picoforge/docs/Installation.md

Welcome to the official installation guide for PicoForge. This document will help you set up the application on your operating system.

Windows

1. Download the Installer

   Go to the Latest Releases page and download the picoforge_[version]_[arch]-setup.exe file.

2. Run the Installer

   Locate the downloaded file and run it to install the application.

3. Verify Smart Card Service

   For the application to communicate with your device, the Windows Smart Card service must be running. You can ensure this by running the following command in PowerShell:

   Get-Service SCardSvr | Start-Service
   

Important

Please run the application as Administrator. This is often required for the application to correctly detect and interact with the hardware device.

macOS

Warning

The macOS version of this application is tested rarely, while it does work fine, it might have some bugs that I have not experienced, feel free to report it on issues.

If you are a developer or user who can assist with testing and debugging on macOS, contributions are highly appreciated. Please check the Issues tab or join our Discord server.

Setup Instructions:

• Download the application from the Latest Releases.
• No additional driver setup is usually required as the PC/SC framework is built into macOS.

Linux

We offer multiple ways to run the application on Linux. Please choose the method that best suits your needs.

Global Prerequisite: Smart Card Daemon

Regardless of the installation method you choose below, your host operating system must have the Smart Card Daemon (pcscd) installed and running. This service allows the application to talk to the USB device.

Enable pcscd on your host:

# Command may vary by distro, commonly:
sudo systemctl enable --now pcscd

To have the pcscd service, you may need to install pcsc-lite if it is not installed by default on your Linux distribution.

• On Debian : sudo apt install pcscd
• On NixOS, add this line in your /etc/nixos/configuration.nix : services.pcscd.enable = true;

Option 1: COPR Repository (Recommended for Fedora, openSUSE, and RHEL-based distros)

COPR is the recommended way of installing the application on Fedora, openSUSE, and RHEL-based distributions. This method ensures you get the latest release of the app on the same day it's published.

Fedora

Fedora Rawhide, 43, 42

sudo dnf copr enable lockedmutex/picoforge
sudo dnf install picoforge

RHEL-based Distributions

RHEL, CentOS, AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux (EPEL 10)

sudo dnf install dnf-plugins-core
sudo dnf copr enable lockedmutex/picoforge
sudo dnf install picoforge

openSUSE

Tumbleweed

sudo zypper addrepo https://copr.fedorainfracloud.org/coprs/lockedmutex/picoforge/repo/opensuse-tumbleweed/lockedmutex-picoforge-opensuse-tumbleweed.repo
sudo zypper refresh
sudo zypper install picoforge

Leap 15.6

sudo zypper addrepo https://copr.fedorainfracloud.org/coprs/lockedmutex/picoforge/repo/opensuse-leap-15.6/lockedmutex-picoforge-opensuse-leap-15.6.repo
sudo zypper refresh
sudo zypper install picoforge

Post-Installation

After installation, you can launch picoforge from your application menu or run:

picoforge

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues during installation:

• Fedora/RHEL: Ensure EPEL repository is enabled for RHEL-based systems
• openSUSE: Verify the repository URL matches your distribution version
• For general issues, check the project repository or report a bug

Option 2: AppImage (Simplest)

The AppImage format contains most dependencies and runs on almost any Linux distribution.

1. Download the .AppImage file from the Latest Releases.
2. Mark the file as executable:

   chmod +x picoforge_*.AppImage
   

3. Launch the file.

Note

If the AppImage does not start, check if you are missing FUSE (Filesystem in Userspace), which is required for AppImages on some newer distributions like Ubuntu 22.04+.

Option 3: Distrobox

If you encounter dependency issues on your specific distribution, we highly recommend using Distrobox. This method runs the application inside a stable Fedora environment while integrating it seamlessly with your desktop.

Requirements:

• Distrobox installed on your system.
• A container engine like podman or docker.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Create the Container: We will use a standard Fedora Toolbox image which is known to be compatible.

   distrobox create -i quay.io/fedora/fedora-toolbox:43 -n picoforge
   

2. Enter the Container:

   distrobox enter picoforge
   

3. Install the Application:

   sudo dnf copr enable lockedmutex/picoforge
   sudo dnf install picoforge
   

4. Export to Host System: This step creates a shortcut in your system's application menu so you can launch it like any other app.

   distrobox-export --app picoforge
   

5. Launch: You can now find and launch "picoforge" from your application launcher.

Option 4: Native Package

If you prefer to install the package directly on your system, please ensure you have installed all necessary dependencies for your specific distribution.

OpenSuse Tumbleweed Dependencies

sudo zypper install libwebkit2gtk-4_1-0 libsoup-3_0-0 libgtk-3-0 \
libpcsclite1 libhidapi-hidraw0 libsecret-1-0 \
gstreamer-plugins-base libavif16 libwebp7 libenchant-2-2 pcsc-tools

sudo systemctl enable --now pcscd

Fedora Dependencies

sudo dnf install webkit2gtk4.1 libsoup3 gtk3 \
pcsc-lite pcsc-tools hidapi libsecret \
gstreamer1-plugins-base libavif libwebp enchant2

sudo systemctl enable --now pcscd

Debian / Ubuntu Dependencies

sudo apt update
sudo apt install libwebkit2gtk-4.1-0 libgtk-3-0 libsoup-3.0-0 \
libpcsclite1 pcscd pcsc-tools libhidapi-hidraw0 libsecret-1-0 \
gstreamer1.0-plugins-base libavif16 libwebp7 libenchant-2-2

Arch Linux Dependencies

sudo pacman -S webkit2gtk-4.1 gtk3 libsoup3 \
pcsclite pcsc-tools hidapi libsecret \
gst-plugins-base libavif libwebp enchant

Installation:

1. Download the .deb (Debian/Ubuntu) or .rpm (Fedora/Suse) from the releases.
2. Install using your package manager (e.g., sudo apt install ./package.deb or sudo dnf install ./package.rpm) or a software center like gnome-software.