New user, ver. 4.0.0-RC1: "Cvpcb" just hangs when started

Software
1

I’m a new KiCad user with version 4.0.0-rc1-stable on Windows 7. I am following http://docs.kicad.org/en/getting_started_in_kicad.html

I am getting stuck on line 47:

    47. You can now quit the schematic editor. From KiCad, 
click on the Run Cvpcb icon on the top toolbar.

First, the ‘Run CvPcb’ icon is not in the KiCad tool panel, it is only in the ‘eeschema’ toolbar. Second, when I click it, the opens a “Cvpcb 4.0.0-rc1-stable” window but I get a constant “waiting” cursor, the program is locked up and eventually quits with a long list of errors, starting with:

Errors were encountered loading footprints
IO_ERROR: http GET command failed
Cannot get/download Zip archive: ‘https://codeload.github.com/KiCad/Diodes_SMD.pretty/zip/master’
for library path: ‘https://github.com/KiCad/Diodes_SMD.pretty’.
Reason: ‘A connection attempt failed because the connected party did not properly respond after a period of time, or established connection failed because connected host has failed to respond’
from C:/Jenkins/workspace/windows-kicad-msys2-stable/src/kicad-4.0.0-rc1/pcbnew/github/github_plugin.cpp : remote_get_zip() : line 584

2

Update: the error was due to a firewall / proxy server issue preventing a network connection. I didn’t realize KiCad had to go online to get footprints. Seems like it ought to be able to work offline, however.

3

I suggest you download all libraries from github and use local “offline” copies.

4

Yes, but since the footprints are not yet bundled with the windows installer, you will need to download them. This can be done from the footprint wizard.

5

Hi JBeale,
Can you say what have you done with the firewall issue because I have exactly the same problem when I open the CvPcb?

6

I have the same firewall problem with cvpcb. without the forums, it would be hard for a new user to know how to proceed.