Installation and Troubleshoot Instructions

WINDOWS

Install python via Anaconda and then PASTA-ELN

If you do not have Python installed, we recommend using Anaconda. 1. Be sure that .NET version 3.5 is installed.

  1. Go to https://www.anaconda.com/download

  2. Download installer and run install. Accept all defaults

  3. Create environment, e.g. PASTA-ELN and choose to install it with "Python 3.11..."

  4. Click on new green arrow button and open "Terminal"

  5. "pip install pasta-eln"

  6. "pip install pasta-eln -U --no-dependencies"

    • if it complains about 'aiohttp' missing "pip install aiohttp"

  7. "python -m pasta_eln.gui" (make sure that you have administrator rights)

Manual installation

If automatic installation fails 1. Manually install couchdb https://docs.couchdb.org/en/stable/install/windows.html

  • Version 3.3.3 was successfully tested

  • During the setup use the username "admin" and remember to use a long password

  1. "pip install pasta-eln"

  2. Make sure that the configuration file is not present: Users....pastaELN.json

  3. "python -m pasta_eln.installationTools install" and enter username and password

  4. "python -m pasta_eln.gui" and go to configuration-setup to test the installation

    After the restart of the software, PASTA-ELN should be fully operational.

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Sometimes an older version of PASTA-ELN is being installed because of the child requirements not being correctly resolved. In this case you can force an update with

pip install pasta-eln -U --no-dependencies

CouchDB uninstallation

Sometimes, the couchdb installation can be quite persistent when removing 1. Go to settings are remove CouchDB 2. Go through the default places are remove CouchDB

  • C:Program FilesApache CouchDB

  • C:Program Files 64Apache CouchDB

LINUX

Requirement: add python packages

Generally, Python3 is installed in all Linux distributions. Sometimes, the package installer is missing. Hence, install it along with venv:

sudo apt install python3-pip python3.10-venv

Install PASTA-ELN

You can install PASTA-ELN in your normal user-space, which is the easier path, or inside an environment, which is the safer path. If PASTA-ELN does not work in the normal user-space, install in in an environment.

Install in user-space

In any folder,

pip3 install pasta-eln

which typically can take some time. Afterwards, start PASTA-ELN with

pastaELN

which starts automatically the setup if no valid PASTA-ELN configuration is found. If the command does not start pastaELN, please use

python -m pasta_eln.gui

Install in environment

Starting in a folder of your choice but we suggest the home-folder, create a virtual environment, for instance with the name .venvPasta. (The . will ensure that it is mostly hidden.)

python3 -m venv .venvPastaELN
. .venvPastaELN/bin/activate
pip3 install pasta-eln
pastaELN
deactivate

which typically can take some time and includes the setup. Afterwards, you can start pasta with

pastaELN

or

python -m pasta_eln.gui

Advanced notes if the normal setup did not succeed

If, for whatever reason, the graphical interface does not open, one can also execute

pastaELN_Install

to determine the status. To start the setup of the requirements, execute

pastaELN_Install install

ONLY DO THE NEXT STEP WHEN YOU SETUP PASTA-ELN FOR THE FIRST TIME.

Finally, to create the example dataset, execute

pastaELN_Install example

Afterwards, the normal 'pastaELN' command should work and a desktop icon should be present.