64-bit (& 32-bit) Windows: Installing GSAS-II with a single download

Click here to see to see an abbreviated version of these instructions, without screen images.

A single download installer can be used to install the latest version of GSAS-II. To install GSAS-II on a computer not connected to the internet, download this file and move it to desired computer; running it will install a working, but slightly out-of-date GSAS-II version. Note that this requires Windows-8 or Windows-10. For older versions of Windows, see links on this page.

Note that there are two versions provided here, for 64-bit Windows and for 32-bit windows. These days, most computers are running a 64-bit OS and the 64-bit version is to be preferred (will handle larger projects and might be a bit faster), but 32-bit will work on both. (​How to tell if you have 64-bit Windows.)

64-bit (preferred), download this .exe file (~0.4 Gb):

• ​https://subversion.xray.aps.anl.gov/admin_pyGSAS/downloads/gsas2full-Latest-Windows-x86_64.exe

• For 32-bit windows: ​https://subversion.xray.aps.anl.gov/admin_pyGSAS/downloads/gsas2full-Latest-Windows-x86_64.exe

Install Python & GSAS-II

Run the downloaded file (gsas2full-*.exe). This can be done by pressing the "Run" button in the web browser, if your browser provides that option or you may need to double-click on the file once downloaded. You will likely see some sort of message protecting you from this "unknown and possibly malicious app" as below. This may be different depending on what antivirus software is installed on your computer. It is possible that you may need help from your local system administrators, etc. to run a downloaded .exe file.

• With the standard warning, click on "More Info" and a "Run anyway" button is displayed, as above. Click on "Run anyway" and the installer will start:

• This screen shows the version number of GSAS-II that is contained in the installer. Note that GSAS-II will be updated later, if an internet connection is available. The installer suggests closing all applications. It is wise to save work in other applications, but closing them seems a bit excessive. You will need to pass through several windows by pressing "Next", selecting options as you go.

• Pressing Next the first time brings you to the License Agreement window. This shows you the article we ask you to cite, as well as the use terms for Python and packages, as below. You must agree to continue. The License for use of GSAS-II is found in the source code for the package; for convenience the full text from this screen and the GSAS-II license are shown below.

• We have only tested with install for "Just Me". Use of "All users" is probably not an ideal choice in any case, as likely only the installer would be able to save options and do updates.

• The Installation Location needs some special discussion. The default works for most people, but there are times where this may not work.
  • special characters and spaces: there have been problems reported with Python installations when the install location contains spaces and or non-ASCII characters. GSAS-II has been tested and appears to work fine in locations with spaces in the name (like C:\Users\Brian Toby\GSASII) but this has not been tested with other types of text. You may wish to install in C:\GSAS2.
  • removable drives: You can install GSAS-II anywhere you wish, including on removable and network drives, but the installation location cannot change (if you install on drive F: and that drive is later reloaded as E:, the software may not run properly; if you need to move the installation to a new location, you should reinstall.
  • new: Whatever location you supply must be a directory that does not already exist or if it exists, must be empty.
• Please make a note of where you install GSAS-II (use of right-click will allow you to copy the text.) This can be useful to recover from an incomplete installation or look at error logs. The location you use will be referenced below as <Prefix> so that if your install location is set to be C:\G2 then <Prefix>\subdir\file.txt means C:\G2\subdir\file.txt

• If you choose a location with spaces in the name you will get a warning. You can use the "Back" button to select a new installation location.

• The Advanced Installation Options are not that important, but the suggestion is that you make sure both options are unchecked. The default is usually to have the second option selected (unless you already have Python registered). If the second option is selected, this allows other packages make use of the copy of Python you are installing for GSAS-II. This is not likely to cause any problems with GSAS-II, but if you are using Python for code development, you are suggested to install another copy of Anaconda Python and work with that so you can add packages to and update Python without affecting GSAS-II.

• At this point, click on the "Install" button and allow the installation of files to start. Expect the installation to speed along until the "Setting up package cache ..." message is displayed, and at that point things slow down and perhaps five minutes will be needed before much happens. Clicking on "Show details" will show you that the installation is actually running various steps. If installation stalls at "Setting up the base environment" look for an obscured window with re-installation questions (see below).

• After that message appears, several steps will happen with no displayed messages. As the installation completes, several steps occur in the background to customize the installation to run GSAS-II (see debugging information on log files created during these steps.)
  • A script <Prefix>\GSASII\RunGSASII.bat that launches GSAS-II in the location where it has been installed will be created.
  • A Registry entry is created that causes the above above script to be run when double-clicking on .gpx (GSAS-II project) files. (See note below for reinstallation)
  • A desktop icon is created that allows GSAS-II to be started. (See note below for reinstallation)
  • A The last step will be to download the latest version of GSAS-II. This will fail if your computer is not connected to the internet or a proxy (see on setting up a proxy) is needed. Should this fail you will see a message such as the one below:
  

Then click on "Next" and "Finish". to complete the installation. Test the installation by clicking on the desktop icon and confirming that GSAS-II starts. The Help/"Check for Updates" menu command can be used to check if GSAS-II was able to update to the latest version.

Feedback on these installation instructions is welcomed. E-mail Brian dot Toby at ANL dot gov.

Reinstallation or installation of multiple copies of GSAS-II

I commonly hear from people who are having problems with GSAS-II and try reinstalling as a way to fix the problems. That rarely helps. However, you may want to have more than one copy of GSAS-II on your computer so you can compare how different versions behave. While this can be done with a lot less use of space by duplicating the <Prefix>\GSASII\ folder under another name and then running the <Prefix>\GSASII\bootstrap.py or <Prefix>\GSASII\MakeBat.py file (see Recovery below), it is much easier to simply install again. Installing a new release also potentially provides a newer version of Python and associated packages. This is also not a bad thing.

If you attempt to install GSAS-II twice, only one version can be selected to open .gpx (project) files by clicking on them. If you already have a GSAS-II installed (unless the package has been deleted or moved) you will get this message:

Click Yes to use the newly-installed GSAS-II version and No if the previous version should be used when clicking on .gpx files.

Likewise, if the desktop shortcut file exists (no check is made to see if the shortcut still works), you will see the dialog below. Specifiy a new name if you want to keep the older shortcut and create a new one. To overwrite the previous shortcut, simply press save and confirm that you want to overwrite the old file. If you use Cancel no shortcut is created.

Debugging

Several files are created as the GSAS-II customization is done.

• File <Prefix>\GSASII\RunGSASII.bat contains a script for running GSAS-II
• File <Prefix>\GSASII\InstallLog.txt contains the output when creating the above script, the registry entry and the desktop icon.
• File <Prefix>\GSASII\UpdateLog.txt contains the output when trying to update GSAS-II to the latest version. If this ends with text saying GSAS-II failed to be installed... either the network was inaccessible or a proxy is required.

If installation fails and you want to get help, please include these files in your e-mail.

Recovering after an install problem

If the installation has completed far enough to give you a working Python but the GSAS-II installation fails to complete open a command prompt (cmd.exe) window, and type in these commands:

<Prefix>\Scripts\activate.bat <Prefix>\python.exe <Prefix>\GSASII\bootstrap.bat

A convenient way to do this that avoids spelling errors is to find and drag the file to the window. Be sure to type a space between dragging the <Prefix>\python.exe and the <Prefix>\GSASII\bootstrap.bat files.

Sites requiring an Internet Proxy

Some sites route traffic to the internet via a proxy computer. Finding a network administrator who knows what your site is doing can be tough. The web site http:/www.whatismyproxy.com/ may help. If you have a proxy, you will need to know either the name or IP address of the proxy computer and you will need to know the IP port (usually 80 but sometimes something else, such as 8080 or 8000.)

The easiest way to set the proxy is to start GSAS-II and use the File/"Edit Proxy" menu command; check if the values work using the Help/"Check for Updates" menu command.

Licenses

GSAS-II Information & Anaconda license:

====================================================
This is a single-download installer for GSAS-II. It includes other
software such as subversion (svn, used to update GSAS-II), a Python 
interpreter and a number of Python packages required by GSAS-II. The
file you are running will install GSAS-II, Python, etc. and will then
run the bootstrap.py script to create shortcuts and will use svn to
update to the latest version of GSAS-II, if an internet connection is
available. Note that the bootstrap.py script can be rerun manually to
obtain updates.

*** Note that while this installer can be rerun to install the software
in a new location, once these files are installed, they should not be
moved. ***

If you use GSAS-II in your research, please show your support by citing:
B.H. Toby & R.B. Von Dreele, J. Appl. Cryst. 46, 544-549 (2013)  
(also see Help/About)

See the GSAS-II source code for license information. Material
below is relevant to the Anaconda Python distribution, which is
freely provided by Continuum Analytics, Inc. 

====================================================
 Copyright (c) 2016, Continuum Analytics, Inc.
All rights reserved.

Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
    * Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
      notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
    * Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
      notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the
      documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
    * Neither the name of Continuum Analytics, Inc. nor the
      names of its contributors may be used to endorse or promote products
      derived from this software without specific prior written permission.

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND
CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES,
INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE
DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL CONTINUUM ANALYTICS BE LIABLE
FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO,
PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE,
DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED
AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT
LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING
IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF
THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

GSAS-II License:

           General Structure Analysis System - II (GSAS-II)
                         OPEN SOURCE LICENSE

Copyright 2010, UChicago Argonne, LLC, Operator of Argonne National Laboratory 
All rights reserved.

GSAS-II may be used by anyone on a royalty-free basis. Use and
redistribution, with or without modification, are permitted provided
that the following conditions are met:

* Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
  notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
* Software changes, modifications, or derivative works should be noted
  with comments and the author and organization's name.
* Distribution of changed, modified or derivative works based on
  GSAS-II grants the GSAS-II copyright holder unrestricted permission
  to include any, or all, new and changed code in future GSAS-II
  releases.
* Redistributions that include binary forms must include all relevant
  source code and reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of
  conditions and the following disclaimers in the documentation and/or
  other materials provided with the distribution.
* Neither the names of UChicago Argonne, LLC or the Department of
  Energy nor the names of its contributors may be used to endorse or
  promote products derived from this software without specific prior
  written permission.
* The software and the end-user documentation included with the
  redistribution, if any, must include the following acknowledgment:
  "This product includes software produced by UChicago Argonne, LLC
  under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357 with the Department of Energy."

*****************************************************************************
WARRANTY DISCLAIMER: THE SOFTWARE IS SUPPLIED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY
OF ANY KIND. THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS, THEIR THIRD PARTY LICENSORS, THE
UNITED STATES, THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, AND THEIR
EMPLOYEES: (1) DISCLAIM ANY WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING
BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS
FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE OR NON-INFRINGEMENT, (2) DO NOT ASSUME
ANY LEGAL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS,
OR USEFULNESS OF THE SOFTWARE, (3) DO NOT REPRESENT THAT USE OF THE
SOFTWARE WOULD NOT INFRINGE PRIVATELY OWNED RIGHTS, (4) DO NOT WARRANT
THAT THE SOFTWARE WILL FUNCTION UNINTERRUPTED, THAT IT IS ERROR-FREE
OR THAT ANY ERRORS WILL BE CORRECTED.

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: IN NO EVENT WILL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS, THEIR
THIRD PARTY LICENSORS, THE UNITED STATES, THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT
OF ENERGY, OR THEIR EMPLOYEES: BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES OF ANY KIND OR NATURE,
INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF PROFITS OR LOSS OF DATA, FOR ANY
REASON WHATSOEVER, WHETHER SUCH LIABILITY IS ASSERTED ON THE BASIS OF
CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR STRICT LIABILITY), OR
OTHERWISE, EVEN IF ANY OF SAID PARTIES HAS BEEN WARNED OF THE
POSSIBILITY OF SUCH LOSS OR DAMAGES.
******************************************************************************

These links offer an older distributions that have worked in the past, if you have trouble with the previous. They require an internet connection to work and will install the latest GSAS-II version, but with older versions of Python. For these, ignore the "Failed to run postinstall script" error message.

• ​https://subversion.xray.aps.anl.gov/admin_pyGSAS/downloads/g2conda-py27-1.0.2-Windows-x86_64.exe (Python 2.7 version & wxpython 3.0, July 2018)
• ​https://subversion.xray.aps.anl.gov/admin_pyGSAS/downloads/g2conda-1.0.1-Windows-x86_64.exe (Python 3.7, Oct 2018)
• ​https://www.aps.anl.gov/files/download/CXS/GSASIIdists/g2conda-0.1.2-Windows-x86_64.exe (even older, may work with pre-Windows 7)