Plugin Manager Library path

External Plugins
1

I’ve discovered that there a libraries in the Plugin Manager.
Cool. So I’ve installed them all, but they are just downloaded somewhere, not installed. At least their paths aren’t added anywhere.
Searching my harddrive for them didn’t turn anythything up, so I don’t even know which paths I would need to add to make them work.
At this point it would be more useful to just provide a list with download links to the libraries, at least then I know where they are and I can put them wherever I’d like.

Anyone here knows the directory?

2

They should be under the pre-defined KICAD6_3RD_PARTY.

3

You should check the description of Alternate KiCad Library (you said you downloaded them all, and my library is among them). Github link provides detailed installation instructions. You can repeat the steps for any other libraries.
Hope this helps.

4

Also the Plugin Manager’s “Open Package Directory” button seems to open the default location.

5

Where is that button?

grafik
grafik924×568 89.1 KB

6

Sorry I have the development version 6.99 open, it looks like the button doesn’t exist in v6.0.

7

I’m away from my PC at the moment and I can’t check the default folder location for PCM libraries. I do believe they are pointed out on the pdf manual, in the Github link.

8

At least the “Generic Symbol Library” and the “Elektuur Style Symbol Library” have the following information in regard of the path:

image
image759×114 2.89 KB

p.s. Weirdly, I cannot copy the text directly from the PCM, therefore the screenshot.

1 Like
9

OK, I found the folders. ${KICAD6_3RD_PARTY} expands on my system to ~/.local/share/kicad/6.0/3rdparty/

It’s a lot of clicking to add all the footprints. There must be a better way. Or?

grafik
grafik1521×938 153 KB

10

Better way is a work in progress PCM: autoload libs from installed packages to global lib tables (!1207) · Merge requests · KiCad / KiCad Source Code / kicad · GitLab

2 Likes
11

If the standard Shift+click doesn’t work, try the “Open” button in upper level, for the folder which is named “footprints” in your screenshot. It may add all of the .pretty libraries at once.

1 Like
12

Great, that works - weird, why is the standard multiselect with shift not working there.
EDIT: I had this issue before, but the bug is closed as resolved in the tracker. A regression?

13

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