Installation

Download and install OpenTrack on Windows, Linux, or macOS

Windows Installation

OpenTrack provides pre-built binaries for Windows users. This is the recommended installation method for most users.

1. Download OpenTrack

   Visit the OpenTrack releases page and download the latest version:

   • Installer (.exe) - Recommended for most users
   • Portable archive (.7z) - For USB stick installations

   The portable version supports truly portable installations on USB sticks.

2. Run the installer

   Double-click the downloaded .exe file and follow the installation wizard.

   The installer will:

   • Install OpenTrack to C:\Program Files\opentrack (or your chosen location)
   • Create Start Menu shortcuts
   • Register file associations
3. Launch OpenTrack

   Open OpenTrack from the Start Menu or desktop shortcut.

   On first launch, Windows may prompt for firewall permissions if you’re using network-based tracking (UDP) or protocols.

Portable Installation (Windows)

For a portable installation that can run from a USB stick:

1. Download the portable archive

   Download the .7z archive from the releases page.

2. Extract to USB stick

   Extract the archive to your USB stick or desired location using 7-Zip or WinRAR.

3. Run opentrack.exe

   Navigate to the extracted folder and run opentrack.exe directly. All settings will be stored in the same folder.

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Linux Installation

OpenTrack can be built from source on Linux systems. Pre-built packages may be available for some distributions.

Building from Source

1. Install dependencies

   Install required build tools and libraries:

   Ubuntu/Debian

   sudo apt-get update
   sudo apt-get install build-essential cmake git
   sudo apt-get install qtbase5-dev qttools5-dev qtmultimedia5-dev
   sudo apt-get install libopencv-dev libprocps-dev
   

   Fedora

   sudo dnf groupinstall "Development Tools"
   sudo dnf install cmake git
   sudo dnf install qt5-qtbase-devel qt5-qttools-devel qt5-qtmultimedia-devel
   sudo dnf install opencv-devel procps-ng-devel
   

   Arch Linux

   sudo pacman -S base-devel cmake git
   sudo pacman -S qt5-base qt5-tools qt5-multimedia
   sudo pacman -S opencv procps-ng
   
2. Clone the repository

   Clone the OpenTrack source code:

   git clone https://github.com/opentrack/opentrack.git
   cd opentrack
   
3. Build OpenTrack

   Create a build directory and compile:

   mkdir build && cd build
   cmake ..
   make -j$(nproc)
   

   The -j$(nproc) flag uses all available CPU cores for faster compilation.

4. Install OpenTrack

   Install to the default location:

   sudo make install
   

   Or run directly from the build directory:

   ./install/bin/opentrack
   

Advanced Build Options

For detailed build instructions and troubleshooting, see:

• Linux build instructions
• Hacking on OpenTrack

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macOS Installation

macOS support is currently unmaintained. The software may work but is not actively tested or updated.

Building from Source (macOS)

1. Install Xcode and Homebrew

   Install Xcode Command Line Tools:

   xcode-select --install
   

   Install Homebrew if not already installed:

   /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
   
2. Install dependencies

   Use Homebrew to install required packages:

   brew install cmake qt@5 opencv
   
3. Clone and build

   Clone the repository and build:

   git clone https://github.com/opentrack/opentrack.git
   cd opentrack
   mkdir build && cd build
   cmake -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=$(brew --prefix qt@5) ..
   make -j$(sysctl -n hw.ncpu)
   
4. Run OpenTrack

   Launch the application:

   open ./install/opentrack.app
   

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Compiler Requirements

Windows

OpenTrack requires one of the following compilers:

• MinGW-w64 (GCC-based)
• Microsoft Visual Studio 2015 Update 3 or newer
• Clang (via MSVC or MinGW)

For Visual Studio build instructions, see Building under MS Visual C++ 2017 and later.

Linux

• GCC (GNU Compiler Collection)
• Clang/LLVM

CMake version 3.13 or later is required on all platforms.

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Verifying Installation

After installation, verify OpenTrack is working:

1. Launch OpenTrack

   Start the application from your Start Menu (Windows), application launcher (Linux), or Launchpad (macOS).

2. Check the main window

   You should see the OpenTrack main window with dropdown menus for:

   • Tracker input
   • Filter
   • Protocol output
3. View the pose widget

   The 3D head visualization widget should be visible, showing a wireframe head model.

If you encounter issues, check the Common Issues page on the wiki.

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Next Steps

Quick Start Guide

Set up your first tracker and start tracking

Tracker Documentation

Learn about specific trackers and configurations