Table of contents

1. tl;dr:
2. Installing
   1. Search and install official guide
   2. Install a custom app repository official guide
   3. Load a zip release file
   4. Or skip the plugin manager and manually place the plugin into the plugins directory
      1. Linux 🗽
      2. MacOS
      3. Windows
3. Must have plugins!
4. Python dependencies
   1. QGIS python console
   2. OSGeo4W shell (Windows)
   3. Directly (macOS)
   4. Virtual environment (Linux)
5. Install/Update troubleshoot
   1. Dissapeared plugin
   2. Conflicting plugins
   3. Processing tools dissapeared

tl;dr:

• There are store plugins, custom store plugins, zip releases and manual installations
• Must have plugins: Save All, Serval, IPyConsole, Plugin Reloader, Plugin Builder
• Python dependencies are up to the user to install, but our plugin has a built-in dependency installer

Installing

QGIS provides a plugin “app store” that allows many developers to share their work. There are several ways to install plugins, using the plugin manager is the most common way:

Search and install official guide

Install a custom app repository official guide

To install our plugin, add fire2a’s plugin store URL as a custom plugin source

• QGIS menu > Plugins > Manage and Install Plugins > Settings > Add > paste the URL > Ok
• On the Not Installed tab search Fire and install Fire Analytics Processing-Toolbox
• Why custom? Audit our binaries

Load a zip release file

• For example, download the latest release of our plugin.
• Install it using the Install from ZIP in the Plugin Manager

Or skip the plugin manager and manually place the plugin into the plugins directory

Using fireanalyticstoolbox as an example:

Linux 🗽

# user plugin directory
~/.local/share/QGIS/QGIS3/profiles/default/python/plugins/fireanalyticstoolbox
# processing plugin directory
/usr/share/qgis/python/plugins/processing

MacOS

# QGIS python location
/Applications/QGIS.app/Contents/MacOS/bin/python3
# user plugin directory
~/Library/Application\ Support/QGIS/QGIS3/profiles/default/python/plugins/fireanalyticstoolbox

Windows

REM QGIS python location
C:\OSGeo4W\bin\python-qgis.bat                    # osgeo4w
C:\Program Files\QGIS 3.40.2\bin\python-qgis.bat  # standalone
REM user plugin directory
C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Roaming\QGIS\QGIS3\profiles\default\python\plugins\fireanalyticstoolbox

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Must have plugins!

Save All, Tired of saving temporary layers? Choose a location & new directory, done! every layer gets written, never worry again about temporary or memory layers!

Serval, Modify your rasters with your mouse, as if you were using paint!

IPyConsole, “No offense, but QGIS python console just sucks.” (sic) documentation, fix to use latest qtconsole

Plugin Reloader, If a plugin starts misbehaving easier to reload it than to restart QGIS

Plugin Builder, Jumpstart your plugin development!

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Python dependencies

Each plugin may have its own unique combination of python dependencies and the combination of various plugins may create unique conflicting version requirements (further read dependency hell)

Our plugin has a built-in dependency installer	But it can be disabled

That’s why the installation of these dependencies is up to the user, so they can control their own environment; Usually this just means installing the requirements of the plugin at last and restarting QGIS. (Any other plugin complaining about a dependencies should be disabled for the time being)

4 ways to manually install python dependencies, using:

QGIS python console

This is the easiest way but Can crash QGIS! save your work before trying this

Open the python console to use pip directly from the parent terminal using the escape char !, for example type:

>>> !pip install -r /path/to/requirements.txt   # to install a list of requirements
>>> !pip install fire2a-lib                     # to install a package

Restart QGIS to see the changes

OSGeo4W shell (Windows)

Open the OSGeo4W shell and activate the custom environment, then use pip as usual:

C:\OSGeo4W> cd bin
C:\OSGeo4W\bin> python-qgis.bat
>>> exit()
C:\OSGeo4W\bin> pip install -r /path/to/requirements.txt
C:\OSGeo4W\bin> pip install fire2a-lib

Start QGIS after the process ends

Directly (macOS)

Use the bundled python directly:

% /Applications/QGIS.app/Contents/MacOS/bin/python3 -m pip install -r /path/to/requirements.txt   # to install a list of requirements
% /Applications/QGIS.app/Contents/MacOS/bin/python3 -m pip install fire2a-lib                     # to install a package

Virtual environment (Linux)

python -m venv --system-site-packages ~/pyvenv/qgis
source ~/pyvenv/qgis/bin/activate
pip install -r /path/to/requirements.txt   # to install a list of requirements
pip install fire2a-lib                     # to install a package
qgis

Start QGIS after the process ends

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Install/Update troubleshoot

Dissapeared plugin

Sometimes after an update, the plugin doesn’t appear on the Processing Toolbox panel: Reload it by pressing on the checkbox next to its name in the Installed section of the Plugin Manager or restart QGIS.

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Conflicting plugins

A good practice is to enable the least amount of plugins as possible, as they may conflict with each other. If you have a problem, try disabling all plugins and enabling them one by one to find the culprit.

Processing tools dissapeared

Although it looks like a built in part of QGIS, it can be disabled. Check the Processing plugin in the Plugin Manager.

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