Installation

There are a number of ways to install LibreLane on your Windows, Mac, or Linux computer.

Nix (Best)

Nix is a build system for Linux and macOS allowing for cachable and reproducible builds, and is the primary build system for LibreLane.

Compared to the other methods, Nix offers:

  • Smaller deltas: if one tool is updated, you do not need to re-download everything, which is not the case with the AppImage and Docker.

  • Dead-simple customization: You can modify any tool versions and/or any LibreLane code and all you need to do is re-invoke nix-shell. Nix’s smart cache-substitution feature will automatically figure out whether your build is cached or not, and if not, will automatically attempt to build any tools that have been changed.

  • Native Execution on macOS: LibreLane is built natively for both Intel and Apple Silicon-based Macs, unlike the AppImage or Docker which would use a Virtual Machine, and thus requires more resources.

Because of the advantages afforded by Nix, we recommend trying to install using Nix. Follow the installation guide here: Nix-based Installation.

AppImage (Easiest)

If you’re on Linux or are willing to use the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), the easiest way to get up and running with LibreLane is by downloading an AppImage of LibreLane, which is a single-file download that requires no further installation, but does not work in certain environments such as inside Docker containers.

Follow the installation guide here: AppImage Installation.

Docker

Docker containers offer:

  • Support for Windows, Mac and Linux on both x86-64 and aarch64.

  • Sandboxing: A completely different environment for using LibreLane, where you can choose which directories to expose to LibreLane.

  • Familiarity: Users of OpenLane will already have Docker installed.

If both the AppImage and Nix don’t work for you for whatever reason, you may want to try Docker. Follow the installation guide here: Docker-based Installation.

Other Options

You may elect to somehow provide the tools yourself. Here is a non-exhaustive list:

However, as the versions will likely not match those packaged with LibreLane, some incompatibilities may arise, and we will not be able to support them.