As some have been aware, I’ve had problems with upgrading from 5.1 to 6.0.
That’s now solved…
A second issue has turned up:
the 6.0 symbol libraries are not accessible.
The libraries are stored in /usr/share/kicad/library
But the program seems to look for the symbols in /usr/share/kicad/symbols which doesn’t exist.
I just made the mistake of selecting all libraries and clicking “Migrate Libraries”, which was a big mistake.
Clicking away ~200 error messages without being able to stop 6.0 was no fun.
You did download the library packages supplied with 6?
Your “Library Format” column should read “KiCad” not “Legacy”. This suggests you are trying to use your old 5.1.x libraries.
You were probably asked during the installation of 6 if you wanted the libraries and you probably clicked “no”… should have clicked “yes”.
"Migrate libraries " is only required when converting personal libraries to 6. Personal libraries, once migrated, cannot be used in 5; so, MAKE SURE YOU KEEP A COPY FOR USE IN 5.
Apparently you have (or had) v5 libraries active when you used v6. This means that old configuration was used in new version. Just start from scratch by deleting the current v6 configuration. Where are the configuration files (settings, library tables)?
This time read the FAQ article carefully. I won’t repeat what is said there.
If the problem still persists, please tell and we’ll find out what is the problem.
You’re right, and I regret that remark. But persistent KiCAD “in your face” error messages hovering over every program is also not very nice, especially when it’s impossible to get rid off.
Installing 6.0, I followed every step here to the letter:
using copy/paste into my terminal. All commands ran smoothly.
I checked afterwards that the 6.0 PPA is there (it is).
I also took special note of this:
"If you don’t do a “full installation” you should be interested to install also:
kicad-libraries: a virtual package that will recommend you to install footprints, symbols, templates and 3D
kicad-symbols, kicad-templates, kicad-footprints, kicad-packages3d: if you want to manually select what library to install."
This led me to believe that the libraries are installed (I did a full installation).
Apparently that’s not the case.
I have work to do and am back on 5.1
When I have nothing else to do, I might try 6.0 again.
Yes and no. I did the installation of 6.0 with and without the 5.1 PPA enabled at the same time (sudo update before installation both times).
I’d expect that the 5.1 shouldn’t make a difference, updates normally handle this kind of thing automatically.
You probably triggered off a background conversion process which kept going and popping up warnings when it couldn’t modify the system libraries as it should not. Nothing sinister like you think.
I think the instructions for Ubuntu packages are equivocal. Too much is mentioned about the option to not install the recommended additional packages. I believe it should just present the default, and then at the end mention that if one does not wish to install the recommended additions because one has one’s own arrangements, one can disable that with --no-install-recommends. In the package maintainer’s quest to save user download volume, users who don’t understand the nuances end up without libraries, and then they do multiple downloads and post queries here. The volume of the symbol and footprint libraries is small in the scheme of things.
I never thought there was anything sinister about it. I 've no problem with error messages, but they should stay with the running program. Overlaying everything else is bad, and a first for me.
Concerning the instructions: yes they’re not optimal, but certainly understandable. The issue is, that they’re apparently not correct. A “full installation” does not install the libraries as claimed.
A side comment:
Some user(s) have attacked me here. Now, I’ve worked in sales and marketing for decades, and there is one thing that’s important to understand:
If a ‘customer’ complains, it’s a good thing: He/she is very interested and wants the problem solved.
If silence ensues, you’re in trouble, and the interest is gone. That’s bad.
This is free software, of course, and the rules are different. But the psychology is not.
I Thank You All for your help, but it will probably be a day or two before I have time for another try.
True, but its one thing to make straight forward comments about a problem and quite another to deride work which is for the most part voluntarily done.
