WPILib Installation
WPILib is the official FRC library and development environment.
This guide walks you through installing the WPILib VS Code Bundle.
Quick Install Checklist
Download the correct installer
Run installer → choose Everything
Allow VS Code download when prompted
Launch “WPILib VS Code YYYY”
Verify Build Robot Code works
1 Download
Download the latest WPILib release →
Choose the correct file for your OS:
.iso(Windows).tar.gz(Linux).dmg(macOS)
2 Run the Installer
- Windows
- macOS
- Linux
Right-click the .iso and select Mount,
then launch WPILibInstaller.exe.
When prompted, select Everything to install the full development environment.
Before running the installer, install the Xcode command-line tools:
xcode-select --install
Then double-click the downloaded .dmg and run WPILibInstaller.
Extract the .tar.gz archive and run the WPILibInstaller script.
Ensure you have glibc >= 2.34 (Ubuntu 22.04+ recommended).
3 Installer Options
:::details Installer Options (click to expand)
- Tools Only → …
- Everything → …
- Install for this User → …
- Install for all Users → … :::
Always launch “WPILib VS Code YYYY” after installation.
System-installed VS Code will not include WPILib extensions or Gradle tasks.
4 Verify Installation
- Open WPILib VS Code
- Create a new example project → Timed Robot Java Template
- Press
Ctrl + Shift + P→ Build Robot Code - Confirm the terminal prints BUILD SUCCESSFUL
5 Common Issues
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
Java not found | Re-run installer with Everything |
| WPILib commands missing | You opened a normal VS Code—use WPILib VS Code |
| Antivirus blocked download | Temporarily disable antivirus |
| Build errors on first run | Connect to Internet so Gradle can fetch dependencies |
After installing WPILib, move on to Repo Setup to clone and build the Ironclad codebase.
This ensures your vendor dependencies are cached for offline use at competitions.