ERROR Missing KiCAD 'pyclipper' python module

Software
1

I am using

Application: KiCad PCB Editor x86_64 on x86_64

Version: 9.0.4, release build

Libraries:
	wxWidgets 3.2.8
	FreeType 2.13.3
	HarfBuzz 11.4.4
	FontConfig 2.17.1
	libcurl/8.15.0 OpenSSL/3.5.2 zlib/1.3.1 zstd/1.5.7 libidn2/2.3.8 libpsl/0.21.5 nghttp2/1.66.0

Platform: Freedesktop SDK 25.08 (Flatpak runtime), 64 bit, Little endian, wxGTK, X11, gnome, wayland
OpenGL: Intel, Mesa Intel(R) UHD Graphics (TGL GT1), 4.6 (Compatibility Profile) Mesa 25.2.1 (git-d6e3b017b2)

Build Info:
	Date: Nov 11 2011 11:11:11
	wxWidgets: 3.2.8 (wchar_t,wx containers) GTK+ 3.24
	Boost: 1.89.0
	OCC: 7.9.1
	Curl: 8.15.0
	ngspice: 45.2
	Compiler: GCC 15.2.0 with C++ ABI 1020
	KICAD_IPC_API=ON

Locale: 
	Lang: en_US
	Enc: UTF-8
	Num: 1,234.5
	Encoded ŠŗĪ©äøˆ: D0BACEA9E4B888 (sys), D0BACEA9E4B888 (utf8)

with the plugin

RF-Tools
Rounder tools, Tapers for pads and tracks, Solder Mask Expander, Track Length, Via Fence Generator, Trace Clearance Generator
Metadata

Package identifier: com.github.easyw.kicad-rf-tools

License: GPL-2.0

Tags: rf, pcbnew, fencing, expander

Author: easyw

email: easyw@katamail.com

Resources

Github: https://github.com/easyw/RF-tools-KiCAD

Readme: https://github.com/easyw/RF-tools-KiCAD/blob/master/README.md

Until last week it was working. Today I get this error:

āœ˜ ERROR Missing KiCAD 'pyclipper' python module:
please install it using pip
in your KiCAD python environment.
[You may need administrative rights]

when I try to use it:

Screenshot From 2025-09-08 09-11-24
Screenshot From 2025-09-08 09-11-24882Ɨ386 25.7 KB

How can I install pyclipper in the KiCAD python environment?

2

I found a solution:

  1. Open ā€œTools ā†’ Scripting consoleā€.
  2. Run the following commands:
    • import subprocess
    • subprocess.run(['pip','install','pyclipper'])
  3. Restart KiCad.
1 Like
3

For anyone reading this, the other way is to open the Kicad x.x Command Prompt and use pip install in there

4

How do you open such command prompt in Linux?

5

Ah, sorry. On linux it is different. Afaik it uses the default environment. Meaning you can just pip install in the normal terminal. Things might be different if you use virtual environments.

Iā€™m not a linux user, so there are probably people that can help you more with this

6

I can confirm that KiCad does not use the global Python environment in Linux, as I did pip install pyclipper in the global environment and did not solve it for KiCad.

7

According to the docs, it uses the same environment: For Add-on Developers | Developer Documentation | KiCad

On Linux, KiCad uses the first version of Python found in the userā€™s PATH by default.

Maybe Iā€™m misunderstanding something though

8

Flatpakā€¦ :::::::::::

9

ah! Linux is fun I see!