Oscilla — Installation Guide

Oscilla is a browser-based, Node.js-powered system for creating and performing synchronized graphic scores.
It runs locally on your computer or over your local network, directly in your web browser.

Requirements

Before installing Oscilla, make sure the following are installed:

Windows Installation

1. Install Inkscape

Download and install from:
https://inkscape.org/release/windows/

2. Install Node.js and npm

Download from:
https://nodejs.org/en/download

Choose the Windows Installer (.msi) version.
During setup:

• Check Add to PATH
• Leave default options selected

After installation, open PowerShell and verify:

node -v
npm -v

3. Install Git (optional)

If you want to use Git for updates, install it from:
https://git-scm.com/download/win

If you prefer not to use Git, skip this step and use the ZIP download option below.

4. Get Oscilla

Option A – Using Git:

git clone https://github.com/robcanning/oscilla.git
cd oscilla

Option B – Download ZIP:

1. Visit https://github.com/robcanning/oscilla/releases
2. Download the latest Source code (zip)
3. Extract it and open PowerShell inside that folder

5. Install and Run

npm install
npm start

Then open your browser at
http://localhost:8001

Linux Installation

1. Install Inkscape

sudo apt update
sudo apt install inkscape

2. Install Node.js and npm

To install Node 20.x using NodeSource:

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install -y nodejs

Verify installation:

node -v
npm -v

3. Install Git (optional)

sudo apt install git

Or skip this and download the ZIP file instead.

4. Get Oscilla

Option A – Git clone:

git clone https://github.com/robcanning/oscilla.git
cd oscilla

Option B – ZIP download:

1. Go to https://github.com/robcanning/oscilla/releases
2. Download the .zip
3. Extract it and open the folder in a terminal

5. Install and Run

npm install
npm start

Then visit
http://localhost:8001

macOS Installation

1. Install Inkscape

Download and install from:
https://inkscape.org/release/macos/

After installing, open Inkscape from the Applications folder.

2. Install Node.js and npm

Download the macOS installer (.pkg) from:
https://nodejs.org/en/download

Double-click the installer and follow the prompts.

To verify installation:

1. Open Terminal (Applications → Utilities → Terminal)
2. Type:

   node -v
   npm -v
   

Both should display version numbers.

3. Install Git (optional)

If you want to use Git, download it from:
https://git-scm.com/download/mac

Alternatively, skip Git and use the ZIP download below.

4. Get Oscilla

Option A – Using Git:

git clone https://github.com/robcanning/oscilla.git
cd oscilla

Option B – ZIP file:

1. Go to https://github.com/robcanning/oscilla/releases
2. Download the latest .zip
3. Double-click to extract
4. Open the oscilla folder

5. Install and Run

1. Open Terminal
2. Drag the extracted folder into the Terminal window and press Enter
3. Type:

   npm install
   npm start
   

Then open
http://localhost:8001

Test the Demo Project

Once Oscilla is running, open this in your browser:

http://localhost:8001/?project=helper-score

You should see the demo score titled helper-score.

Troubleshooting