# gEDA Project Wiki

## Translations

- En français, cela débute ici.
- Spanish language links
- Русский перевод

## What is gEDA?

The gEDA project is developing a full GPL'd suite and toolkit of Electronic Design Automation tools. These tools are used for electrical circuit design, schematic capture, simulation, prototyping, and production. Currently, the gEDA project offers a mature suite of free software applications for electronics design, including schematic capture, attribute management, bill of materials (BOM) generation, netlisting into over 20 netlist formats, analog and digital simulation, and printed circuit board (PCB) layout.

The tools involved in the suite enable you to professional-quality design of low- to mid-level complexity. Using the gEDA tools, you can create PCB of up to 8 layers (soon more) with an unlimited number of components and nets. The tools are suitable for use by students, educators, hobbyists, consultants, small businesses, and even in large corporations where an engineer might need to crank out a quick PC board (e.g. for a test stand) in a hurry.

All of the software in the gEDA suite can be found on the download page.

## Official Project documentation

These are the official project docs. They have been converted from LaTeX and HTML documents into Wiki pages so that the gEDA community may more easily maintain them.

- Documentation : Contains links to tutorials, manuals, HOWTOs and format specifications of the gEDA suite.

## FAQs & Quick Reference

These are informal FAQs, HOWTOs, and tips/tricks to help you with the practical details of using the gEDA Suite. If you are having a problem, browse these pages first.

- FAQ : Frequently Asked Questions about the gEDA project itself.
- Installation : gEDA installation HOWTO and FAQ.
- Glossary : Glossary of terms that are specific to the gEDA Suite.
- Usage : Questions about how to do electronic design using the gEDA toolset – information which applies to several or all tools in the gEDA Suite.
- Howto report bugs
- FAQ-gschem : Questions about installing, configuring, and using gschem. Also, questions about creating and using gschem symbols.
- FAQ-attribs : Attribute management.
- FAQ-gnetlist : Questions about installing, configuring, and using gnetlist. It deals with BOMs, DRCs, and all that.
- FAQ-simulation : Questions about simulating your design using gEDA tools.
- FAQ-gsch2pcb : How to take your design to layout using PCB.
- PCB-quick reference : PCB Quick Reference Sheet.
- PCB footprints : How to create, use and share footprints.
- PCB tips : Tips and tricks for using PCB.
- FAQ-pcb : Questions about the printed circuit board tool “pcb”.
- gschem Symbol Creation : gschem symbol creation guide.
- gEDASymbols.org : Where users share their symbols and footprints.
- Guile scripting : Guile functions & variables provided by the gEDA tools.

## Developer Documentation

Day-to-Day Development of the gEDA Suite

- developer : Code repository, developer mailing list and building information.
- Todos : Lists of pending project enhancements and todos.
- Tasks : Top-level list of jobs/tasks that need help.
- SCM : Information on gEDA/gaf's source control management (SCM) system and process.
- Release Engineering : Description of various Release Engineering procedures.
- devel-tips : Various tips and tricks when doing gEDA development.

Work-in-Progress and/or Brainstorming

- libgeda3 : Discussion of API and design for a next generation libgeda.
- Circuit Simulation Improvements : Discussion on how to better integrate circuit simulations, gschem and gnetlist.
- Data Plotting Improvements : Discussion on how to better plot simulation data.
- Design Flow and Hierarchy Roadmap : Discussion of wants for circuit design, reusing modules in a hierarchy.
- PCB Funding SOW : An SOW specifying improvements to PCB performed within a funding program.
- format translation : Some notes on file format translation.
- Parts Manager : A working document for a gEDA parts manager
- PCB layers : Goals for an improved handling of layers in PCB.

## Talks

These are slides of presentations done about gEDA. They provide a good top-level overview of the project for those who are interested.

- talks: Various talks and presentations on gEDA

## Google Summer of Code

The gEDA project has participated in the Google Summer of Code.

Here are archived instructions and ideas from previous years:

- 2007
- 2008
- 2009 (gEDA did not participate in 2009)
- 2010 (gEDA did not participate in 2010)

## gEDA Users

Users may discuss development, help, installation, and working tips through the mailinglists.

There is also a gEDA IRC channel at irc.oftc.net/6667 on the #geda channel. This is the official IRC channel for all things gEDA. Sometimes this channel is full of activity and sometimes it is quite silent. Please be patient when asking questions in the IRC channel.

There is also a low-traffic IRC channel on irc.freenode.net called ##pcb. This channel is dedicated to pcb design and prototyping, gEDA pcb included.

## About this Wiki

This section of the gEDA website is dedicated to documentation that is contributed by a multitude of authors, including users. In particular, it should grow into a resource of information for those who just started to work with the tools.

Anyone is welcome to contribute. Unlike Wikipedia there is no button to create a login by yourself. This is because nobody at the gEDA site has the nerves to deal with anonymous vandalism. Consequently, you have to write an email to the site admin (dj AT delorie.com) to gain access. In your e-mail to the wiki site admin, please indicate that you have read and agree to follow the gEDA Project's Code of Conduct. You should subscribe to and participate in some discussion on the geda-user mailing list before requesting a wiki account.