Installing LinceCAD

LinceCAD is installed on Windows with a setup program and on Linux with a compressed package. In both cases it is installed for the current user, without administrator rights.

Requirements

• 64-bit Windows (x64) or 64-bit Linux (x86_64) with a graphical desktop.
• A graphics driver with OpenGL, as found on any computer from recent years.
• About 40 MB of disk space for the program and the symbol library.
• AutoCAD or any other program is not needed: LinceCAD reads and writes DWG and DXF files by itself.

Windows

The setup program is in Spanish for now; the steps below give the meaning of each option.

1. Run LinceCAD-<version>-setup.exe.
2. Choose whether to install for your user only (recommended, no administrator needed) or for all users of the computer. For your user, the program goes to %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\lince; for all users, to the program files folder.
3. Tick the optional tasks you want: - Create a desktop shortcut. - Add LinceCAD to "Open with" for .dwg and .dxf files: the program appears in the Explorer Open with menu when you right-click a DWG or DXF file. It does not change the default program: if AutoCAD opens those files on double-click, it still does.
4. Click Install. When it finishes you can start LinceCAD from the last page of the wizard or from the Start menu.

The bibliotecas folder is installed next to the program, with the 2D symbols used by the Blocks palette and DesignCenter (see Inserting blocks).

Updating

Run the setup program of the new version: it replaces the previous one in the same folder and keeps your preferences.

Uninstalling

Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, find LinceCAD and click Uninstall. The program, its shortcuts and, if you chose it, the "Open with" entry are removed. User preferences (%APPDATA%\lince) are left in place in case you install it again; delete them by hand if you do not want them.

Microsoft Store

If you installed LinceCAD from Microsoft Store, the Store updates it and uninstalls it (Settings > Apps). Windows keeps the user data of that installation in its own folder, %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\<LinceCAD package>\LocalCache\Roaming\lince, apart from %APPDATA%\lince: the license, trial and preferences are separate from those of a normal installation, and they are deleted when you uninstall it. The program shows that folder and opens it with the "Open folder" buttons.

Linux

The package is lince-<version>-linux-x86_64.tar.gz. It can be used without installing:

tar xzf lince-<version>-linux-x86_64.tar.gz
cd lince-<version>-linux-x86_64
./lince

To install it for your user, with a launcher in the applications menu, run from that folder:

install -Dm755 lince ~/.local/bin/lince
install -Dm644 lince.desktop ~/.local/share/applications/lince.desktop
install -Dm644 lince.png ~/.local/share/icons/hicolor/256x256/apps/lince.png
mkdir -p ~/.local/share/lince && cp -r bibliotecas ayuda ~/.local/share/lince/

The last line copies the symbol library and this help to ~/.local/share/lince, where the program looks for them when they are not next to the executable. To uninstall, delete those files and the ~/.config/lince folder (preferences).

Language

On first start, LinceCAD uses the system language if it has it (Spanish or English) and Spanish otherwise. To change it, open OPTIONS, Interface tab, and choose the Language; the change applies at once. The number format (decimal comma or point) is chosen on the same tab.

On the command line you always type as in AutoCAD, whatever the language: decimal point and a comma between coordinates (10.5,20). Global command names (_LINE, _CIRCLE...) work in any language.

Languages can be added without reinstalling: a <code>.ftl catalog in the idiomas folder next to the executable or in the user configuration folder is enough.

See also

First drawing · Options · OPTIONS