TRACE Boardviewer for Linux (experimental)

Which package should I use?

Both packages are the same build and are not signed. Check the SHA-256 shown in the download section before you install or run one.

Install the .deb (Ubuntu, Debian)

In a terminal, in the download folder:

sha256sum TRACE-Boardviewer-1.3.1-linux-amd64.deb
sudo apt install ./TRACE-Boardviewer-1.3.1-linux-amd64.deb

Start TRACE Boardviewer from the application menu, or run trace-boardviewer. Remove it with sudo apt remove trace-boardviewer; your settings and notes stay.

Run the AppImage (other distributions)

sha256sum TRACE-Boardviewer-1.3.1-linux-x86_64.AppImage
chmod +x TRACE-Boardviewer-1.3.1-linux-x86_64.AppImage
./TRACE-Boardviewer-1.3.1-linux-x86_64.AppImage

The AppImage uses a static runtime that needs no libfuse2. It needs a working FUSE mount; if FUSE is unavailable, use --appimage-extract-and-run. Nothing is installed.

The Chromium sandbox, and why the .deb is recommended on Ubuntu

TRACE runs its window in Chromium's sandbox, which isolates the part that reads board files and documents. On Linux that sandbox needs unprivileged user namespaces. Ubuntu 23.10 and newer restrict them through AppArmor.

• The .deb installs the AppArmor profile /etc/apparmor.d/trace-boardviewer, so the sandbox stays on under that restriction.
• The AppImage cannot carry such a profile. On a system with the restriction it can only run without the sandbox. TRACE then asks before it opens a window: Quit is the default, and "Do not ask again" remembers a yes. On Ubuntu, use the .deb instead.

Where your settings and notes live

Settings, recent boards and notes are stored in ~/.config/trace-boardviewer ($XDG_CONFIG_HOME/trace-boardviewer). To keep them next to the AppImage instead, create a folder named like the AppImage file plus .config beside it (AppImage portable mode, not tested yet). Rename the AppImage to a fixed name first if you want to keep that folder across updates.

The update check works as on Windows: it can ask GitHub once whether a newer release exists and only links to the release page. You download the new package yourself, and Settings can turn the check off.

What is tested, and what is not

For stable 1.3.1, native acceptance run 37974058845 reported issues for macOS and Linux; investigation is ongoing. Automated build and static checks ran, but they do not establish acceptance of these published package bytes on a native Linux desktop.

Not tested yet: real desktop sessions (GNOME, KDE, Wayland), other distributions and releases (including Debian 12, Fedora, Arch and openSUSE), HiDPI scaling, the native file chooser, drag and drop from a file manager, AppImage integration tools and portable mode, and arm64. If you try TRACE on your distribution, please tell us what you see with the bug report form; choose your Linux package in the form.

What you can do with it

The Linux build has the same application features as Windows and macOS: board readers and ZIP/ODB++ import, schematic cross-probing, offline PDFs with English text recognition, background search, measurements, stable pin notes and optional verified support reminders. See the getting started guide, changes and exact format table.

Known limits

• Only x86-64 packages are built.
• On GNOME under Wayland the window icon comes from an installed desktop entry. The .deb installs one; for the AppImage, use an AppImage integration tool.
• Electron's ASAR integrity check is not available on Linux; it is on Windows and macOS.
• TRACE registers no file associations on any platform, because board extensions such as .brd and .cad are shared by several programs.

Other boardviewers on Linux

OpenBoardView and FlexBV have offered Linux builds for a long time and read the classic boardview formats as core features. The comparison lists what each program opens. TRACE is portable on Windows and its Linux AppImage needs no installation, so you can try it next to them.

Common questions

Is it free?

Yes. TRACE is MIT-licensed open source, with no account and no telemetry. Your boards and files never leave your computer.

Is there a Flatpak, a Snap or an arm64 build?

Not yet. The Linux packages are a .deb and an AppImage for x86-64.

Product names are trademarks of their owners. They are used here only to identify file formats and programs; TRACE is not affiliated with any of them.

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