When starting a test project, you’re required to set up libraries before it’s straight into the schematic editor, with as expected an easy flip between that and the layout editor. Installation on the Ubuntu system here was intuitive and easy, with selecting directories a straightforward process. It’s refreshing to see for a project still early in its gestation, that the LibrePCB team have made an effort to provide a seamless installer rather than relying on a git command or a compressed archive. Getting To Know LibrePCB The schematic editor in action, with my simple op-amp mixer as a test project. It’s time to download it and run it through its paces, to see whether it’s ready to serve its purpose. LibrePCB brought out its first official release a little over a year ago, and now stands at version 0.1.3 with builds for GNU/Linux, Windows, MacOS, and FreeBSD. This GPL-licensed package has only been in development for a few years. There is however another contender in the world of open-source PCB CAD, in the form of the up-and-coming LibrePCB.

Both KiCad and gEDA are venerable packages with legions of devoted fans, but it is fair to say that they both present a steep learning curve for newcomers.

It’s a field in which most of the players are commercial, and for the open-source devotee there have traditionally been only two choices. There are a host of PCB CAD tools at the disposal of the electronic designer from entry-level to multi-thousand-dollar workstation software.

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