------------------------------------------------
* 0            /usr/lib/jvm/java-17-openjdk-amd64/bin/java   1711      auto mode
  1            /usr/lib/jvm/java-11-openjdk-amd64/bin/java   1111      manual mode
  2            /usr/lib/jvm/java-17-openjdk-amd64/bin/java   1711      manual mode

Press <enter>  to keep the current choice[*], or type selection number: 

If you don’t use Java 17, then Thinkorswim may throw out an error message when it starts up.

Install Thinkorswim on Ubuntu Desktop

Go to the official page to download the install script for Linux. You can also download it from the command line.

wget https://mediaserver.thinkorswim.com/installer/InstFiles/thinkorswim_installer.sh

Then run the following command to install it.

bash thinkorswim_installer.sh

The install wizard will appear. First, choose your language.

Then choose your accounty type. For this tutorial, I’m going to use a free trial account.

Next, agree to the license agreement.

After that, choose whether you want to install Thinkorswim for yourself or for all users on the computer. I recommend installing only for yourself, because you don’t want others to mess with your stock trading.

Thinkorswim will be installed to your home directory, which is great.

It will create a desktop icon, so you can easily launch it next time.

After the setup wizard finishes installing Thinkorswim, you can launch it.

Upon first launch, it will check if there’s any software update.

Now you can login. (Note: Thinkorswim is under maintenance on the weekend.) Click the gear icon to choose your account type (Schwab, TD Ameritrade, Guest Pass). If you want to use the paperMoney feature for simulated trading, then choose the TD Ameritrade account type. Market data will be delayed 20 minutes for simulated trading.

Thinkorswim interface.

Now you can create a watchlist and place orders. For more information on how to use the Thinkorswim trading platform, you can watch educational videos on the official YouTube channel, and use the Thinkorswim learning center.

Other Useful Stock Trading Tools

• cathiesark.com: Cathie Wood’s ETF holdings tracker
• arkinvestdailytrades.com: Ark Invest Daily Trades Tracker
• StockCharts.com: web-based stock charting
• StockAnalysis.com: Free online stock information for investors
• Trade Ideas Pro: Real-time intraday scanner
• Zendoo: Real-Time Scanners for Day Traders
• shortvolumes.com: Check the number of shares of a stock that have been sold short by investors during a particular period of time.
• otcshortreport.com: Check short data for OTC stocks.
• Daily Short Sale Volume Files from FINRA
• Check short interest for stocks listed on the Nasdaq exchange
• High Short Interest Stocks
• Low Float Stocks
• shortablestocks.com: Check FTD (Failure to Deliver),  short borrow availability, and fee rate of a particular stock.
• shortsqueeze.com: provides short interest stock market data and services, so you will be better informed of short selling in the market.
• Reg SHO Threshold List
• StockSera: track trending tickers on social media and get alternative data for easy due diligence & analysis.
• IPOScoop: IPO calendar
• Trader Workstation (TWS): Another trading platform provided by Interactive Broker that is available for Linux.
• Bloomberg Live TV
• Yahoo Finance Live
• Barchart: Buy or Sell Signal
• Options Profit Calculator

Install Thinkorswim on Fedora

The process is roughly the same. You need to install Java 17.

sudo dnf install java-17-openjdk

Then download the install script.

wget https://mediaserver.thinkorswim.com/installer/InstFiles/thinkorswim_installer.sh

And run the following command to install it.

bash thinkorswim_installer.sh

Enable AutoStartup

Open the “Startup Application” app and click the + button, then add the command /home/username/thinkorswim/thinkorswim to the startup list (Replace username with your real username).

Wrapping Up

I hope this tutorial helped you install Thinkorswim on Linux.