Getting Started

Follow this checklist to install the KiCad Master Library (KML) alongside your KiCad environment.

Requirements

  • KiCad 9.x stable. Tested against 9.0 series releases. Earlier majors (8.x and older) are not supported for editing these libraries.
  • Git 2.25+ with submodule support.
  • Disk space: ~400 MB for the full checkout with submodules.

Clone the repository with submodules

Choose any working directory. Placing the checkout under Documents/KiCad/KiCad-Master-Lib makes it easy to find, but any path works. Placing it within the versioned KiCad installation folder (i.e. placing under Documents/KiCad/9.0) may cause issues during upgrades or modifications of your KiCad installation.

git clone --recurse-submodules https://github.com/FEASTorg/KiCad-Master-Lib.git

Already cloned? Bring submodules up to date from the repo root:

git submodule update --init --recursive

Configure KiCad path variables

  1. Launch KiCad.
  2. Open Preferences -> Configure Paths.
  3. Add KICAD_MASTER_LIB pointing to the repository root.
  4. Add KMLIB_LOCAL pointing to ${KICAD_MASTER_LIB}\kmlib-local.
  5. Save.

Notes:

  • Custom environment variables are the recommended way to reference third-party assets and 3D models so paths remain portable across systems.
  • Some built-in variables (for KiCad’s official libraries) are versioned per major release; custom variables like the two above are user-defined and stable across updates.

Register symbol libraries

  1. Preferences -> Manage Symbol Libraries...
  2. Global Libraries tab.
  3. Add each categorized library with ${KMLIB_LOCAL}/symbols/ as the base path:
Nickname Library File
KMLib_Aesthetic KMLib_Aesthetic.kicad_sym
KMLib_Connectors KMLib_Connectors.kicad_sym
KMLib_Discrete_Semiconductors KMLib_Discrete_Semiconductors.kicad_sym
KMLib_Electromechanical KMLib_Electromechanical.kicad_sym
KMLib_IC_Analog KMLib_IC_Analog.kicad_sym
KMLib_IC_Digital KMLib_IC_Digital.kicad_sym
KMLib_IC_MCU_MPU KMLib_IC_MCU_MPU.kicad_sym
KMLib_IC_Power KMLib_IC_Power.kicad_sym
KMLib_Misc KMLib_Misc.kicad_sym
KMLib_Passives KMLib_Passives.kicad_sym
KMLib_Power KMLib_Power.kicad_sym
KMLib_Sensors KMLib_Sensors.kicad_sym
KMLib_Switches KMLib_Switches.kicad_sym

Register footprint libraries

  1. Preferences -> Manage Footprint Libraries...
  2. Global Libraries tab.
  3. Add each categorized library with ${KMLIB_LOCAL}/footprints/ as the base path:
Nickname Folder
KMLib_Aesthetic KMLib_Aesthetic.pretty
KMLib_Boards_Modules KMLib_Boards_Modules.pretty
KMLib_Connectors KMLib_Connectors.pretty
KMLib_IC_SMD KMLib_IC_SMD.pretty
KMLib_IC_THT KMLib_IC_THT.pretty
KMLib_Mounting KMLib_Mounting.pretty
KMLib_Passives_SMD KMLib_Passives_SMD.pretty
KMLib_Passives_THT KMLib_Passives_THT.pretty
KMLib_Proto KMLib_Proto.pretty
KMLib_Proto_Decorators KMLib_Proto_Decorators.pretty
KMLib_Relays KMLib_Relays.pretty
KMLib_Switches KMLib_Switches.pretty
KMLib_TestPoints KMLib_TestPoints.pretty

Register design block libraries

  1. Preferences -> Manage Design Block Libraries...
  2. Global Libraries tab.
  3. Add each categorized library with ${KMLIB_LOCAL}/blocks/ as the base path:
Nickname Folder
KMLib_ADC KMLib_ADC.kicad_blocks
KMLib_Analog KMLib_Analog.kicad_blocks
KMLib_Digital KMLib_Digital.kicad_blocks
KMLib_Interface KMLib_Interface.kicad_blocks
KMLib_Memory KMLib_Memory.kicad_blocks
KMLib_Microcontroller KMLib_Microcontroller.kicad_blocks
KMLib_Networks_Active KMLib_Networks_Active.kicad_blocks
KMLib_Networks_Passive KMLib_Networks_Passive.kicad_blocks
KMLib_Power KMLib_Power.kicad_blocks
KMLib_Sensor KMLib_Sensor.kicad_blocks

Optional: register vendor libraries

Add only what you need to keep tables manageable. Typical locations:

  • Arduino: arduino-kicad-library/symbols/arduino-library.kicad_sym and arduino-kicad-library/footprints/arduino-library.pretty
  • Digi-Key: digikey-kicad-library/digikey-symbols and digikey-kicad-library/digikey-footprints.pretty
  • SparkFun: SparkFun-KiCad-Libraries/Symbols and SparkFun-KiCad-Libraries/Footprints
  • Seeed OPL: subfolders under OPL_Kicad_Library/ (for example Seeed Studio XIAO Series Library)

Refer to each vendor’s README for any special steps.

Verify the installation

  1. Open the Symbol Editor, select any KMLib_* library, and browse symbols.
  2. Open the Footprint Editor, select any KMLib_* library, and browse footprints.
  3. In the Schematic Editor, use Place -> Add Design Block to browse available design blocks from the KMLib_* block libraries.
  4. Place a footprint on a scratch PCB and open the 3D Viewer to confirm ${KMLIB_LOCAL}/3dmodels resolves and models appear correctly.

Keeping your checkout current

Update the main repo and submodules periodically:

git pull origin main
git submodule update --init --recursive

When you need a newer upstream vendor release, run git submodule update --remote <path> for the relevant submodule and commit the change. Pinning submodule SHAs keeps the workspace reproducible. (This is standard Git behavior for submodules.)