Installation

Release Installation
CVS Installation

Please visit BoaConstructorWiki first to find out the current software requirments to install Boa.

Release Installation

The release installation of Boa Constructor can be downloaded in sections and installed into the Python directory. On the Windows platform, the installation is simplified with a self-installer. The help files for Python and wxWindows is available on the download page, and must be installed in the Boa directory seperately.

Windows

1. Download Python from www.python.org . Run the Python installation. The default location of c:\pythonXX is recommended.

   It is recommended that the Python root directory be added to the system path.

2. Download wxPython from www.wxpython.org . Get the version built for the Python version installed. This is a self-extracting installer, which will install wxPython in the Python directory.
3. Download the latest Boa Constructor from http://boa-constructor.sourceforge.net . Run the self-extracting installer to install Boa Constructor.

   Create a shortcut to start Boa Constructor. The command line to start Boa should look something like:

       c:\python22\python c:\python22\wxPython\tools\boa\Boa.py
   

4. Optionally, but recommended, download the documentation for Boa Constructor from http://boa-constructor.sourceforge.net . Un-zip the docs into the Boa folder under the Python directory tree. An example would be: c:\python22\wxPython\tools\boa

Boa is ready to run!

Linux

Generic

1. Install Python, if not already installed. Most distrubutions will come with python pre-installed.
2. Install glibc, gtk+, if not already installed. Most distrubutions will come with both of these libraries, or compiled versions can be readily downloaded. A good resource for getting or building these libraries can be found on the www.wxpython.org .
3. Download wxPython from www.wxpython.org . wxPython is typically installed in the Python directory (/usr/lib/python2.2 for example). See http://www.wxpython.org/download.php#build if a pre-built binary is not available.
4. Download the latest Boa Constructor from http://boa-constructor.sourceforge.net . Un-zip Boa into the Python directory (/usr/lib/python2.2 for example).
5. The following command line should start Boa Constructor(This can be added as a link to Application on your desktop):

        <path to python>/python <path to python directory>/boa/Boa.py
   
        EX: /usr/bin/python /usr/lib/python2.2/boa/Boa.py
   

Boa is ready to run!

CVS Installation

The preferred method is to install the CVS version of Boa. This requires Python 2.1 or 2.2 and a wxPython 2.3.2 or higher. Be warned that only the Boa Constructor documentation is in the CVS repository. The documentation for Python and wxPython are available on the "Files" page. The tutorial mostly works, but because of some UI changes, not all of it works as expected.

Windows

Boa Constructor will run on Win9x and newer. It runs best on Win2k or XP.

1. Download an install Python. A version >= 2.1 is recommended. http://www.python.org

It's not required, but handy if Python is added to the path. (Typically c:\python21 or c:\python22)

2. Download and install wxPython. http://www.wxpython.org

From the download page select the appropriate version for the version of Python installed. Get the unicode version if that is required. Install in the default location. You can test that it works by running the demo, if installed.

3. Obtain the current version of Boa Constructor from the Source Forge CVS repository.

It is recommended that you install the command-line version of CVS. With this installed, working and on the path, Boa provides CVS support in the Explorer. Alternatively you may use WinCVS or another tool to checkout the repository. WinCVS does come with a command line cvs client, located in the same folder as the WinCVS executable.

Before retrieving the cvs version of Boa, create the directory tree to hold Boa at c:\python<version>\wxPython\tools. Move into this directory then issue the following command line(s) to retrieve Boa-Constructor:

cvs -d:pserver:anonymous@boa-constructor.cvs.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/boa-constructor login

Press enter when asked for a password.

cvs -z3 -d:pserver:anonymous@boa-constructor.cvs.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/boa-constructor co -P boa

This will create a boa directory, with all of the required files to make Boa Constructor run.

4. Download the documentation zip files from the Source Forge download page http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=1909 . Unzip the docs in the boa directory.
5. Create a shorcut to start Boa Constructor. The command line to start Boa is:
   

       python Boa.py
   
       EX: c:\python22\python c:\python22\wxPython\tools\boa\Boa.py
   

Linux

General

1. Install Python, version 2.1.x or newer, if not already installed.
2. Install glib and gtk+ libraries, if not already installed. The download page at www.wxpython.org has additional information about building or installing these libraries.
3. Download and install the wxPython. Again, the download page at www.wxpython.org has additional information about building or installing these libraries.
4. Get the cvs version of Boa.
This can be done with the following commands:

cvs -d:pserver:anonymous@boa-constructor.cvs.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/boa-constructor login
Press enter when asked for a password.

cvs -z3 -d:pserver:anonymous@boa-constructor.cvs.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/boa-constructor co -P boa

Mandrake 9.0

1. Check that Python 2.2.1 has been installed. If not use the Mandrake Control Center to install the Python rpm.
2. Install gtk, if not already installed.
3. Download and install the wxPython rpm for Mandrake from www.wxpython.org.
4. Get the cvs version of Boa.
(See item 4 from the General details above)