Install

Volt IDE

Volt IDE is the easiest way in. It has the editor, the compiler, the board view and the serial monitor, and it installs the volt command-line tool for you and keeps it up to date.

The first time you build for a chip, the IDE offers to download that chip’s toolchain.

The command-line tool

On macOS and Linux, one command installs volt:

$ curl -fsSL https://voltembedded.com/install.sh | sh

It downloads the build for your system, checks it against the published checksums, and puts it in ~/.volt/bin (in your home folder). If that folder isn’t on your PATH yet, the installer prints the line to add to your shell’s profile.

On Windows, download volt-windows-amd64.zip and put volt.exe from it on your PATH.

The same link works for every system; it always downloads the newest release:

Each archive holds the single volt program. SHA256SUMS lists their checksums.

Then install the toolchain for your chip. It’s a one-time download:

$ volt toolchain install esp32
$ volt toolchain status esp32

If you have Volt IDE, you already have volt: the IDE provides it and updates it, so there’s no need to install it separately.

Keep it up to date

$ volt update

To see where you stand without installing anything:

$ volt update --check
Installed  v0.2.1
Latest     v0.2.2

Run `volt update` to install it.

When you’re up to date it says so on one line: Installed v0.2.2, the latest. volt version prints only the version you have.

Without installing anything

The playground runs the Volt compiler in your browser. You can write and check programs there, but to flash a board you need the IDE or volt.