Skip to content

Installation Guide

This guide walks you through downloading, installing, and configuring Race Coordinator AI on your computer.

Supported Operating Systems

Race Coordinator AI is fully cross-platform and runs on modern and legacy operating systems:

Platform Supported Versions Recommended Installer
🪟 Windows (Modern) Windows 10, Windows 11 (64-bit & 32-bit) Online Setup (RaceCoordinatorAI_Online_Setup_*.exe)
🪟 Windows (Legacy) Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows XP Offline Full Setup (RaceCoordinatorAI_Offline_Setup_*.exe) (Required for initial install on Win 8 and older)
🍏 macOS macOS 10.15 (Catalina) through macOS 15+ (Intel & Apple Silicon) Disk Image (RaceCoordinator_Mac_*.dmg)
🐧 Linux / Raspberry Pi / Arduino Uno Q Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit), Arduino Linux OS, Debian, Ubuntu ARM64 / Linux Package (RaceCoordinatorAI-Linux-ARM64_*.tar.gz)

Choosing Your Release Channel

Race Coordinator AI is distributed across three channels:

  • 🟢 Official Stable Releases (Recommended): Fully tested, production-ready builds recommended for regular racing, home tracks, and club events.
  • 🟡 Beta Previews: Prerelease builds that include upcoming features, new hardware drivers, and experimental enhancements for community testing and feedback.
  • 🔵 Alpha / Nightly Builds: Automated snapshot builds from active development.

👉 Visit the Downloads & Releases Portal to download any version or view the complete release archive.

🪟 Windows Installation

1. Download the Installer

  • For Windows 10 / 11: Download RaceCoordinatorAI_Online_Setup_*.exe.
  • For Windows 8 and older (or PCs without an active internet connection): Download RaceCoordinatorAI_Offline_Setup_*.exe.

2. Run the Installer

  1. Double-click the downloaded .exe file.
  2. If Windows SmartScreen displays a "Windows protected your PC" prompt, click More info and then click Run anyway.
  3. Follow the Inno Setup wizard prompts to choose your installation directory (default: C:\Program Files\RaceCoordinator AI).
  4. Choose whether to create a desktop shortcut.
  5. Click Install to complete the setup.

3. Launching

Double-click the Race Coordinator AI shortcut on your Desktop or open it from your Windows Start Menu.

Legacy Windows (XP / 7 / 8) Prerequisites

If running on Windows 7, 8, or XP, ensure you have the Microsoft Visual C++ 2013 Redistributable (x86) installed.

🍏 macOS Installation

1. Download the Disk Image

Download RaceCoordinator_Mac_*.dmg from the release page.

2. Install to Applications

  1. Double-click the downloaded RaceCoordinator_Mac_*.dmg file to open the disk image.
  2. Drag the Race Coordinator AI icon into your Applications folder.
  3. Eject the disk image.

3. First Launch & macOS Security

  1. Open your Applications folder and double-click Race Coordinator AI.
  2. If macOS displays a message saying "Race Coordinator AI cannot be opened because it is from an unidentified developer":
  3. Open System Settings (or System Preferences) → Privacy & Security.
  4. Scroll down to the Security section and click Open Anyway next to Race Coordinator AI.
  5. Alternatively, hold Control while clicking the app icon in Applications and choose Open.

🐧 Linux, Raspberry Pi & Arduino Uno Q Installation

1. Download the Linux Package

Download RaceCoordinatorAI-Linux-ARM64_*.tar.gz from the release page.

2. Extract and Run

  1. Open a terminal and extract the archive to your desired folder: 
    tar -xzf RaceCoordinatorAI-Linux-ARM64_*.tar.gz
cd RaceCoordinatorAI
  2. Ensure the launcher has execute permissions: 
    chmod +x RaceCoordinatorAI
  3. Run the application: 
    ./RaceCoordinatorAI

First Launch & Getting Started

When you first launch Race Coordinator AI:

  1. Default Database: The application automatically initializes an embedded SQLite database (racecoordinator.db) pre-populated with sample drivers, teams, a default 4-lane track, and standard race formats (Round Robin, Practice).
  2. Keyboard Demonstration Mode: You can explore and test race modes immediately using keyboard timing without connecting physical track hardware.
  3. Configure Track Sensors: Navigate to Track Manager → Edit Track to set up your interface hardware (Arduino Uno / Uno Q, Phidget, Trak-Mate, or Webcam lap counting).

Upgrading Existing Installations

Upgrading to a newer version of Race Coordinator AI is seamless:

  • Your Data is Preserved: Your database (racecoordinator.db), race statistics, custom driver profiles, track configurations, and custom themes are stored in your user application data folder and are not overwritten when updating the app.
  • To Upgrade: Simply download and run the installer for the new version over your existing installation.

Reporting Issues & Feedback

If you encounter an issue during installation or have a feature request:

  1. Visit our GitHub Issues Portal.
  2. Search existing issues to see if a solution or workaround is already posted.
  3. Click New Issue and provide:
  4. Your Operating System and version.
  5. Race Coordinator AI version (e.g., v1.0.0 or v1.0.0-beta.1).
  6. Steps to reproduce the problem and screenshots/logs where applicable.
  7. Please submit separate issues for each distinct bug or feature request so they can be tracked independently.