TUFLOW on Linux - Revision history

Abrar.Alttahir: /* Must TUFLOW users on Linux use the command line interface? */

2026-07-13T01:08:25Z

Must TUFLOW users on Linux use the command line interface?

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:08, 13 July 2026
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	Like Windows, Linux offers a variety of scripting options that can help minimise the direct use of the command line by users, if that is desirable. Bash shell scripts are as easy to write and run as batch files are on Windows. Running Python or even PowerShell on Linux is easy to set up as well.		Like Windows, Linux offers a variety of scripting options that can help minimise the direct use of the command line by users, if that is desirable. Bash shell scripts are as easy to write and run as batch files are on Windows. Running Python or even PowerShell on Linux is easy to set up as well.

	However, ~~given~~ the nature of ~~the application~~ and ~~Linux as an operating system~~, ~~TUFLOW~~ users ~~on Linux would do~~ ~~well~~ to ~~try and~~ understand ~~some of~~ the basics of ~~using~~ TUFLOW from the command line ~~and the~~ TUFLOW Support team can assist with ~~that~~.		However, due to the nature of Linux and TUFLOW, users are encouraged to understand the basics of running TUFLOW from the command line. The TUFLOW Support team can assist with this.

Abrar.Alttahir: /* Use across both Microsoft Windows and Linux */

2026-07-13T01:02:03Z

Use across both Microsoft Windows and Linux

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:02, 13 July 2026
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	= Use across both Microsoft Windows and Linux =		= Use across both Microsoft Windows and Linux =
⚫	Some of the ~~quirky~~ differences between Windows and Linux will affect users ~~that~~ want to use TUFLOW across both systems.

		⚫	Some of the differences between Windows and Linux will affect users who want to use TUFLOW across both systems.
⚫	By no ~~means~~ a complete overview, but ~~these are~~ some aspects to consider:
	<ol>
⚫	*'''Slashes and backslashes'''<br/>Windows uses backslashes in file and directory paths ~~like~~ <code>D:\Project\results\</code>. Linux uses forward slashes ~~instead~~ ~~like~~ <code>~/Project/results</code> and will often interpret characters following backslashes as special characters. TUFLOW will usually ~~deal with~~ either format on either system ~~in configuration files~~, ~~but~~ when writing scripts or commands (in ~~powershell~~, terminal, ~~etc)~~ users should remain aware. ~~Also,~~ ~~logs~~ and outputs ~~referring~~ to files will use the format appropriate to the system it is running on.
⚫	*'''Drive letters'''<br/>Drive letters ~~like~~ <code>D:</code> are specific to Windows. Configuration files that need to be ~~usable~~ across both systems should avoid ~~their~~ ~~use~~ and instead use relative paths ~~like~~ <code>../Model/Materials_001.csv</code> or ~~absolute~~ paths that assume the file is on the current drive ~~like~~ <code>/Project/model/Materials_001.csv</code>.
⚫	*'''Character case in names'''<br/>Windows is case-insensitive, ~~which means that~~ files ~~called~~ <code>Hello.TXT</code> and <code>hello.txt</code> are ~~considered~~ to ~~have~~ the same name, and cannot exist in the same location. Linux is case-sensitive and ~~considers~~ uppercase ~~characters~~ and lowercase characters ~~to be~~ different, ~~and~~ ~~so those two~~ files ~~can~~ exist side by side. This is ~~very~~ ~~relevant~~ if ~~TUFLOW~~ ~~users~~ ~~use one spelling~~ in ~~one~~ ~~place, and the other in another - whereas~~ Windows ~~might~~ interpret both references to ~~point~~ to the same file, on Linux ~~they~~ ~~would~~ ~~result~~ in ~~two separate~~ files. Similarly, if a file's ~~name~~ is ~~spelled~~ ~~with~~ ~~different~~ ~~case~~ ~~from~~ ~~its actual name~~, ~~a Windows application would find it, and a~~ Linux ~~application might~~ not. ~~(see below)~~
⚫	*'''Encoding and special characters'''<br/>On older versions of Windows in English-speaking countries, text files (including TUFLOW configuration files) ~~would~~ ~~use the~~ 1252~~-Windows~~ encoding. In modern ~~versions~~ ~~of Windows~~, UTF-8 with BOM is ~~the~~ ~~standard.~~ On Linux UTF-8 without BOM ~~is the standard~~. TUFLOW accepts ~~any of~~ these encodings and will ~~typically~~ write files in UTF-8 without BOM. On Windows, ~~line~~ ~~endings~~ in ~~such~~ ~~text~~ ~~files~~ ~~are~~ ~~encoded~~ ~~as two~~ characters, a ~~carriage~~ ~~return~~ ~~and~~ ~~a line feed~~ (CR/LF), while Linux uses ~~only~~ a single LF. TUFLOW accepts both ~~forms~~ and writes ~~what~~ is appropriate to the system it is running on.
	</ol>

		⚫	This is not a complete overview, but some aspects to consider include:
⚫	To ensure maximum compatibility ~~of models~~ across systems, TUFLOW will do its best to match names in ~~the~~ model files ~~in the same way~~ between Windows and Linux. <!-- This may surprise some new users on Linux and can be disabled with a command-line flag if undesirable, in future releases.-->

		⚫	* '''Slashes and backslashes'''<br/>Windows uses backslashes in file and directory paths, such as <code>D:\Project\results\</code>. Linux uses forward slashes, such as <code>~/Project/results</code>, and will often interpret characters following backslashes as special characters. TUFLOW will usually handle either format in configuration files on either system. However, when writing scripts or commands in PowerShell, a terminal or similar tools, users should remain aware of the differences. Logs and outputs that refer to files will use the format appropriate to the operating system on which TUFLOW is running.
⚫	As a general principle, TUFLOW will ~~default to trying~~ to run a model with as ~~little~~ ~~change~~ as possible ~~required across both platforms,~~ writing results in a ~~form that is~~ appropriate to the platform it ~~runs~~ on. <!-- Future releases may provide users with more control over this behaviour, if needed.-->

		⚫	* '''Drive letters'''<br/>Drive letters such as <code>D:</code> are specific to Windows. Configuration files that need to be used across both systems should avoid drive letters and instead use relative paths, such as <code>../Model/Materials_001.csv</code>, or paths that assume the file is on the current drive, such as <code>/Project/model/Materials_001.csv</code>.

		⚫	* '''Character case in names'''<br/>Windows is generally case-insensitive, meaning files named <code>Hello.TXT</code> and <code>hello.txt</code> are treated as having the same name and cannot exist in the same location. Linux is case-sensitive and treats uppercase and lowercase characters as different, allowing both files to exist side by side. This is important where different capitalisation is used in separate references. Windows may interpret both references as pointing to the same file, while Linux may treat them as different files. Similarly, Windows may locate a file even when the capitalisation does not match exactly, while Linux may not.

		⚫	* '''Encoding and special characters'''<br/>On older versions of Windows in English-speaking countries, text files, including TUFLOW configuration files, commonly used Windows-1252 encoding. On modern Windows systems, UTF-8 with BOM is commonly used, while Linux typically uses UTF-8 without BOM. TUFLOW accepts these encodings and will generally write files using UTF-8 without BOM. Windows text files commonly use carriage return and line feed characters for line endings, known as CR/LF, while Linux uses a single LF character. TUFLOW accepts both formats and writes the format appropriate to the system on which it is running.

		⚫	To ensure maximum model compatibility across systems, TUFLOW will do its best to match names in model files consistently between Windows and Linux. <!-- This may surprise some new users on Linux and can be disabled with a command-line flag if undesirable, in future releases.-->

		⚫	As a general principle, TUFLOW will try to run a model across both platforms with as few changes as possible, while writing results in the format appropriate to the platform on which it is running. <!-- Future releases may provide users with more control over this behaviour, if needed.-->

	= Common Questions Answered (FAQ)=		= Common Questions Answered (FAQ)=

Abrar.Alttahir: /* Why use TUFLOW on Linux at all? */

2026-07-13T01:01:10Z

Why use TUFLOW on Linux at all?

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:01, 13 July 2026
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	= Common Questions Answered (FAQ)=		= Common Questions Answered (FAQ)=
	== Why use TUFLOW on Linux at all? ==		== Why use TUFLOW on Linux at all? ==

	TUFLOW on Linux is not just for users ~~that~~ use Linux as their primary work environment, although those certainly exist. Other reasons to consider ~~are~~:		TUFLOW on Linux is not just for users who use Linux as their primary work environment, although those users certainly exist. Other reasons to consider it include:
	<ol>

	*'''Performance'''<br/> Servers or workstations ~~that are~~ dedicated ~~for the~~ running of models can be configured to run TUFLOW and the necessary supporting software ~~(e.g.~~ CodeMeter, NVIDIA GPU drivers, ~~etc.) and~~ very little else~~, using~~ ~~Linux~~. There may also be small performance differences ~~in general~~ between ~~an executable~~ built and optimised for Windows or Linux.		* '''Performance'''<br/>Servers or workstations dedicated to running models can be configured to run TUFLOW and the necessary supporting software, such as CodeMeter and NVIDIA GPU drivers, with very little else installed. There may also be small performance differences between executables built and optimised for Windows and Linux.
⚫	*'''Infrastructure cost'''<br/> ~~Especially~~ relevant when running virtual machines dedicated to ~~running~~ TUFLOW, or many of ~~those~~ in the cloud, ~~most~~ distributions ~~of Linux~~ do not require a licence whereas Windows does. ~~This~~ can substantially reduce ~~the~~ ~~cost of infrastructure~~.

	*'''HPC tooling'''<br/> Automation of running TUFLOW models across many computers or in the cloud can be greatly simplified with tooling designed for that purpose. Many such tools are available "off the shelf", but mostly on Linux (e.g. SLURM, PBS/Torque, etc.). Similarly, containerisation (e.g. Docker, Podman, LXC) typically requires running on Linux as well.
		⚫	* '''Infrastructure cost'''<br/>This is especially relevant when running virtual machines dedicated to TUFLOW, or many virtual machines in the cloud. Most Linux distributions do not require a licence, whereas Windows does, which can substantially reduce infrastructure costs.
	: ''Note:'' HPC tooling refers to job scheduling and automation software for managing large numbers of model runs. Containerisation packages applications and their dependencies into portable and reproducible runtime environments.

	</ol>
			* '''HPC tooling'''<br/>Automating TUFLOW model runs across many computers or in the cloud can be simplified using tools designed for this purpose. Many of these tools are available off the shelf, primarily for Linux, such as SLURM and PBS/Torque. Containerisation tools, such as Docker, Podman and LXC, also typically run on Linux. <br>''Note:'' HPC tooling refers to job scheduling and automation software used to manage large numbers of model runs. Containerisation packages applications and their dependencies into portable and reproducible runtime environments.

	== Must TUFLOW users on Linux use the command line interface? ==		== Must TUFLOW users on Linux use the command line interface? ==

Abrar.Alttahir: /* How to install */

2026-07-13T00:54:27Z

How to install

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:54, 13 July 2026
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	It is recommended that admins use <code>dnf</code> or <code>apt</code> respectively, to ensure that dependencies are automatically downloaded and installed as needed.		It is recommended that admins use <code>dnf</code> or <code>apt</code> respectively, to ensure that dependencies are automatically downloaded and installed as needed.

	For detailed installation, licensing, version management and WSL instructions, see [[~~Linux_Install\|~~Installing TUFLOW on Linux]].		For detailed installation, licensing, version management and WSL instructions, see [[Installing TUFLOW on Linux]].

	= How to use =		= How to use =

Abrar.Alttahir: /* How to install */

2026-07-13T00:50:26Z

How to install

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:50, 13 July 2026
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	It is recommended that admins use <code>dnf</code> or <code>apt</code> respectively, to ensure that dependencies are automatically downloaded and installed as needed.		It is recommended that admins use <code>dnf</code> or <code>apt</code> respectively, to ensure that dependencies are automatically downloaded and installed as needed.

			For detailed installation, licensing, version management and WSL instructions, see [[Linux_Install\|Installing TUFLOW on Linux]].

	= How to use =		= How to use =

ElizaCollison: /* How to use */

2026-05-05T00:09:18Z

How to use

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:09, 5 May 2026
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	= How to use =		= How to use =
	After installation, TUFLOW will be available from the command line as <code>tuflow_2026.0-isp</code>. Users may define an alias like <code>alias tuflow='tuflow_2026.0'</code> or use the specific versioned command directly in their scripts. Command-line options are passed just as in Windows.		After installation, TUFLOW will be available from the command line as <code>tuflow_2026.0-isp</code> for single precision and <code>tuflow_2026.0-idp</code> for double precision. Users may define an alias like <code>alias tuflow='tuflow_2026.0'</code> or use the specific versioned command directly in their scripts. Command-line options are passed just as in Windows.

	However, because Linux often runs without a graphical environment, TUFLOW on Linux runs as if the <code>-nmb</code> option was provided.		However, because Linux often runs without a graphical environment, TUFLOW on Linux runs as if the <code>-nmb</code> option was provided.

ElizaCollison: /* How to use */

2026-05-04T02:42:41Z

How to use

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:42, 4 May 2026
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	= How to use =		= How to use =
	After installation, TUFLOW will be available from the command line as <code>tuflow_2026.0</code>. Users may define an alias like <code>alias tuflow='tuflow_2026.0'</code> or use the specific versioned command directly in their scripts. Command-line options are passed just as in Windows.		After installation, TUFLOW will be available from the command line as <code>tuflow_2026.0-isp</code>. Users may define an alias like <code>alias tuflow='tuflow_2026.0'</code> or use the specific versioned command directly in their scripts. Command-line options are passed just as in Windows.

	However, because Linux often runs without a graphical environment, TUFLOW on Linux runs as if the <code>-nmb</code> option was provided.		However, because Linux often runs without a graphical environment, TUFLOW on Linux runs as if the <code>-nmb</code> option was provided.

Emilie Nielsen at 01:03, 13 February 2026

2026-02-13T01:03:45Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:03, 13 February 2026
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	= Introduction =		= Introduction =
	~~Starting~~ ~~at version~~ 2026.0, TUFLOW Classic/HPC ~~will also be~~ available for Linux, just like TUFLOW FV has been since its inception. Although the application functions the same on either Microsoft Windows or Linux, there are some caveats to consider especially when working across both platforms within a single project.		Since the 2026.0.0 release, TUFLOW Classic/HPC is available for Linux, just like TUFLOW FV has been since its inception. Although the application functions the same on either Microsoft Windows or Linux, there are some caveats to consider especially when working across both platforms within a single project.

	= How to install =		= How to install =
	TUFLOW for Linux is available in two types of packages, <code>.deb</code> for Debian family distributions (like Debian, Ubuntu, Mint, etc.) and <code>.rpm</code> for RHEL family distributions (Red Hat, CentOS, Rocky, etc.).		TUFLOW for Linux is available in two types of packages, <code>.deb</code> for Debian family distributions (like Debian, Ubuntu, Mint, etc.) and <code>.rpm</code> for RHEL family distributions (Red Hat, CentOS, Rocky, etc.).

	To install TUFLOW for Linux, download the ~~approprioate~~ package for the Linux distribution from the <u>[https://www.tuflow.com/downloads/ TUFLOW Downloads page]</u> and install the package using the appropriate package manager for the distribution. For example, on Ubuntu, the following command can be used in the terminal (making sure to use the correct path to the downloaded <code>.deb</code> file):		To install TUFLOW for Linux, download the appropriate package for the Linux distribution from the <u>[https://www.tuflow.com/downloads/ TUFLOW Downloads page]</u> and install the package using the appropriate package manager for the distribution. For example, on Ubuntu, the following command can be used in the terminal (making sure to use the correct path to the downloaded <code>.deb</code> file):

	: <code>sudo apt install ./tuflow_2026.0.0~beta.1-1_amd64.deb</code>		: <code>sudo apt install ./tuflow_2026.0.0~beta.1-1_amd64.deb</code>

Emilie Nielsen: /* How to install */

2026-02-12T01:06:34Z

How to install

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:06, 12 February 2026
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	= How to install =		= How to install =
	TUFLOW for Linux ~~will be made~~ available in two types of packages, <code>.deb</code> for Debian family distributions (like Debian, Ubuntu, Mint, etc.) and <code>.rpm</code> for RHEL family distributions (Red Hat, CentOS, Rocky, etc.).		TUFLOW for Linux is available in two types of packages, <code>.deb</code> for Debian family distributions (like Debian, Ubuntu, Mint, etc.) and <code>.rpm</code> for RHEL family distributions (Red Hat, CentOS, Rocky, etc.).

			To install TUFLOW for Linux, download the approprioate package for the Linux distribution from the <u>[https://www.tuflow.com/downloads/ TUFLOW Downloads page]</u> and install the package using the appropriate package manager for the distribution. For example, on Ubuntu, the following command can be used in the terminal (making sure to use the correct path to the downloaded <code>.deb</code> file):
⚫	~~These can be downloaded and installed with tools that are available on any Linux distribution by default.~~ It is recommended that admins use <code>dnf</code> or <code>apt</code> respectively, to ensure that dependencies are automatically downloaded and installed as needed.

			: <code>sudo apt install ./tuflow_2026.0.0~beta.1-1_amd64.deb</code>

		⚫	It is recommended that admins use <code>dnf</code> or <code>apt</code> respectively, to ensure that dependencies are automatically downloaded and installed as needed.

	= How to use =		= How to use =

Emilie Nielsen: /* Why use TUFLOW on Linux at all? */

2026-02-03T05:48:00Z

Why use TUFLOW on Linux at all?

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:48, 3 February 2026
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	*'''Performance'''<br/> Servers or workstations that are dedicated for the running of models can be configured to run TUFLOW and the necessary supporting software (e.g. CodeMeter, NVIDIA GPU drivers, etc.) and very little else, using Linux. There may also be small performance differences in general between an executable built and optimised for Windows or Linux.		*'''Performance'''<br/> Servers or workstations that are dedicated for the running of models can be configured to run TUFLOW and the necessary supporting software (e.g. CodeMeter, NVIDIA GPU drivers, etc.) and very little else, using Linux. There may also be small performance differences in general between an executable built and optimised for Windows or Linux.
	*'''Infrastructure cost'''<br/> Especially relevant when running virtual machines dedicated to running TUFLOW, or many of those in the cloud, most distributions of Linux do not require a licence whereas Windows does. This can substantially reduce the cost of infrastructure.		*'''Infrastructure cost'''<br/> Especially relevant when running virtual machines dedicated to running TUFLOW, or many of those in the cloud, most distributions of Linux do not require a licence whereas Windows does. This can substantially reduce the cost of infrastructure.
	*'''HPC tooling'''<br/> Automation of running TUFLOW models across many computers or in the cloud can be greatly simplified with tooling designed for that purpose. Many such tools are available "off the shelf", but mostly on Linux. (e.g. SLURM, PBS/Torque, etc.). Similarly, containerisation (e.g. Docker, Podman, LXC) typically requires running on Linux as well.		*'''HPC tooling'''<br/> Automation of running TUFLOW models across many computers or in the cloud can be greatly simplified with tooling designed for that purpose. Many such tools are available "off the shelf", but mostly on Linux (e.g. SLURM, PBS/Torque, etc.). Similarly, containerisation (e.g. Docker, Podman, LXC) typically requires running on Linux as well.
			: ''Note:'' HPC tooling refers to job scheduling and automation software for managing large numbers of model runs. Containerisation packages applications and their dependencies into portable and reproducible runtime environments.
	</ol>		</ol>