kiCAD Installation

[last updated: 2021-06-14]
go to: kiCad home page
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• On this Page:
  • (link to:) kicad main download page
  • from Linux Mint Software Manager:
  • install via PPA
  • Appimage

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• Install from Linux Mint Software Manager:
  Linux Mint Menu -> Software Manager icon on left
  search for kiCAD -> select it -> click install
  5.1.5+dfsg1-2build2 installed 2022-08-25
  • However this may not install libraries.
    Open kiCAD, select Preferences in top menu bar, select Manage Symbol Libraries
    If the box that opens does not have anything in it, then you need to:

    
    Manually install libraries:

    • Unfortunately, this procedure is from memory, as when I tried to repeat it, by uninstalling kiCAD and reinstalling,
      the reinstall in fact loaded libraries.
    • (link to:) main library repository
      This link has most current libraries (6.x at this time).
      From this main library repository page, I selected: KiCad 5.x - Schematic Symbols,
      which takes you to the github page:
    • (link to:) KiCad Libraries - Symbols
      On this page, under Library Releases, select Stable Releases at:
    • (link to:) Symbol Releases
      Scroll down to find your KiCad version (5.1.5 in my case),
      and select your desired format (...tar.gz in my case)
      Clicking this link will download the library file (kicad-symbols-5.1.5.tar.gz in my case)
    • JWID
      Move this file into your personal file structure, then create a folder for it.
      Extract it as follows:
      Open a terminal, and cd to the folder where your tar.gz is located
      $ tar xvzf FILENAME.tar.gz
      so in my case, I executed:
      $ tar xvzf kicad-symbols-5.1.5.tar.gz

      Web instructions are to them execute:
      $ ./configure
      however no such file error

      Didn't record what else I did, but eventually I was successful in getting kicad installed including libraries...

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• Install via PPA:
  To install KiCad via the PPA, use the Software Manager:
  Open the Software Manager.
  Select 'Edit' → 'Software Sources…​'.
  Open the 'Other Software' tab.
  Click 'Add…​', and enter the PPA address: ppa:js-reynaud/kicad-5.1 and then click the 'Add Source' button.
  When prompted insert the administrator user password.
  Return to the Software Manager and view the Progress tab to see when the cache has finished updating.
  Return to the Software Manager main screen, search for 'kicad', and install it.
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• AppImage downloads are available here: (link to:) github
  5.1.4 is currently available as AppImage
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• Install notes from web:
  how to install tar.gz in ubuntu

  Download the desired .tar.gz or (.tar.bz2) file
  Open Terminal
  Extract the .tar.gz or (.tar.bz2) file with the following commands

  tar xvzf PACKAGENAME.tar.gz

  tar xvjf PACKAGENAME.tar.bz2
  Navigate to the extracted folder using cd command
  cd PACKAGENAME
  Now run the following command to install the tarball
  ./configure
  make
  sudo make install
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  how to install tar.gz in ubuntu

  tar -xzf archive-name.tar.gz

  cd archive-name
  ./configure
  make
  sudo make install
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