Code-Aster Download and Installation

Versions of Code-Aster

Every 6 months a new stable version and at the same time a new testing version of Code-Aster are released by the development team. The main version count (ciffer before the dot) of the stable and the testing version differ by 1. Example: in June 2020 the versions 14.6 (stable) and 15.2 (testing) were released.

The subversions are labeled by the ciffer after the dot. A testing version starts with ".0", develops over 2 years to subversion ".1", ".2", ".3" and is "stablilized" as a new stable version ".4". The stable version develops from ".4" to ".8" and is named "oldstable" when it reachs ".8".

During a half-year development cycle for the next subversions only bug fixes and corrections are done for the  stable version. In the testing version new features are implemented.

Download Code-Aster from the developers' site

Versions of SalomeMeca

Once per year EDF releases also a new version for download of SalomeMeca. SalomeMeca is already compiled and ready to be easily installed on nearly all Linux distributions. SalomeMeca comes always packaged with two Code-Aster versions: the actual stable and the actual testing (or stable and oldstable if the subversion numbers are .4 (new stable) and .8 (oldstable)).

Download SalomeMeca from the developers' site

Difference between Code-Aster and SalomeMeca

Code-Aster is the Finite-Element analysis code developed by EDF.

SalomeMeca is a complete working environment. Additionally to Code-Aster it contains:

  • 2 Code-Aster versions: the stable and testing.
  • Salome as a Pre- and Postprocessing tool to create or import geometry, meshing and postprocessing. Salome is even more: It is a graphical interface for the administration of calculation cases via the AsterStudy module. And simulations may incorporate several analysis tools (example: Code-Aster for Structural and Code-Saturne for Fluid) in order to allow Fluid-Structure interaction or other multiphysics analysis.

How to install Code-Aster?

From easy to complex you have the following options:

  1. use our Code-Aster VirtualMachine. It has all needed programs and tools already installed and configured in an optional manner for the work with Code-Aster.
    All what you need before is installing the software virtualbox on your computer (Windows or Linux).
  2. you might decide to install CAELinux, a dedicated Linux distribution for computer aided engineering.
  3. Installation of SalomeMeca. The installation will need > 3 GB on your hard disk.
  4. Compiling and installation of Code-Aster. Needs much less space on your hard disk (< 1 GB). Attention must be payed to use suitable C- and Fortran-compilers in order to create a fast executable code. Compiling allows also to add debug symbols. This kind of installation is interesting for debugging purposes, if you want to be up-to-date with the newest versions, or if the solver runs on a central server and the users prepare their meshes and input files on their own workstations.
  5. Compiling and installation with MPI-parallelism. For computations on a cluster MPI must be additionally installed. Without MPI Code-Aster uses the less powerful OpenMP. The parallelism is then limited on the kernel of only one computer.

Of course we recommend the beginner to choose the 1st or 2nd kind of installation.