Install NEST from source

Note

Please see our development workflows and guidelines, if you need a refresher in git or need to review the coding or documentation guidelines.

git clone git@github.com:<your-username>/nest-simulator.git

  • or download the tarball here and unpack it:

tar -xzvf nest-simulator-x.y.tar.gz

We have provided an environment.yml file that contains all possible packages needed for NEST development. See our instructions for installing NEST from source in a conda environment

OR

If you want to install NEST without any environment, see the instructions here.

What gets installed where

By default, everything will be installed to the subdirectories <nest_install_dir>/{bin,lib,share}, where /install/path is the install path given to cmake:

  • Executables <nest_install_dir>/bin

  • Dynamic libraries <nest_install_dir>/lib/

  • SLI libraries <nest_install_dir>/share/nest/sli

  • SLI documentation <nest_install_dir>/share/doc/nest

  • Examples <nest_install_dir>/share/doc/nest/examples

  • PyNEST <nest_install_dir>/lib/pythonX.Y/site-packages/nest

  • PyNEST examples <nest_install_dir>/share/doc/nest/examples/pynest

If you want to run the nest executable or use the nest Python module without providing explicit paths, you have to add the installation directory to your search paths.