Install RatioLab

RatioLab is a desktop application. Use the bundled installer for your system: Python, GTK and the application libraries are included. No command line or separate development environment is needed for Windows/macOS or the Linux .deb.

Download release 0.1.3

Release packages are published after their native CI checks pass. Consult the release notes for completed platform checks; platform requirements do not imply that every GPU, driver or CAD integration has been tested.

Windows 11

Supported: 64-bit Intel/AMD Windows 11, build 22000 or newer.

1. Download Windows Setup.
2. Open the downloaded .exe and follow Setup. It installs for your user account.
3. Open Start → RatioLab.

Setup is currently unsigned. Windows can show an unrecognized-publisher warning or block it under your security policy. The release files and their SHA256 checksums are available on the linked GitHub release. Report launch problems in Issues.

To uninstall, open Settings → Apps → Installed apps → RatioLab → Uninstall.

macOS

Supported: macOS 15 or newer, with separate Apple Silicon and Intel installers. To identify your Mac, open Apple menu → About This Mac: an Apple M-series chip uses the Apple Silicon download; an Intel processor uses the Intel download.

1. Download the Apple Silicon DMG or Intel DMG.
2. Open the DMG and drag RatioLab onto Applications.
3. Eject the disk image, then open RatioLab from Applications.

The macOS packages use ad-hoc signing and have no Apple notarization. macOS can warn about or block the application. This is a release limitation; consult the system's message and report installation problems rather than disabling system protections.

To uninstall, move RatioLab from Applications to Trash.

Linux

Supported: x86-64 Linux with glibc 2.39 or newer, using Ubuntu 24.04 as the build baseline. Older systems and ARM Linux are not covered by these installers.

Debian/Ubuntu package

1. Download the .deb package.
2. Open it with your software installer and choose Install.
3. Launch RatioLab from your application menu.

The package installs under /opt/ratiolab. Remove it through your package manager.

Per-user installer for compatible Linux systems

Download the .run installer. Open a terminal in the download folder and run:

sh RatioLab-0.1.3-linux-x86_64.run

Follow the prompts, then launch RatioLab from your application menu. The default location is ~/.local/share/ratiolab/app; no administrator password is needed. To remove this installation, run uninstall.sh in that folder.

A portable .tar.gz archive contains the same runtime and install.sh for alternative installations.

First launch and graphics

Choose a gear/reducer family, adjust dimensions, then use Save or Export…. The interface is in English. See the user guide and example projects for the available operations and model limits.

The preview needs a working desktop and graphics driver providing desktop OpenGL 3.3+ or OpenGL ES 3.0+. GTK negotiates an available API; Windows also includes ANGLE for OpenGL ES over Direct3D. Installing separate GTK/Python packages will not repair an unsupported graphics driver. SolidCraft is optional; STEP/STL/SVG/DXF exports work independently of it.

Updates and uninstallers preserve saved preferences and exported projects. Keep your own backups of valuable project files.

Agent integration, development and troubleshooting

The installers include RatioLab-MCP (RatioLab-MCP.exe on Windows). See agent setup for its separate, offline workspace and client configuration.

To build from source or create installers, use development instructions. These steps are not required to use the downloadable application.

For a problem report, include your OS version, processor architecture, RatioLab version, exact error and reproduction steps. Normal launches write errors to logs/ratiolab.log under the per-user RatioLab data directory:

Open an issue.