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QCAD Manual

Installing QCAD under Linux

QCAD is distributed for Linux in three different package formats. Which one you should use depends on your system:

  • Flatpak (.flatpak) - the recommended format for current desktop Linux distributions and the only supported way to install QCAD on ChromeOS. The Flatpak bundles all libraries QCAD needs, so it also runs on systems whose libraries are too old or too new for the other packages.
  • Installer (.run) - a self-extracting installer that unpacks QCAD into your home directory. No administrator rights are required.
  • Archive (.tar.gz) - the same files as the installer, for users who prefer to extract the application manually.

None of these packages install QCAD system-wide, and none of them require root privileges. QCAD is always installed for the current user only and can be removed again by deleting a single directory.

The following pages describe each installation method in detail:

  • Installing QCAD from a Flatpak - installation from the .flatpak package on a desktop Linux distribution.
  • Installing QCAD from the Installer - installation from the .run installer or the .tar.gz archive.
  • Installing QCAD on a Chromebook - installation from the .flatpak package inside the Linux environment of ChromeOS.

Throughout these pages, version numbers are written as 3.x.x. Replace this with the actual version number of the QCAD release you have downloaded, for example 3.32.9.

Choosing the Correct Package

Section titled “Choosing the Correct Package”

QCAD packages for Linux are built for different CPU architectures and against different versions of the Qt library. If you are unsure which package to choose, determine your CPU architecture first. Open a terminal and enter:

uname -m
  • x86_64 means you have a 64-bit Intel or AMD CPU.
  • aarch64 (or arm64) means you have a 64-bit ARM CPU.

Then pick the package from the download area accordingly:

Your system Section in the download area File name
Current 64-bit Intel/AMD distribution Linux > Qt 6 > 64-bit Intel qcad-3.x.x-pro-linux-qt6-x86_64.flatpak / .run / .tar.gz
Current 64-bit ARM distribution Linux > Qt 6 > ARM (64-bit) qcad-3.x.x-pro-linux-qt6-arm64.flatpak / .run / .tar.gz
Older 64-bit Intel/AMD distribution Linux > Qt 5 > 64-bit Intel qcad-3.x.x-pro-linux-qt5.14-x86_64.run / .tar.gz
Very old 64-bit Intel/AMD distribution Linux > 64-bit Intel qcad-3.x.x-pro-linux-x86_64.run / .tar.gz
Very old 32-bit Intel/AMD distribution Linux > 32-bit Intel qcad-3.x.x-pro-linux-x86_32.run / .tar.gz

Note: the Qt 5 and 32-bit packages are provided for compatibility with legacy distributions only. Use a Qt 6 package unless QCAD refuses to start on your system.

The file names above are those of the QCAD Professional packages. Trial packages are named qcad-3.x.x-trial-... and are otherwise identical.