Installation¶

Install WaLSAtools ¶

This page provides a direct and simple installation guide for WaLSAtools.
For a complete beginner-friendly setup from scratch, see the Beginner's Guide.

Prerequisites ¶

Before installing WaLSAtools, ensure you have the following:

Python 3.8 or later installed.
👉 You can download the latest version of Python from https://www.python.org/downloads/ if needed.
pip (Python package installer) available.
👉 You can check by running:
```
pip --version
```
If you do not have pip, follow the official installation guide.

Recommended Python version

We have tested WaLSAtools most extensively with Python 3.12.8.
Virtual Environment (Recommended): To avoid conflicts with existing packages (especially due to major changes in packages like NumPy 2.0+), we strongly recommend installing WaLSAtools inside a fresh virtual environment. This keeps WaLSAtools and its dependencies isolated from your system-wide Python or other projects. If you are new to virtual environments, you can refer to our Beginner's Guide for a full setup tutorial.

Installation via pip (Recommended) ¶

To install the latest stable release from PyPI (Python Package Index), simply run:

pip install WaLSAtools

This will automatically download and install WaLSAtools and its required dependencies into your environment.

Tip: Upgrade pip first

Before installing any package, it is good practice to upgrade pip:

pip install --upgrade pip

Installation from Source (Optional) ¶

If you prefer installing the development version directly from GitHub:

Clone (or Download) the WaLSAtools GitHub repository:

git clone https://github.com/WaLSAteam/WaLSAtools.git

Navigate to the Python codes directory:
```
cd WaLSAtools/codes/python/
```
Install using pip:
```
pip install .
```
Alternatively, you can use the traditional setup:
```
python setup.py install
```

This method ensures you have access to the latest updates and examples.

Cloning the GitHub repository

Even if you install WaLSAtools via PyPI, we strongly recommend also cloning the WaLSAtools GitHub repository. This gives you full access to the source code, worked examples, and documentation files, and ensures you can easily explore, customize, or contribute to the project.

Verifying the Installation ¶

After installation, verify that WaLSAtools is properly installed.
You can check inside the terminal by launching Python and typing:

from WaLSAtools import WaLSAtools
WaLSAtools

If installed correctly, WaLSAtools’ interactive welcome menu will appear 🎉

Need Help? ¶

If you encounter any issues during installation, first check our Troubleshooting and/or Beginner's Guide pages. If you still need help, browse the topics in our GitHub discussion — and feel free to post your question if your issue has not yet been addressed.