Installation of moustic#

Retrieve this file containing the codes and test#

You can extract this folder to the directory of your choice: you will find the .zip file in your downloads. Move it by right-clicking, cutting, and pasting it into the directory of your choice. Then right-click and extract here.

Open a terminal#

A terminal (or command prompt) is a tool that allows you to interact with your computer by typing text commands. Unlike a graphical interface (where you click buttons), the terminal allows you to execute specific instructions, such as launching a Python script, installing libraries, or navigating through your project folders.

Windows: Press Windows + R, type cmd, and then press Enter.

macOS: Open the Terminal application via Spotlight (Cmd + Space, then type "Terminal").

Linux: Use the shortcut Ctrl + Alt + T or search for "Terminal" in your applications menu.

To install Pmosquito, you need Python

Check if Python is Installed#

Type the following command:

python --version

or

python3 --version

If you see something like Python 3.x.x, Python is already installed. Otherwise, proceed to the next step.

Install Python#

For Windows

Go to https://www.python.org/downloads/windows/

Click Download Python 3.x.x

IMPORTANT: On the first installation screen, check the box "Add Python to PATH"

Click Install Now

After installation, reopen your terminal and check:

python --version

For macOS

If needed, install Homebrew

Use the following command:

brew install python

For Linux (Debian, Ubuntu, etc.)

Use the following commands:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install python3 python3-venv python3-pip

Install pip (if not already installed)#

Most modern Python installations include pip. To check:

pip --version

or

pip3 --version

If it's missing:

On Windows, reinstall Python and ensure "Install pip" is checked

On Linux, use:

sudo apt install python3-pip

Virtual Environment#

It is recommended to use a virtual environment:

Each virtual environment contains its own version of Python and its own packages, independent of other projects or the system installation. This prevents a package update for one project from breaking another.
You can install exactly the versions of libraries needed for one project without affecting others. Perfect for replicating an environment on another machine.

In your terminal you need to move to the moustic-main directory You must write in your terminal:

cd <path_to_moustic>

Example:

cd /Users/alex/Downloads/moustic-main

Note: To find your path: Open File Explorer. Go to your project folder. Click in the address bar at the top: the path will appear.

Then, copy :

python -m venv env

This creates an env/ folder containing an isolated Python installation.

Then you need to activate your virtual environment. Type always in your terminal :

For Windows

.\env\Scripts\activate

For Linux/macOS

source env/bin/activate

Normally you should see your virtual environment name displayed in parentheses at the beginning of the new command line

Retrieve this file containing the codes and test#

Download moustic as a ZIP file

You can extract this folder to the directory of your choice: you will find the .zip file in your downloads. Move it by right-clicking, cutting, and pasting it into the directory of your choice. Then right-click and extract here.

Install moustic#

Once your virtual environment is activated and you are in the project directory (the folder that contains pyproject.toml), install moustic and its dependencies with:

pip install .

This command will install: - the moustic tool, - all required dependencies

Open moustic#

Install moustic#

Now, if you copy and paste in your terminal :

python app.py

You should see a URL like this: http://127.0.0.1:8050/ You can click on it if it appears interactive. Otherwise, copy and paste this URL into your browser.

Congratulations ! You can use moustic ! Next time, just reactivate the virtual environment and launch the application.

Note: The Moustic app allows you to download swarm videos. This feature requires downloading an application (see Install FFMPEG section).

Install FFMPEG#

To download ffmpeg.exe, you can download the file in .7z here Or, you can download the file in .zip here

Next, you need to unzip the downloaded file. Open the ffmpeg folder, then the bin folder. Copy the ffmpeg.exe file and paste it into the bin file located in the moustic-main folder.