TUFLOW on Linux: Difference between revisions

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= Introduction =
StartingSince at versionthe 2026.0.0 release, TUFLOW Classic/HPC will also beis 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 =
TUFLOW for Linux will be madeis 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 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):
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>
 
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.
 
= How to use =
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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.-->
 
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.-->
 
= Common Questions Answered (FAQ)=
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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.
*'''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.
: ''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.
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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.
 
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 very basicbasics of using TUFLOW from the command line and the TUFLOW Support team can assist with that.