# Install LSD
URL: https://lsd.tools/docs/start-install
Updated: 2026-07-17

> Author pipelines anywhere with pip install lsdtools. Run them visually with the desktop app (a free download from lsd.tools). The lsd CLI runs projects headlessly. A profile picks which backend you talk to — production by default, localhost for dev.

There are two pieces, and you can use either on its own: the **`lsdtools` SDK** (author + run
pipelines in Python) and the **desktop app** (build them visually).

## The SDK

Install the authoring library with pip — this is all you need to write and run a pipeline:

```bash
pip install lsdtools
```

```python
from lsdtools import Tool, Engine
# ... define a tool, wire steps, Engine().run(...)
```

`lsdtools` is the small, stable public API. The rule is **import only `lsdtools`** — everything
under `lsd.*` is private engine internals.

## The desktop app

The desktop app gives you the node-graph canvas, parameter forms, the 3D viewer, and the
[Package Manager](/docs/pkg-manager). Download it from **[lsd.tools/register](https://lsd.tools/register)**
(free). Creating an account keeps your projects and purchases in sync and unlocks the Tool Store —
but you can run pipelines without one.

## The CLI

Installing `lsdtools` also gives you the `lsd` command for headless runs, packaging, and
introspection:

```bash
lsd package new my-pkg # scaffold a package
lsd api describe # print the current API surface
```

## Pointing at a backend (profiles)

Which server LSD talks to — the store, accounts, hosted models — is chosen by a **profile**. The
default is production (`lsd.tools`). For local development you switch to a `local` profile:

```bash
LSD_PROFILE=local lsd ...
```

Profiles live in `~/.lsd/profiles.json`; a profile can also carry a default package set.

## Next

- **[Run your first pipeline](/docs/start-first-pipeline)** on the canvas — no code.
- **[Write your first tool](/docs/start-first-tool)** in ten lines of Python.

## Related

**Learn** — [Develop a package](/docs/pkg-develop)

**API** — [CLI commands](/docs/api-cli) · [lsdtools reference](/docs/api-index)

## FAQ
### Do I need the desktop app to use LSD?

No. pip install lsdtools lets you author and run pipelines in any Python script or in CI via the lsd CLI. The desktop adds the canvas, forms, and 3D viewer on top of the same engine.

### Which platforms are supported?

The lsdtools SDK and lsd CLI run anywhere Python 3.12+ runs. The desktop app ships for Windows today; macOS and Linux are planned.