Install NEST from source

Note

Please see our development workflows and guidelines, if you need a refresher in git or need to review the coding or documentation guidelines.

git clone git@github.com:<your-username>/nest-simulator.git

  • or download the tarball here and unpack it:

tar -xzvf nest-simulator-x.y.tar.gz

We have provided an environment.yml file that contains all possible packages needed for NEST development.

Install NEST with conda

See our instructions for installing NEST from source in a conda environment

Install NEST without environment

If you want to install NEST without any environment, see the instructions here.

See also

cmake options for NEST

What gets installed where

By default, everything will be installed to the subdirectories <nest_install_dir>/{bin,lib,share}, where /install/path is the install path given to cmake:

  • Executables <nest_install_dir>/bin

  • Dynamic libraries <nest_install_dir>/lib/

  • SLI libraries <nest_install_dir>/share/nest/sli

  • SLI documentation <nest_install_dir>/share/doc/nest

  • Examples <nest_install_dir>/share/doc/nest/examples

  • PyNEST <nest_install_dir>/lib/pythonX.Y/site-packages/nest

  • PyNEST examples <nest_install_dir>/share/doc/nest/examples/pynest

If you want to run the nest executable or use the nest Python module without providing explicit paths, you have to add the installation directory to your search paths.