The easiest way to install and run Freqtrade is to clone the bot Github repository and then run the `./setup.sh` script, if it's available for your platform.
When cloning the repository the default working branch has the name `develop`. This branch contains all last features (can be considered as relatively stable, thanks to automated tests).
The `stable` branch contains the code of the last release (done usually once per month on an approximately one week old snapshot of the `develop` branch to prevent packaging bugs, so potentially it's more stable).
Python3.7 or higher and the corresponding `pip` are assumed to be available. The install-script will warn you and stop if that's not the case. `git` is also needed to clone the Freqtrade repository.
Also, python headers (`python<yourversion>-dev` / `python<yourversion>-devel`) must be available for the installation to complete successfully.
The clock on the system running the bot must be accurate, synchronized to a NTP server frequently enough to avoid problems with communication to the exchanges.
(1) This command switches the cloned repository to the use of the `stable` branch. It's not needed, if you wish to stay on the (2) `develop` branch.
You may later switch between branches at any time with the `git checkout stable`/`git checkout develop` commands.
------
## Script Installation
First of the ways to install Freqtrade, is to use provided the Linux/MacOS `./setup.sh` script, which install all dependencies and help you configure the bot.
#### Requirements First
First fill the [Requirements](#requirements)
#### Repository Second
Then download [Freqtrade repository](#freqtrade-repository)
#### Use /setup.sh -install (Linux/MacOS)
If you are on Debian, Ubuntu or MacOS Freqtrade provides the script to install freqtrade.
```bash
# --install, Install freqtrade from scratch
./setup.sh -i
```
#### Activate your virtual environment
Each time you open a new terminal, you must run `source .env/bin/activate`.
```bash
# then activate your .env
source ./.env/bin/activate
```
### Bravo!
Click:
[You are ready](#you-are-ready), and run the bot
#### Other options of /setup.sh script
You can as well update, configure and reset the codebase of your bot with /script.sh
```bash
# --update, Command git pull to update.
./setup.sh -u
# --reset, Hard reset your develop/stable branch.
./setup.sh -r
# --config, Easy config generator (Will override your existing file).
./setup.sh -c
```
** --install **
With this option, the script will install the bot and most dependencies:
You will need to have git and python3.7+ installed beforehand for this to work.
* Mandatory software as: `ta-lib`
* Setup your virtualenv under `.env/`
This option is a combination of installation tasks, `--reset` and `--config`.
** --update **
This option will pull the last version of your current branch and update your virtualenv. Run the script with this option periodically to update your bot.
** --reset **
This option will hard reset your branch (only if you are on either `stable` or `develop`) and recreate your virtualenv.
** --config **
DEPRECATED - use `freqtrade new-config -c config.json` instead.
-----
## Manual Installation
#### Requirements First
First fill the [Requirements](#requirements)
#### Repository Second
Then download [Freqtrade repository](#freqtrade-repository)
*Note*: If you run the bot on a server, you should consider using [Docker](docker.md) or a terminal multiplexer like `screen` or [`tmux`](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tmux) to avoid that the bot is stopped on logout.
On Linux with software suite `systemd`, as an optional post-installation task, you may wish to setup the bot to run as a `systemd service` or configure it to send the log messages to the `syslog`/`rsyslog` or `journald` daemons. See [Advanced Logging](advanced-setup.md#advanced-logging) for details.
Freqtrade can also be installed with Miniconda or Anaconda. We recommend using Miniconda as it's installation footprint is smaller. Conda will automatically prepare and manage the extensive library-dependencies of the Freqtrade program.
It is: (1) package, (2) dependency and (3) environment management for any programming language : https://docs.conda.io/projects/conda/en/latest/index.html
The conda command `create -n` automatically installs all nested dependencies for the selected libraries, general structure of installation command is:
```bash
# choose your own packages
conda env create -n [name of the environment] [python version] [packages]
# point to file with packages
conda env create -n [name of the environment] -f [file]
```
!!! Info "New heavy packages"
It may happen that creating a new Conda environment, populated with selected packages at the moment of creation, takes less time than installing a large, heavy dependent, GUI package, into previously set environment. Great example: Spyder
!!! Warning "pip install within conda"
Please read the section [Market order pricing](#market-order-pricing) section when using market orders.
The documentation of conda says that pip should NOT be used within conda, because internal problems can occur.
However, they are rare. https://www.anaconda.com/blog/using-pip-in-a-conda-environment
Nevertherless, that is why, the `conda-forge` channel is preferred:
* more libraries are available (less need for `pip`)
You are ready to run, read [Bot Configuration](configuration.md), remember to run program as `dry_run: True` and verify that everything is working.
> *To edit the config please refer to [Bot Configuration](configuration.md).*
#### Run the Bot
```bash
freqtrade trade -c config.json
```
#### Problem?
If you used (1)`Script` or (2)`Manual` installation, you need to run the bot in virtual environment. If you get error as below, make sure venv is active.
If this file is inexistent, then you're probably on a different version of MacOS, so you may need to consult the internet for specific resolution details.
