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Installation

This guide walks you through installing Datoso and its plugin ecosystem on your system.

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Requirements

Python 3.11 or higher is required to run Datoso.
Before installing, verify your Python version: 
python3 --version
If you need to upgrade Python, visit python.org for installation instructions.

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Installation Methods

Using a virtual environment keeps Datoso isolated from your system Python installation and prevents dependency conflicts.
1

Create a virtual environment

Navigate to your desired installation directory and create a new virtual environment:
python3 -m venv venv
2

Activate the virtual environment

Activate the environment based on your operating system:
source venv/bin/activate
3

Install Datoso

With the virtual environment active, install Datoso using pip (see options below).

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System-Wide Installation

If you prefer a system-wide installation, you can install directly with pip (not recommended for most users): 
pip install datoso

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Installation Options

Datoso uses a plugin architecture where the base package doesn’t do much without seeds (plugins). Choose one of these installation approaches:

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Install Base Only

The base installation provides the core Datoso functionality without any seed plugins: 
pip install datoso
The base installation alone cannot download or process DATs. You must install at least one seed plugin separately.

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Install with All Official Seeds

For the complete experience with all officially supported seeds: 
pip install datoso[all]
This installs Datoso plus all available seed plugins in one command.

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Install with Specific Seeds

To install only the seeds you need, use the seed name as an extra: 
pip install datoso[nointro]

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Install Seeds Separately

You can also install seed plugins independently after installing the base package: 
# Install base first
pip install datoso

# Then install individual seeds
pip install datoso-seed-nointro
pip install datoso-seed-redump
pip install datoso-seed-fbneo

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Available Seeds

Seed NamePackageDescription
fbneodatoso-seed-fbneoFinal Burn Neo arcade ROMs
nointrodatoso-seed-nointroNo-Intro DAT-o-MATIC collections
redumpdatoso-seed-redumpRedump optical media preservation
pleasuredomedatoso-seed-pleasuredomePleasureDome MAME collections
tdcdatoso-seed-tdcTotal DOS Collection
vpinmamedatoso-seed-vpinmameVisual Pinball ROMs
whdloaddatoso-seed-whdloadWHDLoad Amiga collections
eggmandatoso-seed-eggmanTeknoparrot and ALL.Net arcade games
enhanceddatoso-seed-enhancedEnhanced ROM versions (includes MD Enhanced, SFC Enhanced Colors, SFC MSU-1, SFC Speed Hacks)
translatedenglishdatoso-seed-translatedenglishEnglish translation patches
Some enhancement seeds (MD Enhanced, SFC Enhanced Colors, SFC MSU-1, SFC Speed Hacks) are now consolidated into the enhanced seed but can still be installed individually for backward compatibility.

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Verify Installation

After installation, verify that Datoso is properly installed: 
datoso --version
You should see the version number printed to the console (current version: 1.1.1). To see which seeds are installed: 
datoso seed installed
This command lists all installed seed plugins with their descriptions.

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First-Time Setup

On first run, Datoso will automatically:
  • Create configuration directories in ~/.config/datoso/ (Linux/macOS) or %APPDATA%\datoso\ (Windows)
  • Initialize the local database for tracking DAT metadata
  • Download initial system rules and MIA lists
No additional configuration is required to start using Datoso, though you may want to customize paths and behavior. See the Configuration section for details.

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Upgrading

To upgrade Datoso and all installed seeds to the latest version: 
pip install --upgrade datoso[all]
Or to upgrade just the base package: 
pip install --upgrade datoso
To upgrade individual seeds: 
pip install --upgrade datoso-seed-nointro

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Next Steps

Now that Datoso is installed, continue to the Quickstart Guide to download and process your first DAT files. For detailed configuration options, see Configuration.

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