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Installation

Requirements

h5forest requires Python 3.8 or higher and works on Linux, macOS, and Windows.

Install from PyPI

The easiest way to install h5forest is via pip:

pip install h5forest

This will install h5forest and all required dependencies:

  • h5py - HDF5 file reading
  • numpy - Numerical operations
  • prompt_toolkit - Terminal user interface framework
  • matplotlib - Plotting functionality
  • rapidfuzz - Fuzzy searching

Install from Source

To install the latest development version:

git clone https://github.com/WillJRoper/h5forest.git
cd h5forest
pip install -e .

For development installation with testing tools and documentation building, see the Contributing Guide.

Verify Installation

After installation, verify everything works:

h5forest --help

You should see the help message. If you have an HDF5 file available, test the interface:

h5forest /path/to/your/file.hdf5

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

ImportError: No module named 'h5py'

pip install h5py

Permission errors on Linux/macOS

pip install --user h5forest

Terminal display issues

  • Ensure your terminal supports Unicode characters
  • For best experience, use a terminal with 256 color support
  • Some features may not work properly in very old terminal emulators

Getting Help

If you encounter issues:

  1. Check the FAQ for common solutions
  2. Search existing GitHub issues
  3. Create a new issue with your system details and error message

Next Steps

Once installed, continue to the Quick Start Guide to learn the basics of using h5forest.