Install SciDAVis on Linux (Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora)
SciDAVis is a free, open-source scientific data analysis and visualization application — a lightweight alternative to Origin for 2D/3D plotting, curve fitting, and statistics on Linux. There is no prebuilt Linux binary from upstream; instead you can install it from your distribution’s repositories or build the latest v2.9.2 from source (recommended).
Option 1: install from your distribution’s repositories
| Distribution | Command | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Fedora | sudo dnf install scidavis | SciDAVis is back in the official Fedora repositories — this is the easiest path on Fedora. |
| Ubuntu / Debian | sudo apt install scidavis | A scidavis package exists in Ubuntu’s universe repository, but be warned: it is very old (version 1.D9, from 2015) and lacks years of fixes. Only use it if you specifically need the legacy behavior. |
| Other distributions | — | Check your package manager for a scidavis package; versions vary widely, so building from source is usually better. |
Option 2 (recommended): build v2.9.2 from source
The upstream project’s newest release tag is v2.9.2 (April 2022) on GitHub (github.com/SciDAVis/scidavis). Building it yourself takes a few minutes and gets you the latest fixes on any distribution:
- Clone the source:
git clone --branch 2.9.2 --depth 1 https://github.com/SciDAVis/scidavis.gitcd scidavis - Install the build dependencies. SciDAVis is a Qt5 application; the exact package names differ per distribution, so follow the dependency list in the repository’s README (cmake, a C++ compiler, Qt5, GSL, muParser, Qwt and related libraries). On Ubuntu, the README’s instructions plus
build-essentialandcmakeare the usual starting point. - Configure and build:
cmake -B build -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Releasecmake --build build -j$(nproc) - Install:
sudo cmake --install build - Verify it works: run
scidavis, create a table, enter a few numbers, select the columns and press Plot → Line.
Need the stable prebuilt packages instead?
If you’d rather not compile, the upstream also publishes a prebuilt source tarball scidavis-2.8.tar.gz (12.8 MB) — useful as a starting point for packagers or if you want the exact 2.8 tree:
SciDAVis on other platforms
- Download SciDAVis for Windows — installer for Windows 10/11.
- Download SciDAVis for Mac — disk image for macOS 10.15–15.
- Back to the main download page for the full release overview.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an official Linux binary download?
No — upstream publishes Windows and macOS installers plus source code; Linux users install via distro repositories or compile from source.
Why is the Ubuntu package so old?
The scidavis package in Ubuntu’s universe repository was last updated for the 1.D9 release (2015). Build v2.9.2 from GitHub for current features and fixes.
Which is better: distro package or building from source?
On Fedora, the official dnf install scidavis is the easiest. Everywhere else, building the 2.9.2 tag from source gets you the newest code with the least hassle.
Need help?
See the main download page for the release overview, or report build issues on the upstream GitHub repository. scidavis.org is an independent community resource and is not affiliated with the upstream SciDAVis project.