Digikey library install for Kicad 5 stable

I just installed the latest stable version of Kicad 5 and I want to add the Digikey library. I watched the video, but 5 is so different from 4 that I’m not sure how to proceed.

Thanks in advance
Greg

What step is what throws you off?
The footprint side of things should be very similar to version 4 (some buttons have a slightly different name, but in general the dialogs should look very similar so you should be able to find your way around)
The symbol side of things now works very similar to the footprint side. So it should be easy to install symbol libs once you understand the footprint side.

I open the Symbol Library Editor, click on ‘Add Library’ but I can only select on .lib file at a time. The video shows selecting all and adding them. That makes me feel that I’m doing it wrong. I don’t want to mess it up :slight_smile:

Greg

use shift plus leftclick

That’s how I normally do it. CTRL-A doesn’t select all either.

Do the lib files have to be in a specific directory to add them? I just have them in my downloads folder. (Windows 10)

No. Libraries can be stored anywhere in your computer.
I recommed somewhere in your user directory, always outside the system directories. But they can also be stored in a different disk.

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Thanks, that what I thought.

Are you sure you are in the correct dialog? Are you sure you really run version 5?
I do not see a button add libraries. Only append, browse libraries, remove library, move up and move down.

If you click the browse libraries button something similar to your filebrowser should open. navigate to your lib location. left click on the first lib. scroll down. shift plus leftclick on the last lib file.

crtl plus leftclick allows you to select or deselect specific files. (make sure your selection only includes .lib files)

Screenshots will follow as i do not have the correct programms installed right now on my windows machine. (i don’t want to work with paint)

I have experienced some problem with it in some system, I don’t remember anymore exactly. I had to try couple of times or do some trick, like selecting, unselecting, selecting again before it worked.

I used it 5 mins ago in windows 7 without trouble. Maybe this is a windows 10 bug. (I have a few windows 10 pcs around me right now. Will test it.)

I don’t have any problems like that in any other program. I have 25+ years as a Lan/Wan tech and programmer. So this is everyday stuff for me.
:smile: Here are a couple of pictures. The second icon from the left is the Add Library. And that is the dialog box that opens when you click it.

Thanks

kicad5SymbolLibEdit

Wrong tool! (The tool you use is to create a new library)
use preferences -> library manager (as i wrote: similar to footprints as for footprints you also start the same tool but from within pcb_new or the footprint editor)

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Ah Ha!! I knew I was doing something stupid. (That’s why I asked.)

Thanks to everyone for your help!!

And it worked!!

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