I just installed KiCad for the first time on Linux Mint (17.3) and wanted to make mention of of a good post on ‘launchpad’ related to what must be a common installation problem:
Install Instructions Suggestion
The current instructions on the KiCad download site don’t seem to mention the names of the additional packages ‘kicad-library’ and ‘kicad-demo’, and ‘kicad-doc-en’ (or other language docs).
I understand that installing the libraries by default might impact an existing configuration of KiCad, but unless the libraries are initially installed, the demos cannot be appreciated. Additionally, installation of the library package appears to be necessary to have the ‘modules’ directory created and the 3D modules installed.
I believe that the ‘demos’ are important to help inspire users to overcome preconceived misconceptions regarding any limitations of KiCAD and invest some time in seeing all that it has to offer.
If I understand correctly, the integrated simulator is presently only accessible in the nightly builds and has not yet been added to the stable release.
Thanks!