Install on Windows

• Windows

Musa CAD for Windows comes as a normal installer, MusaCAD-<version>-x86_64-setup.exe. You download it from the release page on GitHub.

Version 0.8.0 on Windows

Version 0.8.0 came out on 22 October 2026 for Linux and macOS first. The Windows installer is added to the same release once it has been tested on a real Windows PC. When it arrives, an installed 0.7.0 offers the update by itself. Until then, the newest Windows version is 0.7.0.

What you need

• Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit.
• A graphics driver that supports OpenGL 4.5. Current Intel, AMD and NVIDIA drivers all do. If yours does not, Musa CAD tells you so when it starts.
• Nothing else. There is no account, licence key or internet connection needed to use it.

Install it

1. Download MusaCAD-<version>-x86_64-setup.exe from the latest release. The .sha256 file next to it lets you check the download if you want to.

2. Run the installer. Windows will show one or more warnings first; the next section explains them.

3. Choose whether to tick Register .musa / .dxf file types. This makes Musa CAD open .musa files when you double-click them. For .dxf and .dwg files it only adds Musa CAD to the “Open with” list. It never takes those files away from another program.

4. Click Finish. Musa CAD is now in the Start menu.

Musa CAD installs into C:\Program Files\Musa CAD and needs administrator rights to do so. To update, you can run a newer installer over the old one.

Why Windows warns you

The installer is not yet signed with a code-signing certificate. Without one, Windows does not know who made the file, so it shows warnings. You may see any of these:

• Your browser says the file is not commonly downloaded.
• SmartScreen says “Windows protected your PC”. Click More info, then Run anyway.
• The administrator prompt says Publisher: Unknown.

This does not mean Windows found anything harmful. It only means the file is new to Windows. Getting the installer signed is planned; the options are written up in WINDOWS_SIGNING.md.

Two programs, and why

Musa CAD installs two programs side by side:

Program	Use it for
musacad_app.exe	Drawing. This is what the Start menu and double-clicked files open.
musacad.exe	Scripts and the command prompt. It runs the app, waits for it, and passes back its exit code.

The second one exists because Command Prompt and PowerShell do not wait for a windowed program to finish. Use musacad.exe in scripts. To check that the install works from a terminal:

& "C:\Program Files\Musa CAD\musacad.exe" --version

The command line page explains everything musacad.exe can do, such as checking a drawing or printing it to PDF without opening a window.

Updates

Once a day, Musa CAD checks GitHub for a newer version. If there is one, a small notice appears in the status bar at the bottom of the window. Click it to open the Update window. On Windows, that window can download the new installer and run it for you. It first checks the download’s size, its SHA-256 checksum and its version number, and refuses a file that does not match.

You can turn the daily check off in Options (type OP).

Uninstall

Open Settings ▸ Apps ▸ Musa CAD ▸ Uninstall, or run uninstall.exe in the install folder. Your drawings and settings are not deleted.

Opening DWG files

To open or save DWG files, Musa CAD uses the free ODA File Converter. Open DWG Setup… from the application menu (the Musa CAD logo at the top left) and click Download ODA File Converter… to set it up. DXF files work without it.

Next

Make your first drawing.