Installing Software - QGIS

We will be setting up QGIS. Follow the instructions below, depending on your operating system. Be aware that the installation can take a little bit of time - between 15 and 45 minutes, depending on your computer.

Windows

  • Read the information about how QGIS is funded - if you are taking a course through me, you can support QGIS by donating €20 and getting a QGIS certificate.

  • Click Skip it and go to download.

  • Download Long Term Version for Windows (3.40 LTR).
  • Run through the program installation process.

OSX

  • Read the information about how QGIS is funded - if you are taking a course through me, you can support QGIS by donating €20 and getting a QGIS certificate.

  • Click Skip it and go to download.

  • Download Long Term Version for Mac OS (3.40 LTR).
  • Follow through the installation wizard.

Tips for first launch After installing QGIS, the first launch attempt may fail due to Apple’s security framework.

For macOS Sonoma (14) and earlier: To enable QGIS, command-click on its icon in your Applications folder and select Open in the context menu. A confirmation dialog will display where you need to click the Open button again. This only has to be done once.

For macOS Sequoia (15) and newer: To enable QGIS, command-click its icon in your Applications folder and select Open from the context menu. A warning dialog will appear; click the Done button. Next, navigate to System Settings > Privacy & Security and scroll to the Security section. You should see a message stating that “QGIS” was blocked to protect your Mac. Click Open Anyway. A confirmation dialog will appear; click Open Anyway again. This only has to be done once.

Linux

  • Read the information about how QGIS is funded - if you are taking a course through me, you can support QGIS by donating €20 and getting a QGIS certificate.

  • Click Skip it and go to download.

  • Follow the instructions for the appropriate Linux distribution to install the latest long term release version (currently 3.40).

You are good to go!

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en. The latest version of this is available from https://nickbearman.github.io/installing-software/qgis.