Install or update SPPAS package

There is a unique version of the SPPAS package which does not depend on the operating system.

The package does not need elaborate installation: all you need to do is to download and copy it from the website to somewhere on your computer. The package is compressed and zipped, so you will have to decompress and unpack it once you've got it, and... that's it.

You have to choose a location:

preferably with only US-ASCII characters in both the path and the filename,
preferably with without whitespace in both the path and the filename,
of your home directory: each user must have his own version of the SPPAS package, and must have 'write' permission on it.

STEP 1: Install external programs

Install Python under Windows:

Launch the Microsoft Store. Search the Microsoft Store app for “Python 3”. Select the App with name Python 3.8, or Python 3.9, or Python 3.10. Ensure that the app you select is published by the Python Software Foundation and that you select a supported version. Install it ONCE. Here are details about this install.

Install Homebrew and Python under MacOS

Install Homebrew.

Python 3.7 is already installed so there's no need to install another version. In case you choose to do so, open the Terminal application and launch the command: "brew install python".

Install Python under any Linux system

Use either apt/yum or any tool (like Synaptic) to install "python3", "python3-venv", "python3-pip", "python3-distutils" and "gstreamer" packages.

Important information

For a full experience of SPPAS, choose Python 3.7 - 3.10.

Installing one and ONLY ONE version of Python is highly recommended!

What can happen with a more recent version?

Python 3.10 is supported by SPPAS from version 4.7. If you need a previous version of SPPAS, you must install a previous version of Python!
Python 3.10+ are not yet supported by some of the external programs, so some features won't be available.
Python 3.11 has not been tested yet and the GUI is not available - so does the setup.

What can happen with an older version?

Python 2.7.x is no longer supported.
Most of the features of SPPAS require external programs that are no longer available for Python before 3.6.
Python 3.6 can be used except that annotations based on MediaPipe - i.e. when enabling "video" support, will produce worse results than a more recent one.

What is happening if I change the Python version on my computer?

SPPAS can work with various versions of Python. If you need to delete a version on your system and to install a new one, you also have to delete the folder ".sppaspyenv~" which is located at the root of the SPPAS package, and then to re-launch the setup (see below).

Contact Python developers or see the Python FAQ for any help with Python installation. Several users reported problems when using Anaconda.

STEP 2: Setup

External programs have also to be installed on your operating system to enable some features of SPPAS. You must do it every time you install a new package of SPPAS, or if you change the version of Python on your computer.

OPTION 1: Let's SPPAS installing the programs

Under Windows, double-click the `setup.bat` file and under MacOS/Linux, double-click the `setup.command` file. Then wait and follow instructions.

OPTION 2: Install the programs manually with SPPAS helping

Under Windows, launch 'cmd.exe'; under Unix-based systems, open a Terminal application
Change location to the SPPAS package
Launch the command:
```
python3 -m venv .sppaspyenv~
```

Under Windows, launch the command:

.sppaspyenv~\Scripts\python.exe sppas\bin\preinstall.py

Under MacOS or Linux, launch the command:

.sppaspyenv~/bin/python3 ./sppas/bin/preinstall.py

Choose the components to be installed

OPTION 3: Install the programs fully manually

Under Windows, launch 'cmd.exe'; under Unix-based systems, open a Terminal application
Change location to the SPPAS package
Launch the command:
```
python3 -m venv .sppaspyenv~
```

Here is a summary of the external programs or the pipy packages you can install in the Python virtual environment:

the pipy package "wxpython" allows to interact with SPPAS in graphical mode, with the Graphical User Interface
the pipy package "mediapipe" enables image and video processing
either the pipy package "pyaudio" or "simpleaudio" to allow to play sounds
the program "julius" - the CSR Engine Julius, is used by the automatic annotation 'Alignment'. The HVite command of HTK 3.4.1 can also be used by the automatic annotation 'Alignment' but there are license restrictions.

ISSUES

Installation error of Julius under Windows

If you installed the programs without the administration rights, Julius failed to be installed. You have then to move the file "julius.exe" to C:\\WINDOWS, or anywhere else Windows can find it.

ISSUE for MacOS 12+

The new gift of Apple: Under MacOS 12, it seems that SPPAS is no longer allowed to launch "julius" in order to perform alignment. The Gatekeeper is overly zealous in preventing a third party app from being used in macOS.

In that case, turn off Gatekeeper through the System Preferences or launch Terminal if you haven't done so yet (/Applications/Utilities/) and issue the following command to turn off Gatekeeper:
>sudo spctl --master-disable

ISSUE for MacOS 13+

The Homebrew external program can't be automatically installed by SPPAS anymore. You have to do it yourself.

ISSUE for Windows 10 + Python 3 + wxPython 4 + non-romanized languages

There's currently an issue - described here, under SOME Windows OS with the versions Python 3.8+ and WxPython 4.1.0. It concerns only languages with a non-Romanized writing system. We are waiting that the developpers of Python/wxPython solve the problem. I recommend to Windows users of non-romanized languages to choose an earlier version of Python (3.6 or 3.7).

Notice that it is not an issue under Linux and MacOS; because the problem comes from Windows OS itself.