# The KiCad 6 Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Uncategorized\ **Created:** [November 16, 2021, 5:08pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/the-kicad-6-thread/4235 "2021-11-16T17:08:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sonosus](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/sonosus/32/13679_2.png) [@Sonosus](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/Sonosus)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2021, 5:08pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/the-kicad-6-thread/4235/1 "2021-11-16T17:08:47Z")
Release candidate 1 of the latest KiCad version was released today. The amount and quality of new features is great(it now has a selection filter šŸ˜ƒ ). Iā€™ve been using the nightly builds for the past week or so; Iā€™ve had no data corruption issues and itā€™s all been just as stable as v5.1.x. Source: [https://www.mail-archive.com/kicad-developers@lists.launchpad.net/msg39818.html](https://www.mail-archive.com/kicad-developers@lists.launchpad.net/msg39818.html) Via(that thread has a summary of most new features): > **[Post-v5 new features and development news](https://forum.kicad.info/t/post-v5-new-features-and-development-news/15693/416)** > > Ah, OK. Thanks for the explanation. ---
**Author:** ![analogoutput](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/analogoutput/32/29663_2.png) [@analogoutput](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/analogoutput)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2021, 7:01pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/the-kicad-6-thread/4235/2 "2021-11-16T19:01:40Z")
Iā€™ve had the nightly on my computer since early in the year, though I havenā€™t used it much. Since I want to share my KiCad files on GitHub, I donā€™t want to use a version thatā€™s ahead of the production version and generates non backward compatible files. Iā€™ll probably switch right over when 6.0 becomes the stable release. ---
**Author:** ![Sonosus](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/sonosus/32/13679_2.png) [@Sonosus](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/Sonosus)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2021, 7:14pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/the-kicad-6-thread/4235/3 "2021-11-16T19:14:00Z")
I only properly started using the nightlies to create a board last week, when I knew this semi-stable release was coming. Most if not all of my (public)GitHub designs are made with the stable release as you say, so there arenā€™t any problems opening them. (though for that matter thereā€™s been no end of posts from confused users on the KiCad forums about a popular single board computer manufacturer sharing a template PCB made with the nightliesā€¦ ) ---
**Author:** ![analogoutput](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/analogoutput/32/29663_2.png) [@analogoutput](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/analogoutput)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 4:56pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/the-kicad-6-thread/4235/4 "2021-11-17T16:56:02Z")
Oh hey, I just started up kicad-nightly and it said ā€œWelcome to KiCad 6.0!ā€ Iā€™ve found eeschemaā€™s revamped copy/cut/paste system includes this ā€œPaste Specialā€¦ā€ dialog ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/free1/uploads/lookmumnocomputer/original/3X/f/3/f3ffd83fae098bce2a8fafb82daf485b78207be2.png) which not only allows you to cut something from one page and stick it in another without losing the annotations, but (and I think this was not the case earlier in 5.99, at least not at one point, I think) it also keep track of their internal identifiers so when you update the PCB, it doesnā€™t delete all the pasted components and re-add them, forcing you to place them all again. Man. Had I known that yesterday I wouldā€™ve used the nightly to reorganize pages in my project ā€” I doubt Iā€™ll be wanting to share it before KiCad 6 stable is released anyway! ---
**Author:** ![Sonosus](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/sonosus/32/13679_2.png) [@Sonosus](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/Sonosus)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 5:01pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/the-kicad-6-thread/4235/5 "2021-11-17T17:01:23Z")
Tip: on ancient CPUs, donā€™t use the curved tracks feature. It makes routing abhorrently slow. Iā€™m struggling to get used to the new copy/paste paradigm eeschema though - the old one is so much quicker. ---
**Author:** ![analogoutput](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/analogoutput/32/29663_2.png) [@analogoutput](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/analogoutput)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 6:11pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/the-kicad-6-thread/4235/6 "2021-11-17T18:11:09Z")
Can you get setting the grid origin to work? From [KiCad 6 is coming! A comprehensive review - Tech Explorations](https://techexplorations.com/blog/kicad/kicad-6-review-new-and-improved-features/) it looks like the second from bottom icon is (along with others) a ā€œmulti toolā€ that lets you choose from different functions: ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/free1/uploads/lookmumnocomputer/original/3X/2/e/2e8f713ceaf751287100dc4a5c459d6b34390227.png) But I canā€™t get that behavior. I can only get it to place the drill file origin. I tried hovering over the icon, right clicking, and clicking on the triangle. Nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Sonosus](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/sonosus/32/13679_2.png) [@Sonosus](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/Sonosus)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 6:21pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/the-kicad-6-thread/4235/7 "2021-11-17T18:21:15Z")
Hold down your mouse cursor on the icon? Thatā€™s what worked when I needed to use the differential pair routing function, so I presume itā€™s the same for the origin icon. ---
**Author:** ![analogoutput](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/analogoutput/32/29663_2.png) [@analogoutput](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/analogoutput)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 6:25pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/the-kicad-6-thread/4235/8 "2021-11-17T18:25:02Z")
That does it! Thanks. Not very intuitive. ---
**Author:** ![sebastian](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/sebastian/32/39_2.png) [@sebastian](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/sebastian)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2021, 8:14pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/the-kicad-6-thread/4235/9 "2021-11-28T20:14:44Z")
Hey, any tips on how I install this version in addition to the 5 version that I have now (On Ubuntu 21.10)? Is it just adding the [repo](https://launchpad.net/~kicad/+archive/ubuntu/kicad-6.0-releases) and then it can be installed side by side? I just saw the deprecation note on the ao symbol library from @analogoutput and thought, I might just check out kicad6 šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![Sonosus](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/sonosus/32/13679_2.png) [@Sonosus](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/Sonosus)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2021, 8:43pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/the-kicad-6-thread/4235/10 "2021-11-28T20:43:40Z")
On Windows they can be installed side by side without interference. My Ubuntu box is broken at the moment so I canā€™t check. @analogoutput ? ---
**Author:** ![analogoutput](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/analogoutput/32/29663_2.png) [@analogoutput](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/analogoutput)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2021, 9:04pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/the-kicad-6-thread/4235/11 "2021-11-28T21:04:49Z")
Yeah, I have the 6.0 nightly and 5.x installed in Linux Mint. By default projects created in 6.0 want to open in 5.x, which doesnā€™t work, so I have to use ā€œOpen withā€¦ā€ but thatā€™s the only real gotcha. ---
**Author:** ![sebastian](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/sebastian/32/39_2.png) [@sebastian](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/sebastian)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2021, 9:28pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/the-kicad-6-thread/4235/12 "2021-11-28T21:28:17Z")
Oh, I just tested and on my ubuntu kicad5.x was entirely replaced by 6ā€¦ letā€™s hope this goes well xD ---
**Author:** ![analogoutput](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/analogoutput/32/29663_2.png) [@analogoutput](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/analogoutput)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2021, 9:37pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/the-kicad-6-thread/4235/13 "2021-11-28T21:37:47Z")
Huh. Weird. The file formats are not backward compatible, so if you want to share with others still using 5.x youā€™ll need 5.x. Which presumably you could re-install (possibly nuking 6.0 though). ---
**Author:** ![sebastian](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/sebastian/32/39_2.png) [@sebastian](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/sebastian)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2021, 9:09am UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/the-kicad-6-thread/4235/14 "2021-11-30T09:09:43Z")
What I love most about the new version so far is the placement of multi-part symbols, like TL074! Just start with part A and place it and it automatically switches to B for you to place etc.!! ---
**Author:** ![Sonosus](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/sonosus/32/13679_2.png) [@Sonosus](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/Sonosus)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2021, 10:26am UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/the-kicad-6-thread/4235/15 "2021-12-19T10:26:02Z")
Weā€™re getting closer to release: > **[Post-v5 new features and development news](https://forum.kicad.info/t/post-v5-new-features-and-development-news/15693/421)** > > Wayne has just tagged version 6.0.0-rc2. We believe this to be the version that will become v6 but due to having made a lot of bug fixes to the code since 6.0.0-rc1, weā€™d like to get more testing done before we finally tag 6.0.0 in case there are any... ---
**Author:** ![sebastian](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/sebastian/32/39_2.png) [@sebastian](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/sebastian)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2021, 11:09am UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/the-kicad-6-thread/4235/16 "2021-12-19T11:09:12Z")
I somehow lost all the components in the library of my rc1 installā€¦ not a huge problem atm, because I use the local ones by @analogoutput but still a bit worryingā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![analogoutput](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/analogoutput/32/29663_2.png) [@analogoutput](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/analogoutput)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2021, 1:16pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/the-kicad-6-thread/4235/17 "2021-12-19T13:16:01Z")
What, the entire standard KiCad library (symbols? footprints?) disappeared? Thatā€™s pretty serious. For anyone who didnā€™t click through on the link: > If no critical/high priority bugs are open on Monday morning (20-Dec), `6.0.0` will be tagged then and the packaging process can begin. Merry Christmas and a ā€¦ non buggy new year? I hope? Iā€™ve seen some apparent funniness with zones but nothing I can reproduce. Iā€™ve been using rc1 for new stuff (and rc2 for a couple days now, I guess, it updated and I didnā€™t notice) and I expect anything I publish starting tomorrow will be version 6 format. Apologies to anyone reluctant to be an early adopter but the improvements are something I want to use right now. ---
**Author:** ![Sonosus](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/sonosus/32/13679_2.png) [@Sonosus](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/Sonosus)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2021, 1:53pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/the-kicad-6-thread/4235/18 "2021-12-19T13:53:53Z")
Most likely theyā€™re not lost, but the KiCad environment variables donā€™t point to the location of the libraries. From the project manager window click preferences ā†’ paths where you can see any undefined or incorrect variables. ---
**Author:** ![sebastian](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/sebastian/32/39_2.png) [@sebastian](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/sebastian)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2021, 6:01pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/the-kicad-6-thread/4235/19 "2021-12-19T18:01:20Z")
I need to check, but I think the (Ubuntu) packages for the libs are separate from the kicad core and I might only have added the repository for the coreā€¦ but maybe not, I need to check again! šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![analogoutput](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/analogoutput/32/29663_2.png) [@analogoutput](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/analogoutput)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2021, 6:07pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/the-kicad-6-thread/4235/20 "2021-12-19T18:07:07Z")
![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/free1/uploads/lookmumnocomputer/original/3X/b/7/b7d4c753dff000afc97e061f1aa37deae846cc77.png) Iā€™m pretty sure I didnā€™t install these individually, but that Kicad-nightly pulls in all the rest for me. ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/free1/uploads/lookmumnocomputer/original/3X/f/7/f7aff03145ef1dd2551e12b09e62d60aa9cfc1c7.png) [Next page](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/the-kicad-6-thread/4235.md?page=2)