# Installation ## Requirements In its bid for minimalism, Textadept also depends on very little to run. The GUI version needs only [GTK+][], a cross-platform GUI toolkit, version 2.18 or later on Linux and BSD systems. The application already bundles a GTK+ runtime into the Windows and Mac OSX packages. The terminal, or curses, version of Textadept only depends on a curses implementation like [ncurses][] on Linux, Mac OSX, and BSD systems. The Windows binary includes a precompiled version of [pdcurses][]. Textadept also incorporates its own [copy of Lua][] on all platforms. [GTK+]: http://gtk.org [copy of Lua]: 11_Scripting.html#Lua.Configuration [ncurses]: http://invisible-island.net/ncurses/ncurses.html [pdcurses]: http://pdcurses.sourceforge.net ### Linux and BSD Most Linux and BSD systems already have GTK+ installed. If not, your package manager probably makes it available. Otherwise, compile and install GTK+from the [GTK+ website][]. The Linux binaries for the GUI versions of Textadept require GLib version 2.28 or later to support [single-instance](#Single.Instance) functionality. However, Textadept compiles with versions of GLib as early as 2.22. For reference, Ubuntu 11.04, Debian Wheezy, Fedora 15, and openSUSE 11.4 support GLib 2.28 or later. Most Linux and BSD systems already have a curses implementation like ncurses installed. If not, look for one in your package manager, or compile and install ncurses from the [ncurses website][]. Ensure it is the wide-character version of ncurses, which handles multibyte characters. Debian-based distributions like Ubuntu typically call the package "libncursesw5". [GTK+ website]: http://www.gtk.org/download-linux.html [ncurses website]: http://invisible-island.net/ncurses/#download_ncurses ### Mac OSX No requirements other than Mac OSX 10.5 (Leopard) or higher with an Intel CPU. ### Windows No requirements. ## Download Download Textadept from the project's [download page][] by selecting the appropriate package for your platform. For the Windows and Mac OSX packages, the bundled GTK+ runtime accounts for more than 3/4 of the download and unpackaged application sizes. Textadept itself is much smaller. You also have the option of downloading an official set of [language modules][] from the download page. Textadept itself includes C/C++ and Lua language modules by default. [download page]: http://foicica.com/textadept/download [language modules]: 07_Modules.html#Language.Modules ## Installation Installing Textadept is simple and easy. You do not need administrator privileges. ### Linux and BSD Unpack the archive anywhere. If you downloaded the set of language modules, unpack it where you unpacked the Textadept archive. The modules are located in the */path/to/textadept_x.x/modules/* directory. ### Mac OSX Unpack the archive and move *Textadept.app* to your user or system *Applications/* directory like any other Mac OSX application. The package contains an optional *ta* script for launching Textadept from the command line that you can put in a directory in your "$PATH" (e.g. */usr/local/bin/*). If you downloaded the set of language modules, unpack it, right-click *Textadept.app*, select "Show Package Contents", navigate to *Contents/Resources/modules/*, and move the unpacked modules there. ### Windows Unpack the archive anywhere. If you downloaded the set of language modules, unpack it where you unpacked the Textadept archive. The modules are located in the *textadept_x.x\modules\\* directory. ## Running ### Linux and BSD Run Textadept by running */path/to/textadept_x.x/textadept* from the terminal You can also create a symbolic link to the executable in a directory in your "$PATH" (e.g. */usr/local/bin/*) or make a GNOME, KDE, XFCE, etc. button or menu launcher. The package also contains a *textadeptjit* executable for running Textadept with [LuaJIT][]. Due to potential [compatibility issues][], use the *textadept* executable wherever possible. The *textadept-curses* and *textadeptjit-curses* executables are the terminal versions of Textadept. Run them as you would run the *textadept* and *textadeptjit* executables, but from a terminal instead. [LuaJIT]: http://luajit.org [compatibility issues]: 11_Scripting.html#LuaJIT #### Problems Providing a single binary that runs on all Linux platforms proves challenging, since the versions of software installed vary widely from distribution to distribution. Because the Linux version of Textadept uses the version of GTK+ installed on your system, an error like: error while loading shared libraries: : cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory may occur when trying to run the program. The solution is actually quite painless even though it requires recompiling Textadept. The [compiling][] page has more information. [compiling]: 12_Compiling.html ### Mac OSX Run Textadept by double-clicking *Textadept.app*. You can also pin it to your dock. *Textadept.app* also contains an executable for running Textadept with [LuaJIT][]. Enable it by setting a "TEXTADEPTJIT" [environment variable](#Environment.Variables) or by typing `export TEXTADEPTJIT=1` in the terminal. Due to potential [compatibility issues][], use the non-LuaJIT executable wherever possible. [LuaJIT]: http://luajit.org [compatibility issues]: 11_Scripting.html#LuaJIT #### Environment Variables By default, Mac OSX GUI apps like Textadept do not see shell environment variables like "$PATH". Consequently, any [modules][] that utilize programs contained in "$PATH" (e.g. the progams in */usr/local/bin/*) for run and compile commands will not find those programs. Follow [these instructions][] to export the environment variables you need Textadept to see. At the very least, set "PATH" to be "$PATH". You must logout and log back in before the changes take effect. [modules]: 07_Modules.html [these instructions]: http://developer.apple.com/library/mac/#qa/qa1067/_index.html ### Windows Run Textadept by double-clicking *textadept.exe*. You can also create shortcuts to the executable in your Start Menu, Quick Launch toolbar, Desktop, etc. The package also contains a *textadeptjit.exe* executable for running Textadept with [LuaJIT][]. Due to potential [compatibility issues][], use the *textadept.exe* executable wherever possible. [LuaJIT]: http://luajit.org [compatibility issues]: 11_Scripting.html#LuaJIT ### *~/.textadept* Textadept stores all of your preferences and user-data in your *~/.textadept/* directory. If this directory does not exist, Textadept creates it on startup. The manual gives more information on this folder later. ## Single Instance Textadept is a single-instance application on Linux, BSD, and Mac OSX. This means that after starting Textadept, running `textadept file.ext` (`ta file.ext` on Mac OSX) from the command line or opening a file with Textadept from a file manager opens *file.ext* in the original Textadept instance. Passing a `-f` or `--force` switch to Textadept overrides this behavior and opens the file in a new instance: `textadept -f file.ext` (`ta -f file.ext`). Without the force switch, the original Textadept instance opens files, regardless of the number of instances open. The Windows and terminal versions of Textadept do not support single instance. ![Linux](images/linux.png)    ![Mac OSX](images/macosx.png)    ![Win32](images/win32.png)    ![curses](images/ncurses.png)