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Downloading and Running McIDAS-V

This page contains information on:

If you have any trouble downloading and installing McIDAS-V, first check the FAQ, then please report your problem as described in McIDAS-V Support.

For more information on downloading and using McIDAS-V, please see the Installation and Introduction tutorial on the McIDAS-V Documentation Page. Also, see this page for additional tutorials and instructional videos on more advanced subjects.

Downloading McIDAS-V
Check that your system meets the System Requirements for McIDAS-V and download the appropriate package for the following operating systems:

This file is just the installer and can be placed anywhere on your machine. When you run the installer in the next step, you can then indicate where you want McIDAS-V to be installed.

Installing McIDAS-V

Start the installer by following the instructions appropriate for your operating system:


  • Linux
  •    open a terminal window and run sh ./<installer>.sh
  • Mac OS X
  •    mount the .dmg and double-click the installer
  • Windows
  •    double-click the downloaded .exe file
  • All other UNIX
  •    open a terminal window and run sh ./<installer>.sh

A GUI will walk you through the installation steps and allow you to create a program group and/or desktop icon.

If an error occurs, please see the FAQ for information on solutions to common errors reported by users installing and running McIDAS-V. If you do not see your error listed, please send a support request to McIDAS-V Support.

Running McIDAS-V

On Mac OS X:

Double-click on the McIDAS-V shortcut icon that was created in /Applications.

On Windows:

Double-click on the McIDAS-V shortcut icon that was created on the Desktop.

On all other platforms:

At the UNIX prompt from the directory where McIDAS-V was installed, run the command: McIDAS-V-System/runMcV.

If an error occurs, please see the FAQ for information on solutions to common errors reported by users installing and running McIDAS-V. If you do not see your error listed, send a support request to McIDAS-V Support or use the Support Request Form in the Help menu of McIDAS-V.

McIDAS-X users who install McIDAS-V and want to run their McIDAS-X commands in the McIDAS-V environment via the Bridge must also be running McIDAS-X on the same computer. Sites that have joined the McIDAS Users' Group and purchased McIDAS-X support can download the current version of McIDAS-X from the McIDAS-X Downloads page.

Setting Memory Usage

By default, McIDAS-V uses 80% of the available memory on your machine. The maximum amount of memory is determined by the operating system. To manually change the amount of memory used by McIDAS-V, edit the Maximum Heap Size in the Advanced tab of the Preferences by selecting Edit->Preferences... from the main menu. The new amount of memory will be saved and used in subsequent sessions. For 32 bit operating systems, it is recommended to set this to no more than 1250 MB. The maximum value for 32 bit operating systems is 1536 MB, while 64 bit operating systems can use all of the RAM available. To change the amount of memory used to a percentage, select the percentage option in the Advanced tab of the Preferences by selecting Edit->Preferences... from the main menu.

Downloading McIDAS-V Source Code

The source code for McIDAS-V is available for download. For instructions on building McIDAS-V from source, see the Building McIDAS-V from Source document.

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