Installation

This page explain how to install vpype for end-users. If you intend to develop on vpype, refer to the the Contributing section.

Note

The recommended Python version is 3.10.2 or later (except for macOS/M1 computer, for which Python 3.9 is recommended). vpype is also compatible with Python 3.8 and 3.9.

macOS

Caution

macOS/M1 note: Due to the restricted availability of an ARM-compatible PySide2 library, installing vpype on a macOS/M1 computers requires the specific steps described bellow. Using alternative ways to install Python and vpype may work, but typically don’t and are thus discouraged.

MacPorts is the recommended way to install the Python interpreter on macOS.

Following the installation instructions to install MacPorts. Then, make sure its port database is up-to-date:

$ sudo port selfupdate
$ sudo port upgrade outdated

Installing using the MacPorts port

Note

Although this is the easiest way to install vpype, it is discouraged when using plug-ins because they would have to be globally installed.

Installing vpype using the port can be done with the following command:

$ sudo port install vpype

This installation method works for both Intel- and M1-based Macs.

Installing using pipx (Apple silicon/M1)

Installing vpype on Macs with Apple Silicon requires specific steps because some its dependencies are not yet fully supported on this architecture. Using pipx is the recommended method when using plug-ins.

First, install the required ports using MacPorts:

$ sudo port install python39 py39-shapely py39-scipy py39-numpy py39-pyside2

Then, install pipx:

$ sudo port install pipx +python39
$ pipx ensurepath

The second command above ensures that both pipx and the software it will install are available the terminal. You may need to close and re-open the terminal window for this to take effect.

Finally, install vpype:

$ pipx install "vpype[all]" --system-site-packages

Note the use of the --system-site-packages option. This is important because because vpype relies the version of PySide2 that was installed earlier with MacPort.

vpype should now be installed and ready to use. You may check that it is fully functional by checking its version and displaying some random lines:

$ vpype --version
vpype 1.9.0
$ vpype random show

Installing using pipx (Intel)

Note

The instructions for Apple silicon/M1 Macs also apply, but since dependencies have better support for Intel-based Macs, some steps may be simplified.

First, install pipx:

$ sudo port install pipx
$ pipx ensurepath

The second command above ensures that both pipx and the software it will install are available the terminal. You may need to close and re-open the terminal window for this to take effect.

Then, install vpype:

$ pipx install "vpype[all]"

vpype should now be installed and ready to use. You may check that it is fully functional by checking its version and displaying some random lines:

$ vpype --version
vpype 1.9.0
$ vpype random show

Installing using pipx and the official Python distribution

For Intel-based Macs, the official Python distribution may be used as an alternative to MacPorts. It can be downloaded from the official Python website.

After running the Python installer, install pipx with the following command:

$ sudo python3 -m pip install pipx
$ pipx ensurepath

The second command above ensures that both pipx and the software it will install are available the terminal. You may need to close and re-open the terminal window for this to take effect.

Then, install vpype:

$ pipx install "vpype[all]"

vpype should now be installed and ready to use. You may check that it is fully functional by checking its version and displaying some random lines:

$ vpype --version
vpype 1.9.0
$ vpype random show

Windows

Installing using the installer

A Windows installer for vpype is available here. Although this installation method is the easiest, it does not allow plug-ins to be installed. If plug-ins are required, installing using pipx is recommended.

Installing using pipx

First, Python must be installed. Python 3.10 is recommended, although vpype it is also compatible with Python 3.8 and later. The official Python distribution for Windows can be downloaded here or installed from the App Store. When installing Python, make sure you enable adding Python to the path.

First, install pipx:

> python -m pip install --user pipx
> pipx ensurepath

In the first command, replace python by python3 if you installed Python from the App Store. The second command above ensures that both pipx and the software it will install are available the terminal. You may need to close and re-open the terminal for this to take effect.

Then, install vpype:

> pipx install "vpype[all]"

vpype should now be installed and ready to use. You may check that it is fully functional by checking its version and displaying some random lines:

> vpype --version
vpype 1.9.0
> vpype random show

Linux

First, install pipx with your system’s package manager. On Debian/ubuntu flavored installation, this is typically done as follows:

$ sudo apt-get install pipx

Then run the following command to ensure your path variable is properly set:

$ pipx ensurepath

You may need to close and re-open the terminal window for this to take effect.

Finally, install vpype:

$ pipx install "vpype[all]"

vpype should now be installed and ready to use. You may check that it is fully functional by checking its version and displaying some random lines:

$ vpype --version
vpype 1.9.0
$ vpype random show

Raspberry Pi

Full installation including the viewer on the Raspberry Pi is no longer supported. Expert users may succeed with pip install vpype[all] provided that a suitable version of the PySide2 package is available. Also, the new viewer requires OpenGL 3.3, which the Raspberry Pi does not support. The classic viewer should work correctly:

$ vpype [...] show --classic

Installing the CLI-only version described in the next section is easier and should be favored whenever possible. Here are the recommended steps to do so.

Some packages and their dependencies are easier to install at the system level:

$ sudo apt-get install python3-shapely python3-numpy python3-scipy

Then, install pipx:

$ sudo apt-get install pipx
$ pipx ensurepath

Finally, install and run vpype:

$ pipx install vpype
$ vpype --version
vpype 1.9.0

CLI-only install

For special cases where the show is not needed and dependencies such as matplotlib, PySide2, or ModernGL are difficult to install, a CLI-only version of vpype can be installed using this command:

$ pipx install vpype

Note the missing [all] compared the instructions above.