Finesse 3.0a33-149-g3621cca0 Logo
  • About Finesse
    • What is Finesse
    • Who is the Finesse Team
    • History
    • Impact
    • How to cite
    • Acknowledgements
  • Installing Finesse
    • First Install
      • Python Installation
      • Installing Finesse and Jupyter with Conda
      • Using Jupyter notebook to run Finesse
    • From PyPI (with e.g. pip)
      • Linux / macOS
    • Known issues
      • Windows
      • Limitations
    • From Conda
      • Linux / macOS
      • Windows
    • Installing from source
      • Windows
      • macOS
      • Linux
    • Updating Finesse
      • Conda
      • From PyPI (with e.g. pip)
      • Source install
  • Getting started
    • Your first Finesse model
      • 1. Mapping the Optical System
      • 2. Describing Components and Connections
      • 3. Defining the Simulation Task
    • A first Finesse example
      • Building a Finesse model with KatScript
      • Adding detectors in Finesse
      • Actions, Analyses, & Solutions
    • Key concepts
      • Detectors and probes
      • The model graph
      • The simulation matrix
  • Examples
    • Plane-wave optics examples
    • Higher-order spatial modes
      • An optical cavity
      • Cavity eigenmodes
      • Defining cavity eigenmodes with the cavity command
      • Extracting geometrical parameters
      • Near unstable cavities
      • Aligning and translating a beam with steering mirrors
    • Modulation, feedback and control examples
      • Locking actions
      • Radio-frequency modulation and Bessel functions
      • Pound-Drever-Hall locking
    • Optomechanics examples
      • Angular radiation pressure
      • Optical springs
      • Radiation pressure
    • Thermal effects examples
    • Quantum mechannics examples
      • Frequency dependant squeezing
      • Squeezing and homodyne detection
    • Advanced topics examples
      • Quantum-noise limited sensitivity of Advanced LIGO
      • Inference using Dynesty (NestedSampling)
  • User guide
    • Building and interacting with models
      • KatScript
      • Python Interface
      • Symbolics
    • Model elements
      • Components and detectors
      • Other elements
    • The port and node system
      • Basic usage of ports and nodes
    • Commands
    • Actions, Analyses, and Solutions
      • Introduction
      • Groups
      • Axes
      • Physics
      • Utilities
    • Symbolics
      • Referencing parameters
      • Variables vs ParameterRef
      • Substitution
      • Making a function from an expression
      • Preserving intent
      • two-arg vs N-arg operators
      • Basic simplification
    • Modelling with higher-order modes
      • Selecting the modes to model
      • Defining the modal basis
      • Creating and detecting mode mismatches
      • Capturing beam images with camera objects
      • Beam propagation
      • Computing arbitrary scattering matrices
      • Adding spatial defects with maps
    • Linear time invariant system modelling
      • Modelling transfer functions
      • Readouts for frequency domain analysis
      • Calculating general transfer functions
      • Closing control loops
      • Using degrees of freedom
    • Viewing logs
      • Making log messages visible
    • Command line interface
      • Quick start
      • Getting help
      • Running KatScript files
      • Looking up KatScript syntax
      • Controlling verbosity
      • Keeping multiple plots open using job control
      • Command reference
    • Numerical precision
      • In elements
      • In simulations
    • Bespoke GW Models
      • Importing finesse-ligo
      • Choosing what to model
      • Initialising the locks
      • Modelling the Interferometer
    • Physics of Finesse
      • Plane-wave optics
      • Higher-order spatial modes
      • Radiation Pressure
      • Thermal effects
  • Developer guide
    • Getting started with Finesse development
      • Submitting a bug report
      • Contributing to development
    • Guide to the Finesse source code
      • The Finesse Cython extensions
      • KatScript grammar, parser and generator
      • Requirements for building, running and developing Finesse
    • Finesse internal code structure
      • Interferometer Matrix Equation
      • Simulation
      • Solver
      • ModelElement
      • Detector
      • Port
      • Node
      • Parameters
      • Workspace
      • Model
      • Signal Matrix
    • Developer tools
      • Tool configuration
    • Packaging Finesse
      • Conda
      • Wheels
    • Releasing finesse
      • PyPi
      • Conda-forge
    • Contributing to the documentation
      • How to build the documentation
      • Supported formats
      • Directory organization
      • Updating the Changelog
      • Comments and todo items
      • Writing Sphinx compatible docstrings
      • Documenting Cython extensions
      • Style guide
      • Linting tools
      • Authoring documentation
    • How to add a notebook to the documentation
      • Before starting, some info
      • Step 0: Discuss your plan
      • Step 1. Write your notebook
      • Step 2. Create your git branch from an up-to-date development branch
      • Step 3. Add your notebook to the documentation
      • Step 4. Create a merge request
      • Step 5. Your merge request is reviewed
      • Step 6. Your page is accepted and merged
      • Annexe: Quick MyST reference
    • Contributing to the editor extensions
      • JupyterLab
      • Visual Studio Code
      • Vim
      • Pygments
    • Finesse code style
      • Specific notes
    • Testing
      • Running and writing tests
      • Test suite guide
    • Todo List
    • Continuous integration
      • Configuring the pipeline
      • Pushing code without triggering the pipeline
      • Wheels built by the pipeline
    • Debugging Finesse
  • Appendix
    • Bibliography
    • Glossary
    • Changelog
      • Next Release (????-??-??)
      • `Next Release 3.0a34`_ (2025-12-11)
      • 3.0a33 (2025-05-15)
      • 3.0a32 (2025-03-20)
      • 3.0a31 (2025-01-23)
      • 3.0a30 (2025-01-23)
      • 3.0a29 (2024-11-14)
      • 3.0a28 (2024-09-19)
      • 3.0a27 (2024-07-23)
      • 3.0a26 (2024-07-10)
      • 3.0a24 (2024-06-16)
      • 3.0a23 (2024-04-29)
      • 3.0a22 (2024-04-03)
      • 3.0a21 (2023-11-20)
      • 3.0a20 (2023-11-15)
      • 3.0a19 (2023-08-19)
      • 3.0a18 (2023-08-17)
      • 3.0a17 (2023-08-02)
      • 3.0a15 (2023-07-24)
      • 3.0a14 (2023-07-20)
      • 3.0a12 (2023-07-18)
      • 3.0a11 (2023-07-17)
      • 3.0a10 (2023-07-17)
      • 3.0a9 (2023-07-17)
      • 3.0a8 (2023-06-02)
      • 3.0a7 (2023-06-02)
      • 3.0a6 (2023-03-11)
      • 3.0a5 (2022-10-09)
      • 3.0a4 (2022-10-09)
      • 3.0a3 (2022-03-08)
      • 3.0.0a2 (2022-01-19)
      • 3.0a1 (2021-04-30)
      • 0.1.0 (2018-06-14)
  • Index

External links

  • Finesse source
  • Living review
  • Finesse 3 home
Finesse 3.0a33-149-g3621cca0
  • Installing Finesse

Installing Finesse

The recommended way to install Finesse is to use the Conda package. This handles the installation of the system and Python requirements in order to run Finesse, and is available on most platforms.

Alternatively, depending on your system, there may be a pre-built package available to install from PyPI using your favorite Python package manager.

  • First Install
    • Python Installation
      • I am a Python user and have Anaconda/Conda installed already (Windows, OSX, or Linux)
      • I am a Python user and have my own environment already set up that I want to use
      • For Windows users without Conda installed
      • For MacOS users without Conda installed
      • For Linux users without Conda installed
    • Installing Finesse and Jupyter with Conda
    • Using Jupyter notebook to run Finesse
  • From PyPI (with e.g. pip)
    • Linux / macOS
  • Known issues
    • Windows
    • Limitations
  • From Conda
    • Linux / macOS
    • Windows
  • Installing from source
    • Windows
      • Rebuilding Finesse
      • Changing Finesse versions after installation
    • macOS
      • Getting source code
      • Conda
      • Macports or Homebrew
      • Known problems
        • Rebuilding Finesse
        • Changing Finesse versions after installation
    • Linux
      • Debian based systems
      • Rebuilding Finesse
      • Changing Finesse versions after installation
  • Updating Finesse
    • Conda
    • From PyPI (with e.g. pip)
    • Source install
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© Copyright 1999 to 2025 by The Finesse team. Last updated on Dec 12, 2025.

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