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Getting PiCode
Two ways in, for two different people.
Go to Releases and take the file for your platform:
| File | What it is |
|---|---|
...-setup.exe |
Windows installer (Inno Setup) |
...<version>.zip |
Windows portable — unzip, run PiCode.exe
|
PiCode-linux-x64-... |
Linux builds follow the same path |
SHA256SUMS.txt |
checksums of everything above |
Verify the checksum before the first run. Windows binaries are unsigned today, so SmartScreen warns once (More info → Run anyway). That is expected, not tampering — see CI and Releases.
On the first run PiCode creates a data/ folder next to the executable:
user data, extensions, sessions, cache and the Pi profile.
Nothing is written to %APPDATA%.
- Delete
data/→ you get a clean PiCode. - Copy it → your whole PiCode moves to another machine.
No profile travels inside the archive itself: fresh ZIP, fresh start. Continue with First Run and the Wizard.
Three channels share the same code, each on its own branch:
| Channel | Branch | Version looks like | For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stable | master |
0.2.1 |
everyday use |
| Beta | beta |
0.2.1-beta |
early access |
| Experimental | experimental |
0.2.1-experimental |
freshest work |
Each channel publishes its own update feed and the editor offers the update when one appears. Switching channel means installing that channel's release; the editor follows the feed of the build you run.
The repository carries PiCode's own source tree: picode-source/ is the
VS Code-derived editor with every PiCode change committed as code.
Nothing is downloaded and nothing is patched — clone and compile:
./dev/build.sh # full chain, dependencies installed once
./dev/build.sh -o # fast check — nothing installed or compiledReleases are produced by exactly this build: what you compile is what ships. The full dependency list, the five build phases and the GUI alternative are in Building PiCode. If you plan to contribute, read CONTRIBUTING.md first — it names the rules that have burned the project before.
| Symptom | Meaning |
|---|---|
| SmartScreen warning | the binary is unsigned; verify the checksum, run anyway |
| No update check ever happens | by design — the in-product updater is off so a build cannot be silently replaced |
Language model unavailable |
no provider connected yet — connect one in setup or in Pi Inside |
| A theme cannot install | it exists only on the Microsoft Marketplace; PiCode installs from Open VSX |
More in Troubleshooting.
Next: First Run and the Wizard