Installing

Download Chipload from the releases page. For the app you need one file: the one named chipload-X.Y.Z-… for your system (below).

Chipload is two programs that read and write the same project files and make the same G-code:

• the desktop app, in the files named chipload-X.Y.Z-…;
• the command line chipload, for scripts and automation, in the archives named chipload-cli-X.Y.Z-…. You don’t need it to use the app.

Each release also has the user guide to read offline and SHA256SUMS.txt to check the files.

Linux

Download chipload-X.Y.Z-linux-x86_64.AppImage, make it executable and run it:

chmod +x chipload-*.AppImage
./chipload-*.AppImage                # the app; add a .chipload or .dxf file to open it

• ARM64 (Raspberry Pi 4 or 5 with a 64-bit OS, ARM boards and laptops): take chipload-X.Y.Z-linux-aarch64.AppImage instead. The app needs OpenGL 3, which a Pi 4 or 5 has with its standard graphics driver. Not yet tried on a Pi: reports welcome.
• Requirements: glibc 2.35 or newer (Ubuntu 22.04, Debian 12, Fedora 36 or newer, Raspberry Pi OS 12 “Bookworm”).
• Command line: it’s in chipload-cli-X.Y.Z-linux-x86_64.tar.gz (ARM64: …-linux-aarch64.tar.gz). Unpack it and put chipload on your PATH.
• File dialogs: these need an XDG desktop portal or zenity. Without them, use File > Open path… (and Import image from path…, Update drawing from path…), or give the files on the command line.

Windows

Download chipload-X.Y.Z-windows-x86_64.exe: the app as one file with nothing to install. Double-click it to start. On a Windows laptop with an ARM processor (Snapdragon), take chipload-X.Y.Z-windows-aarch64.exe instead.

The app isn’t code-signed, so Windows SmartScreen may warn the first time. Choose More info > Run anyway.

• Command line: it’s in chipload-cli-X.Y.Z-windows-x86_64.zip (ARM: …-windows-aarch64.zip). Unzip it and run chipload.exe from a terminal (PowerShell or Command Prompt); it isn’t meant to be double-clicked.

macOS

No release has macOS files yet. Until one does, build Chipload from the source (below). Once there: download chipload-X.Y.Z-macos-universal.dmg, open it and drag Chipload onto Applications. It runs on Apple silicon and Intel Macs with macOS 11 or newer.

The app isn’t notarised by Apple, so macOS refuses it the first time. Open *System Settings

Privacy & Security*, scroll down to the message about Chipload and choose Open Anyway.

• Command line: it’s in chipload-cli-X.Y.Z-macos-universal.tar.gz. Unpack it and put chipload on your PATH. If macOS stops it, run xattr -d com.apple.quarantine chipload once.
• Opening files: use File > Open in the app; double-clicking a .chipload file in Finder doesn’t open it yet.

From source

Install Rust with rustup, then:

git clone https://github.com/chipload/chipload
cd chipload
cargo build --release -p chipload-gui -p chipload-cli
# target/release/chipload-gui and target/release/chipload

Your settings

Chipload keeps your tool library, machine profiles, own post-processors and app settings in one folder:

A project keeps its own copy of the tools, machine and post it uses, so it cuts the same on any computer, whatever that computer’s library holds.