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Installation

bootstack is a framework for building Tkinter applications with a modern design system and convenience APIs (reactive state, icons, layout containers, localization, and more).

It runs anywhere Tk runs — Windows, macOS, and Linux — and installs like any other Python package.

Requirements

  • Python 3.12 or newer

  • Tk / Tcl

Tkinter ships with most Python distributions, but some minimal Linux installs omit Tk.

On Linux, install Tk if Tkinter is missing

  • Debian/Ubuntu: sudo apt-get install python3-tk
  • Fedora: sudo dnf install python3-tkinter
  • Arch: sudo pacman -S tk

Install with pip

bootstack is currently in active alpha, so pip won't install it by default — you need the --pre flag to opt in to pre-release versions:

python -m pip install --pre bootstack

If you’re upgrading:

python -m pip install --upgrade --pre bootstack

Pinning to a specific alpha

Once stable releases ship, the --pre flag will no longer be required. To stay on the alpha line in the meantime, you can pin a specific version, e.g. pip install bootstack==0.1.0a2.

Verify your installation

Create a quick smoke test:

import bootstack as bs

app = bs.App()
bs.Label(app, text="Hello bootstack").pack(padx=20, pady=20)
app.mainloop()

If a window appears, you’re ready.

Next: follow the Quick Start to build your first small app.

Included image support (Pillow)

bootstack includes Pillow as a dependency to support modern image workflows, including theme-aware icons, DPI scaling, caching, and recoloring.

No additional installation is required.

See Icons & Imagery for details on image handling and icon behavior.

Optional: Command-line tooling

bootstack includes an optional CLI that can scaffold projects, add views or dialogs, and help with building and distribution.

You do not need the CLI to use bootstack, but it can simplify larger projects.

See Tooling → CLI for available commands.

Troubleshooting

_tkinter / Tk not found

If you see errors like:

  • ModuleNotFoundError: No module named '_tkinter'
  • TclError: ...

then Tk is not installed or not visible to your Python interpreter.

Common fixes:

  • Windows: reinstall Python using the official installer and ensure Tcl/Tk is selected.
  • macOS: use the official Python installer from python.org or a distribution that bundles Tk support.
  • Linux: install the Tk package for your distro (see the Linux tip above).

Virtual environments

If Tk works in system Python but not in a venv, ensure:

  • the venv was created from an interpreter that has Tk support.

Next steps

  • Quick Start — build a minimal app
  • Guides — recommended patterns and workflows
  • Widgets — available UI components
  • Capabilities — framework features like signals and localization
  • Tooling — CLI, project structure, and packaging
  • Platform — Tk/ttk foundations (optional)