I do not remember what I did when I moved from 7.XX to 8.01 (or thereabouts). But it seems that KiCad does not intend to copy the library tables. (The main point is my custom libraries.)
I did not like having to individually select my custom footprint library folders and re-type my library nicknames. I am pretty sure there must be two or more clever ways to copy that over…but I just tried one and I think it works.
One thing I’ve done differently today is to install 9.01 before uninstalling 8.09. So I opened “manage footprint libraries” in both versions running simulataneously. I simply selected the rows of interest in 8.09 and copied over to 9.01.
This looks like it works. Comments or alternate ideas? What if I had uninstalled 8.09 before installing 9.01?
When you first run a new version of KiCad, it will ask you to import existing library tables. If you do that correctly, the new version of KiCad will have the same library table as the old one.
Suppose you did not do that correctly, you can still simply copy the library table files from the old version to the new version folder and replace them. As long as there are no breaking changes between the tables, it will work.
I used to worry about loosing the library tables before but no more. Always make use of the KiCad’s environment variables to specify library paths. This makes it easy to move entire library folders to new a new location, yet still retain everything about the libraries intact. All I need to change is the value of the path variable.
Even if that was not done, you can still add all of your libraries to a fresh table by selecting all of the library files at once, instead of one at a time. Do it a few times, and you can have all your libraries back on the list.
Following screenshot shows how the Alternate KiCad Libraries (AKL) are loaded in my KiCad. Notice the ${AKL_LIBS} variable.
Thank you. I did that. But in an effort to confirm my observations, I just now re-ran the installer. It did not go the same. It remembered library table from my first install of 9.0.1, which I suppose is reasonable. In first run of 9.0.1 after the original install I pointed the dialog box to the folder with my 8.XX library tables when it asked me.
I think I tried to do that also. I will have to give that another try.
But the other thing; from online HELP:
" If a previous version of KiCad is detected, you will have the option to import the settings from that version. The location of the previous configuration files is detected automatically, but you may override it to choose another location if desired.
Please note that, the schematic symbol and footprint library tables from the previous version of KiCad will not be imported."
So my result seems to agree with that. (??)
Paul you must be everyone’s favorite coworker. I ask what seems like a reasonable question and you choose to nitpick my dropping of a period. It might have mattered for software debug, but I don’t think anyone was confused as to the KiCad versions I was referring to.
This is for Linux, but other OS have a similar location.
Go to $HOME/.config/kicad/9.0 and delete fp-lib-table and sym-lib-table.
This will force KiCAD to rebuild the tables or give you the option to import the 8.0 versions.
This presumes you’ve set the $PATH variables.
