Install MEEP on Windows 11 using WSL: Tech Support Guide
MEEP is a popular open-source finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulation software for electromagnetic waves. To install MEEP on a Windows 11 laptop, you can use the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) feature. This guide will walk you through the installation process, step-by-step.
What is WSL?
WSL is a compatibility layer for running Linux binary executables natively on Windows 10 and Windows 11. It enables developers to use their preferred Linux tools, such as Bash, Git, and Python, alongside their favorite Windows apps. WSL is a perfect choice for running MEEP on a Windows machine.
Installing WSL on Windows 11
To get started, you need to enable WSL on your Windows 11 machine. Here are the steps:
- Press Windows+X and select Windows Terminal (Admin) from the menu.
- Type the following command in the terminal and hit Enter:
wsl --install - Restart your computer when prompted.
Installing a Linux Distribution
After enabling WSL, you need to install a Linux distribution. We'll use Ubuntu in this example:
- Open the Microsoft Store and search for Ubuntu.
- Click on Get to download and install Ubuntu.
- Launch Ubuntu from the Start menu.
Setting up Ubuntu
When you launch Ubuntu for the first time, you will be prompted to create a user account and set up a password. Follow the instructions to complete the setup process.
Installing MEEP
With Ubuntu set up, you can now install MEEP.
- Update the package lists by running the following command:
sudo apt update - Install required dependencies using the following command:
sudo apt install git python3-numpy python3-scipy libhdf5-serial-dev libopenblas-dev libfftw3-dev texlive texlive-science texlive-xetex emacs - Clone the MEEP repository using the following command:
git clone https://github.com/nthompson/meep.git - Compile and install MEEP using the following commands:
cd meeppython3 setup.py buildsudo python3 setup.py install
Running MEEP
To run MEEP, use the following command:
meepWith the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) installed and MEEP set up, you can now use these tools for electromagnetic simulation on your Windows 11 laptop.