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Installation

This guide will help you install Stoffel from source. Since Stoffel is currently in active development, you’ll need to build the components manually from their Git repositories.

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Prerequisites

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System Requirements

Operating Systems
  • Linux (Ubuntu 20.04+, CentOS 8+, Arch Linux)
  • macOS (10.15+)
  • Windows (via WSL2 recommended)
Hardware Requirements
  • 4GB RAM minimum (8GB recommended for MPC development)
  • 2GB free disk space
  • Internet connection for downloading dependencies

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Required Dependencies

Before installing Stoffel, make sure you have: Essential Tools
  • Git (for cloning repositories)
  • Rust and Cargo (latest stable version)
Optional (based on your use case)
  • Python 3.8+ (for Python SDK integration)

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Step-by-Step Installation

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Step 1: Install Rust

If you don’t have Rust installed: 
# Install Rust and Cargo
curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh

# Source the environment
source ~/.cargo/env

# Verify installation
rustc --version
cargo --version

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Step 2: Create a Stoffel Workspace

# Create a directory for all Stoffel components
mkdir ~/stoffel-dev
cd ~/stoffel-dev

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Step 3: Clone the Repositories

Clone all the Stoffel components: 
# Clone the main Stoffel CLI
git clone https://github.com/Stoffel-Labs/Stoffel.git

# Clone StoffelVM
git clone https://github.com/Stoffel-Labs/StoffelVM.git

# Clone Stoffel-Lang compiler
git clone https://github.com/Stoffel-Labs/Stoffel-Lang.git

# Clone MPC protocols
git clone https://github.com/Stoffel-Labs/mpc-protocols.git

# Clone Python SDK (optional)
git clone https://github.com/Stoffel-Labs/stoffel-python-sdk.git
Your directory structure should look like: 
~/stoffel-dev/
├── Stoffel/                  # Main CLI
├── StoffelVM/               # Virtual Machine
├── Stoffel-Lang/            # Language compiler
├── mpc-protocols/           # MPC protocol implementations
└── stoffel-python-sdk/      # Python SDK (optional)

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Step 4: Build the Components

Build each component in the correct order:

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Build StoffelVM First

cd ~/stoffel-dev/StoffelVM

# Build the VM
cargo build --release

# Verify the build
./target/release/stoffel-run --version

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Build Stoffel-Lang Compiler

cd ~/stoffel-dev/Stoffel-Lang

# Build the compiler
cargo build --release

# Verify the build
./target/release/stoffellang --version

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Build MPC Protocols

cd ~/stoffel-dev/mpc-protocols

# Build the protocols
cargo build --release

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Build the Main Stoffel CLI

cd ~/stoffel-dev/Stoffel

# Build the CLI
cargo build --release

# Verify the build
./target/release/stoffel --version

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Step 5: Install to Your System

Add the built binaries to your PATH: 
# Create a bin directory in your home folder
mkdir -p ~/.local/bin

# Copy the binaries
cp ~/stoffel-dev/Stoffel/target/release/stoffel ~/.local/bin/
cp ~/stoffel-dev/StoffelVM/target/release/stoffel-run ~/.local/bin/
cp ~/stoffel-dev/Stoffel-Lang/target/release/stoffellang ~/.local/bin/

# Add to your PATH (add this to your ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc)
export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"

# Reload your shell or source the profile
source ~/.bashrc  # or ~/.zshrc for zsh

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Step 6: Verify Installation

Test that everything is working: 
# Test Stoffel CLI
stoffel --version

# Test StoffelLang compiler
stoffellang --version

# Test StoffelVM
stoffel-run --version

# Test basic functionality
stoffel --help

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Python SDK Installation (Optional)

If you want to use the Python SDK: 
# Navigate to the Python SDK directory
cd ~/stoffel-dev/stoffel-python-sdk

# Install in development mode
pip install -e .

# Or create a virtual environment first (recommended)
python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate
pip install -e .

# Verify installation
python -c "import stoffel; print('Python SDK installed successfully')"

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Development Setup

For development work, you can run the tools directly from their build directories: 
# Create aliases for easier development (add to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc)
alias stoffel-dev='~/stoffel-dev/Stoffel/target/release/stoffel'
alias stoffellang-dev='~/stoffel-dev/Stoffel-Lang/target/release/stoffellang'
alias stoffel-run-dev='~/stoffel-dev/StoffelVM/target/release/stoffel-run'

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Keeping Up to Date

To update your Stoffel installation: 
# Update each repository
cd ~/stoffel-dev/Stoffel && git pull && cargo build --release
cd ~/stoffel-dev/StoffelVM && git pull && cargo build --release
cd ~/stoffel-dev/Stoffel-Lang && git pull && cargo build --release
cd ~/stoffel-dev/mpc-protocols && git pull && cargo build --release

# Copy updated binaries
cp ~/stoffel-dev/Stoffel/target/release/stoffel ~/.local/bin/
cp ~/stoffel-dev/StoffelVM/target/release/stoffel-run ~/.local/bin/
cp ~/stoffel-dev/Stoffel-Lang/target/release/stoffellang ~/.local/bin/

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Troubleshooting

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Common Issues

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Rust/Cargo not found

# Make sure Rust is properly installed
which cargo
cargo --version

# If not found, reinstall Rust
curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh
source ~/.cargo/env

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Build errors

# Make sure you have the latest Rust version
rustup update

# Clean and rebuild
cargo clean
cargo build --release

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Command not found after installation

# Check if binaries are in the right place
ls -la ~/.local/bin/stoffel*

# Make sure PATH is set correctly
echo $PATH | grep -q "$HOME/.local/bin" && echo "PATH is correct" || echo "PATH needs updating"

# Add to PATH if needed
echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

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Permission issues

# Make sure binaries are executable
chmod +x ~/.local/bin/stoffel*

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Getting Help

If you encounter issues:
  1. Check the individual repository README files for component-specific instructions
  2. GitHub Issues: Report issues at the respective repository
  3. Build logs: Check cargo output for specific error messages

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Next Steps

Now that you have Stoffel installed:
  1. Quick Start: Create your first project in 5 minutes
  2. Basic Usage: Learn the essential Stoffel commands
  3. Your First MPC Project: Build a complete privacy-preserving application

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Development Workflow

For contributors or those wanting to modify Stoffel: 
# Make changes to any component
cd ~/stoffel-dev/Stoffel
# ... make your changes ...

# Rebuild and reinstall
cargo build --release
cp target/release/stoffel ~/.local/bin/

# Test your changes
stoffel --version
This manual installation process gives you full control over the Stoffel components and allows you to track the latest development progress.