It will be interesting to see what happens with Think or Swim and Charles Schwab in the coming years as the two merge. Retail brokerages are slowing consolidating and going by the wayside as Robinhood / options become all the rage.
I use Interactive Brokers for all my trading because I believe hands down they have the best API for all my needs. However, I use TOS in all my chart analysis and developing my algorithmic strategies.
I have written about installing Think or Swim on previous versions of Linux, so I thought I would update to Focal Fossa cause once again TOS directions didn’t work.
Start with some java:
1. install sudo apt install openjdk-8-jre
3. cd /Downloads && sudo chmod +x thinkorswim_installer.sh
4. install sh ./thinkorswim_installer.sh
m The installer should start the application for you. The TOS small box will pop up and say that it is installing updates. This seems to take a long time, like 5 minutes? So go do something else for a few. Then you should get a login screen after a while.
Note: If you find any discrepancies or tips please leave them in the comments. I will do my best to post them, as this blog post and the other Ubuntu / TOS get a lot of hits, there are people out there that need hits.
Just in case it’s still working for some people. You have to tell Ubuntu to use java 8. Use this command:
sudo update-alternatives –config java
Then you can select version 8 and launch TOS.
Sorry, typo.. ‘still *not working for some people’
followed all steps. Icon says installing updates and then states cannot connect to internet, select proxy?
I don’t work with a proxy. So not sure if you are but unfortunately I haven’t seen that.
It WORKED! (Thank you!) but…
How do I launch it again?
I selected for it to make a desktop icon when installed but I do not see one.
There is a folder for TOS but I do not see an executable file in there. I have not worked with Ubuntu enough to know how to do this.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
alias TOS=' /home/boomer/thinkorswim/thinkorswim'The above code would go in your .bashrc file.
Then
source .bashrcSo boomer… would be your user name. Then I execute my TOS from the command line. It’s just what linux people do 😉
or this might help https://itsfoss.com/ubuntu-desktop-shortcut/
Hi Chad,
Question; I just installed ThinkorSwim on Ubuntu 22.04 as well as 22.10. In either case on two different computers, no desktop icon appears. I tried the steps above as you indicated and the system tells me “No such file or directory”. Please understand I am not a real knowledgeable techy.
Any additional thoughts?
Thank!