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 3.13. vpype is also compatible with Python 3.11 and 3.12.
Warning
vpype is not yet compatible with Python 3.13.
macOS¶
Installing Python¶
The official installer is the recommended way to install Python on your computer. It can be downloaded here.
Caution
When install Python, make sure to select version that is compatible with vpype. See the top of this page for more information.
You can ensure that the installed Python interpreter is properly installed by running this command:
python3 --version
It should produce an output similar to:
Python 3.13.2
The version number should match the installer you used.
Note that installing Python from Homebrew or MacPorts is possible as well.
Installing pipx¶
pipx is a tool that allows you to install Python applications in isolated environments. It is the recommended way to install vpype on macOS. It can be installed with the following commands:
python3 -m pip install pipx
python3 -m pipx ensurepath
After this, restart your terminal and ensure that pipx is properly installed by running this command:
pipx --version
It should print out the current version of pipx without error:
1.2.0
Installing vpype¶
Once pipx is properly installed, you can install vpype with the following command:
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 or displaying some random lines:
vpype --version
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, install Python. 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.
Caution
When install Python, make sure to select version that is compatible with vpype. See the top of this page for more information.
Then, 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.
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 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 random show
Raspberry Pi¶
Full installation including the viewer on the Raspberry Pi is no longer supported. Expert users may succeed with pipx install "vpype[all]". 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
CLI-only install¶
For special cases where the show is not needed and dependencies such as matplotlib, PySide6, 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.