FreeCAD Installation notes

[last updated: 2023-01-23]
return to: FreeCAD
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• If you want to install FreeCAD on your Linux computer so it will have an icon in applications etc, do this:
• This is what I did on my Dell-Precision:
  after update and dist-upgrade...
  $ sudo apt-get install freecad -y
• However there was another note in forums that I should use PPA
  $ sudo apt-add-repository ppa:freecad-maintainers/freecad-stable
  re-do update: $ sudo apt-get update
  then: $ sudo apt-get install freecad
  best guess is that PPA allows you to be automatically notified when there are updates
• If you want to run FreeCAD locally, that is, not actually install it, Download AppImage:
  • (link to:) most current version
    (link to:) Download from here
    (link to:) alternative (better) download site
  • Several options depending on your opSys, but I downloaded:
    ... FreeCAD_ ... ... -Linux-Conda ... ... -x86_64.AppImage
  • After download, you must verify file integrity by downloading and checking the SHA256 checksum.
  • Then you must give execute privileges to the AppImage file. Two ways to do this:
    • Command line:
      $ cd … to folder where AppImage is stored
      $ sudo chmod u+x *.AppImage
    • - or -: Setting properties (the easy way):
    • on Dell Precision:
      in file manager, right-click on the AppImage file.
      Select properties, then permissions
      click “allow executing file as program”
    • on Dell tower:
      I didn't need to do this, as it executed by double-click after changing permissions.

    You should now be able to double-click to execute the file (from wherever it is located)

  • When you execute the file, it will first give you the option to install it ("integrate it ... with your system").
    So far I have not done that, answering 'No' and 'No' to prompts.
    I did move the AppImage out of my Downloads directory and into its own folder.

  • Gotcha: Sometimes, on some versions of FC, on some versions of your OS:
    If the folder where you've put your Appimage is named with non-alphanumeric characters (eg, a period "."),
    your Appimage may appear to load but then will close immediately.

• Download time-outs:
(link to:) auto update to allow continuing next download from wherever last one stopped

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