Getting Started

Requirements

  • KiCad 10.x stable
  • Git 2.25+
  • ~356 MB disk (~73 MB if you exclude 3D models ā€” see below)

Clone 

git clone https://github.com/feastorg/KiCad-Master-Lib.git

Configure KiCad

Path variables

Preferences ā†’ Configure Paths:

Variable Value
KICAD_MASTER_LIB the repository root
KMLIB_LOCAL ${KICAD_MASTER_LIB}/kmlib-local

Use a forward slash on all platforms. A backslash does not resolve on Linux or macOS, and KiCad gives no error ā€” 3D models simply do not appear.

Library tables

The repository commits its library tables:

File Registers
kmlib.fp-lib-table 51 footprint libraries
kmlib.sym-lib-table 46 symbol libraries
kmlib.design-block-lib-table 10 design-block libraries

They cover kmlib-local and the vendored upstream libraries. Every URI is relative to ${KICAD_MASTER_LIB}, so a clean clone resolves everything with no per-machine setup.

Merge them into your KiCad configuration (~/.config/kicad/10.0/, or ~/.var/app/org.kicad.KiCad/config/kicad/10.0/ for the flatpak):

  • fp-lib-table ā† kmlib.fp-lib-table
  • sym-lib-table ā† kmlib.sym-lib-table
  • design-block-lib-table ā† kmlib.design-block-lib-table

Keep your existing entries for the stock KiCad libraries; these only add to them.

Regenerate after adding or removing a library:

python3 scripts/gen_lib_tables.py

Verify

  1. Symbol Editor ā€” select a KMLib_* library and browse.
  2. Footprint Editor ā€” likewise.
  3. Schematic Editor ā€” Place ā†’ Add Design Block, browse the KMLib_* blocks.
  4. 3D Viewer ā€” place a KMLib footprint on a scratch board and confirm the model appears.

Updating 

git pull origin main

Vendored upstream libraries

Upstream libraries are vendored under vendor/ and pinned in vendor.yaml.

Library Licence
SparkFun-KiCad-Libraries CC-BY-4.0
OPL_Kicad_Library (Seeed) CC-BY-SA-4.0
digikey-kicad-library CC-BY-SA-4.0, with an exception ā€” see its LICENSE.md
arduino-kicad-library CC-BY-SA-4.0

They are registered in the committed tables; nothing extra to configure.

A daily upstream-drift workflow opens a tracking issue when an upstream moves past its pin. Nothing syncs automatically.

python3 scripts/check_drift.py                  # report drift
python3 scripts/vendor_sync.py <name> --check   # preview upstream commits
python3 scripts/vendor_sync.py <name>           # three-way merge; local edits preserved

Before advancing a pin, check that the parts your boards use have not changed pad geometry ā€” not merely that they still resolve.

Cloning without 3D models

ERC, DRC and netlist generation never read a 3D model; only renders and STEP export do. Excluding them gives a ~73 MB checkout with every library present:

git clone --filter=blob:none --sparse https://github.com/feastorg/KiCad-Master-Lib.git
cd KiCad-Master-Lib
git sparse-checkout set --no-cone '/*' \
    '!*.step' '!*.STEP' '!*.stp' '!*.STP' '!*.wrl' '!*.WRL'

Exclude by extension, not directory ā€” some upstreams keep models loose in product folders rather than under *.3dshapes/.