Choosing KiCAD version
When you have multiple versions of KiCAD installed, it might be desirable to run KiKit with one or another (e.g., to not convert your designs into new format).
KiKit loads the Python API directly via a module, so which module is loaded
(which KiCAD version is used) follows standard Python conventions. Therefore, to
choose a particular KiCAD version, just specify the environmental variable
PYTHONPATH. The path have to point to a folder containing the module
(pcbnew.py file).
The most common on linux are:
stable: /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/pcbn
nightly: /usr/lib/kicad-nightly/lib/python3/dist-packages/
E.g., to run KiKit with nightly, run:
To run KiKit with a KiCAD you compiled (and not installed):
This also works when you invoke make as environmental variables are
propagated: