<p>This procedure has been verified to work on Windows, Mac, OpenSolaris, and too many flavors of Linux and of *BSD to list. It's likely to work on other platforms.
<h2>In Case Of Trouble</h2>
<p>There are a few 3rd party libraries that Tahoe-LAFS depends on that might not be easy to set up on your platform. If the following instructions don't Just Work without any further effort on your part, then please write to the <ahref="http://tahoe-lafs.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/tahoe-dev">the tahoe-dev mailing list</a> where friendly hackers will help you out. You might also find clues in the Advanced Install section described below.
<p>Check if you already have an adequate version of Python installed by running <cite>python -V</cite>. Python v2.4 (v2.4.4 or greater), Python v2.5, Python v2.6, or Python v2.7 will work. Python v3 does not work. On Windows, we recommend the use of Python v2.6 (native, not Cygwin). If you don't have one of these versions of Python installed, then follow the instructions on <ahref="http://www.python.org/download/releases/2.6.6/">the Python download page</a> to download and install Python v2.6. Make sure that the path to the installation directory has no spaces in it (e.g. on Windows, do not install Python in the "<tt>Program Files</tt>" directory).</p>
<p>If you are on Windows, you now must manually install the pywin32 package from <ahref="http://sourceforge.net/projects/pywin32/files/">the pywin32 site</a> before getting Tahoe-LAFS. Make sure to get the correct file for the version of Python you are using — e.g. ending in "py2.6.exe" for Python v2.6. If using 64-bit Windows, the file should have "win-amd64" in its name.</p>
<p>Run <cite>python setup.py build</cite> to generate the <cite>tahoe</cite> executable in a subdirectory of the current directory named <cite>bin</cite>. This will download and build anything you need from various websites.</p>
<p>On Windows, the <cite>build</cite> step might tell you to open a new Command Prompt (or, on XP and earlier, to log out and back in again). This is needed the first time you set up Tahoe-LAFS on a particular installation of Windows.</p>
<p>Run <cite>bin/tahoe --version</cite> (on Windows, <cite>bin\tahoe --version</cite>) to verify that the executable tool prints out the right version number.</p>
<p>Now you are ready to deploy a decentralized filesystem. The <cite>tahoe</cite> executable in the <cite>bin</cite> directory can configure and launch your Tahoe-LAFS nodes. See <ahref="running.html">running.html</a> for instructions on how to do that.</p>
<p>For optional features such as tighter integration with your operating system's package manager, you can see the <ahref="http://tahoe-lafs.org/trac/tahoe/wiki/AdvancedInstall">AdvancedInstall</a> wiki page. The options on that page are not necessary to use Tahoe-LAFS and can be complicated, so we do not recommend following that page unless you have unusual requirements for advanced optional features. For most people, you should first follow the instructions on this page, and if that doesn't work then ask for help by writing to <ahref="http://tahoe-lafs.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/tahoe-dev">the tahoe-dev mailing list</a>.</p>
