Installation on Linux
------------------------

#. Download and install the BitFlow Linux Drivers and SDK along with the BitFlow Tools for Linux (BFT4Lin) package.

   Please contact the BitFlow Sales Department (sales@bitflow.com) to purchase the SDK.
      
#. Download and install the latest supported Python version.

    .. code-block:: console

       $ sudo apt install python3

    Refer to the `installation guide <https://docs.python-guide.org/starting/installation/>`_ to install a different version of Python.

    The Python versions currently supported are:    
    
       * Python 3.10
       * Python 3.8

#. Download the tarball containing the latest whl file, example programs, and the html documentation and extract the file to any location on your PC.

    * `BFModule for Linux <https://www.bitflow.com/downloads/BFModule_Linux_Release.tar.bz2>`_

#. Navigate to the folder location.

    .. code-block:: console

       $ cd [Extracted folder location]

#. [Optional]
    Create a virtual environment using the command:

        .. code-block:: console

            $ python3 -m venv [venv-name]
					
    To activate the virtual environment run the following command:

        .. code-block:: console

            $ source [venv-name]/bin/activate

#. To install **BFModule** using the wheel file:

    .. code-block:: console

        (venv-name) $ python.exe -m pip install BFModule-X.x.x-cpXX-cpXX-linux_x86_64.whl

   Where, `BFModule-X.x.x-cpXX-cpXX-linux_x86_64.whl` is the name of the WHL file in the extracted folder.

#. Add the BFT4Lin library directory to the *LD_LIBRARY_PATH* variable.

    .. code-block:: console

       $export LD_LIBRARY_PATH="/usr/local/lib/BitFlow:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH"