installation [Wiki]

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====== Installation ======

Please download the appropriate package for your operating system from the beta directory and follow the installation instructions below.

===== Windows =====

**Available Package:** ''shapeXT-v2026.XX.X-git-Windows-x86_64.zip''

Currently, the Windows version is provided as a portable ZIP archive without a dedicated installer. 

  - **Extract:** Download the ''.zip'' file and extract its contents to a folder of your choice (e.g., your Desktop or ''C:\Program Files\'').
  - **Run:** Open the extracted folder and double-click ''shapeXT.exe'' to launch the application.
  - **Security Warning:** Since the executable is not yet digitally signed (code signing will be added before the public release), Windows Defender SmartScreen might display a blue warning box saying "Windows protected your PC". To bypass this, click on **More info** and then select **Run anyway**.
  - **File Association:** To automatically open structure files with shapeXT, simply launch the program and navigate to the menu bar: click on **Options -> Open Files with shapeXT...** and select the file formats you want to associate.


===== macOS (Apple Silicon) =====

**Available Package:** ''shapeXT-v2026.XX.X-git-macOS-arm64.dmg''

The macOS version comes as a standard disk image and is fully signed and notarized by Apple.

  - **Install:** Download and double-click the ''.dmg'' file to mount it.
  - **Copy:** Drag and drop the shapeXT application icon into your **Applications** folder.
  - **File Association:** Common crystallography and chemistry file formats (''.sxt'', ''.jsxt'', ''.cif'', ''.res'', ''.diamdoc'') are automatically associated with shapeXT right after the installation. You can start opening files right away!

===== Linux =====

**Available Packages:** 
  * ''shapeXT-v2026.XX.X-git-Ubuntu2404-x86_64.tar.gz''
  * ''shapeXT-v2026.XX.X-git-Debian13-x86_64.tar.gz''

//Note: While these packages are built for Ubuntu 24.04 and Debian 13, they should generally work on other modern distributions like Fedora as well. A universal .AppImage will be provided in a future update.//

  - **Extract:** Download the appropriate ''.tar.gz'' archive for your system and extract it to a directory of your choice (e.g., ''~/shapeXT'' or ''/opt/shapeXT'').
  - **Run:** Open your file manager or terminal, navigate to the extracted directory, and execute the ''shapeXT.sh'' script.
  - **Desktop Integration:** When you run shapeXT for the first time, it will ask if you want to apply desktop integration. If you agree, the software will install a ''.desktop'' file and register the corresponding MIME types. This will add shapeXT to your system's application launcher and enable double-click support for structure files. 
  - **Manual Integration:** If you skipped the initial prompt, you can always integrate shapeXT into your desktop environment later by navigating to **Options -> Create Desktop Entry...** within the application.