How to Install KiCad 6.0 On Ubuntu 22.04
January 25, 2023
KiCad is an open-source electronic design automation (EDA) software that is widely used for creating circuit diagrams, schematics, and printed circuit boards (PCBs). The latest version of KiCad at the moment is 6.0, released in 2021. In this tutorial we will learn how to install KiCard version 6.0 on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS operating system.
Introduction
Some of the new features and improvements in KiCad 6.0 include:
- A new and improved user interface: KiCad 6.0 has a new and modern user interface that is more intuitive and user-friendly. The interface has been redesigned to make it easier to find and use the tools and features that you need.
- Improved 3D visualization: KiCad 6.0 includes an improved 3D visualization engine that provides better performance and more accurate rendering of 3D models.
- Improved schematic editor: The schematic editor in KiCad 6.0 has been improved with new features such as the ability to quickly add and edit multiple components at once, and a new automatic wire routing feature.
- Improved PCB editor: The PCB editor in KiCad 6.0 has been improved with new features such as the ability to create custom-shaped pads, a new auto-router, and a new push and shove router.
- Improved Gerber viewer: The Gerber viewer in KiCad 6.0 has been improved with new features such as the ability to highlight and edit individual layers, and a new drill map feature.
- Improved file formats: KiCad 6.0 includes improved support for file formats such as .step, .wrl, and .stl, which makes it easier to import and export 3D models.
- Improved scripting support: KiCad 6.0 includes improved support for scripting, which makes it easier to automate repetitive tasks and add custom functionality.
Overall, KiCad 6.0 is a significant upgrade that brings many new features and improvements to the software, making it more powerful and user-friendly.
KiCard 6.0 Installation Step
Installing KiCad on Ubuntu 22.04 is a straightforward process. Here are the steps you can follow to do it:
- Add the KiCad package repository to the system
- Update the package list
- Install KiCad 6.0
- Launch KiCad 6.0
Each of the above items will be explained in the following sub-chapters.
1. Add the KiCad 6.0 package repository
Adding the KiCad 6.0 package repository to our system by running the following command line :
$ sudo add-apt-repository --yes ppa:kicad/kicad-6.0-releases
Output :
ramans@infodiginet:~$ sudo add-apt-repository --yes ppa:kicad/kicad-6.0-releases PPA publishes dbgsym, you may need to include 'main/debug' component Repository: 'deb https://ppa.launchpadcontent.net/kicad/kicad-6.0-releases/ubuntu/ jammy main' Description: Official KiCad 6.0 releases More info: https://launchpad.net/~kicad/+archive/ubuntu/kicad-6.0-releases Adding repository. Adding deb entry to /etc/apt/sources.list.d/kicad-ubuntu-kicad-6_0-releases-jammy.list Adding disabled deb-src entry to /etc/apt/sources.list.d/kicad-ubuntu-kicad-6_0-releases-jammy.list Adding key to /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/kicad-ubuntu-kicad-6_0-releases.gpg with fingerprint FDA854F61C4D0D9572BB95E5245D5502FAD7A805 Hit:2 http://apt.postgresql.org/pub/repos/apt jammy-pgdg InRelease Hit:3 http://id.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy InRelease Get:4 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy-security InRelease [110 kB] Get:5 http://id.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy-updates InRelease [114 kB] Ign:6 https://repo.mongodb.org/apt/ubuntu jammy/mongodb-org/6.0 InRelease Hit:7 https://repo.mongodb.org/apt/ubuntu jammy/mongodb-org/6.0 Release Hit:9 https://ppa.launchpadcontent.net/deadsnakes/ppa/ubuntu jammy InRelease Get:10 https://repos.influxdata.com/ubuntu jammy InRelease [7.019 B] Get:11 http://id.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy-backports InRelease [99,8 kB] Get:12 https://repos.influxdata.com/ubuntu jammy/stable amd64 Packages [3.271 B] Get:13 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy-security/main amd64 DEP-11 Metadata [20,0 kB] Get:14 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy-security/universe amd64 DEP-11 Metadata [13,3 kB] Get:15 https://ppa.launchpadcontent.net/kicad/kicad-6.0-releases/ubuntu jammy InRelease [18,1 kB] Hit:1 https://downloads.apache.org/cassandra/debian 40x InRelease Get:16 https://ppa.launchpadcontent.net/kicad/kicad-6.0-releases/ubuntu jammy/main i386 Packages [3.264 B] Ign:17 http://download.webmin.com/download/repository sarge InRelease Hit:18 http://download.webmin.com/download/repository sarge Release Get:20 http://id.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy-updates/main amd64 DEP-11 Metadata [94,9 kB] Get:21 https://ppa.launchpadcontent.net/kicad/kicad-6.0-releases/ubuntu jammy/main amd64 Packages [7.428 B] Get:22 http://id.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy-updates/universe amd64 DEP-11 Metadata [257 kB] Get:23 https://ppa.launchpadcontent.net/kicad/kicad-6.0-releases/ubuntu jammy/main Translation-en [3.012 B] Get:24 http://id.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy-updates/multiverse amd64 DEP-11 Metadata [940 B] Get:25 http://id.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy-backports/universe amd64 DEP-11 Metadata [11,7 kB] Fetched 765 kB in 9s (80,7 kB/s) Reading package lists... Done
2. Update The Package List
Update the package list by running the following command:
$ sudo apt update
Output :
ramans@infodiginet:~$ sudo apt update Hit:2 http://id.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy InRelease Ign:3 http://download.webmin.com/download/repository sarge InRelease Hit:4 http://apt.postgresql.org/pub/repos/apt jammy-pgdg InRelease Hit:5 http://id.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy-updates InRelease Hit:6 http://download.webmin.com/download/repository sarge Release Ign:7 https://repo.mongodb.org/apt/ubuntu jammy/mongodb-org/6.0 InRelease Hit:8 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy-security InRelease Hit:9 http://id.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy-backports InRelease Hit:11 https://repos.influxdata.com/ubuntu jammy InRelease Hit:12 https://repo.mongodb.org/apt/ubuntu jammy/mongodb-org/6.0 Release Hit:14 https://ppa.launchpadcontent.net/deadsnakes/ppa/ubuntu jammy InRelease Hit:1 https://downloads.apache.org/cassandra/debian 40x InRelease Hit:15 https://ppa.launchpadcontent.net/kicad/kicad-6.0-releases/ubuntu jammy InRelease Reading package lists... Done Building dependency tree... Done Reading state information... Done
3. Install KiCad 6.0
Install KiCad by running the following command :
$ sudo apt install --install-recommends kicad
Output :
ramans@infodiginet:~$ sudo apt install --install-recommends kicad Reading package lists... Done Building dependency tree... Done Reading state information... Done The following additional packages will be installed: kicad-demos kicad-doc-en kicad-footprints kicad-libraries kicad-packages3d kicad-symbols kicad-templates libblas3 libfreeimage3 libgfortran5 libglew2.2 libilmbase25 libjxr0 liblapack3 libngspice-kicad libocct-data-exchange-7.5 libocct-foundation-7.5 libocct-modeling-algorithms-7.5 libocct-modeling-data-7.5 libocct-ocaf-7.5 libocct-visualization-7.5 libopenexr25 libtbb2 libtbbmalloc2 libwxbase3.0-0v5 libwxgtk3.0-gtk3-0v5 python3-numpy python3-wxgtk4.0 xsltproc Suggested packages: extra-xdg-menus kicad-libraries glew-utils gfortran python-numpy-doc python3-pytest wx3.0-doc The following NEW packages will be installed: kicad kicad-demos kicad-doc-en kicad-footprints kicad-libraries kicad-packages3d kicad-symbols kicad-templates libblas3 libfreeimage3 libgfortran5 libglew2.2 libilmbase25 libjxr0 liblapack3 libngspice-kicad libocct-data-exchange-7.5 libocct-foundation-7.5 libocct-modeling-algorithms-7.5 libocct-modeling-data-7.5 libocct-ocaf-7.5 libocct-visualization-7.5 libopenexr25 libtbb2 libtbbmalloc2 libwxbase3.0-0v5 libwxgtk3.0-gtk3-0v5 python3-numpy python3-wxgtk4.0 xsltproc 0 upgraded, 30 newly installed, 0 to remove and 2 not upgraded. Need to get 534 MB of archives. After this operation, 6.242 MB of additional disk space will be used. Do you want to continue? [Y/n] Y . . . Setting up libfreeimage3:amd64 (3.18.0+ds2-6ubuntu5) ... Setting up libwxgtk3.0-gtk3-0v5:amd64 (3.0.5.1+dfsg-4) ... Setting up python3-numpy (1:1.21.5-1ubuntu22.04.1) ... Setting up libocct-visualization-7.5:amd64 (1:7.5.2+dfsg1-0~202107020155~ubuntu22.04.1) ... Setting up libocct-ocaf-7.5:amd64 (1:7.5.2+dfsg1-0~202107020155~ubuntu22.04.1) ... Setting up python3-wxgtk4.0 (4.0.7+dfsg-13build1) ... Setting up libocct-data-exchange-7.5:amd64 (1:7.5.2+dfsg1-0~202107020155~ubuntu22.04.1) ... Setting up kicad (6.0.10-0-202212181939+86aedd382b~118~ubuntu22.04.1) ... Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils (0.26-1ubuntu3) ... Processing triggers for hicolor-icon-theme (0.17-2) ... Processing triggers for gnome-menus (3.36.0-1ubuntu3) ... Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.35-0ubuntu3.1) ... Processing triggers for man-db (2.10.2-1) ... Processing triggers for shared-mime-info (2.1-2) ... Processing triggers for mailcap (3.70+nmu1ubuntu1) ...
4. Launch KiCad 6.0
Once the installation is complete, you can launch KiCad by searching for “KiCad” in the Ubuntu launcher or by running the following command in the terminal:
$ kicad
It’s also worth noting that if we’re going to use KiCad for schematic capture and PCB layout, we may need to install additional software such as a CAD tool for creating 3D models of components, and Gerber viewer to check gerber files.
We can also install KiCad from source if you prefer, but the process is more complicated and may require more dependencies.
Conclusion
KiCad has been widely adopted by the community and is considered one of the most advanced open-source EDA software available.
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