Download McIDAS-X

McIDAS software releases are distributed as a total replacement of the core system.  The software is fully supported by SSEC, and each change to the software has been tested on all of the supported system configurations. Full system testing occurs at least once on each platform during each calendar year. Prior upgrade versions were distributed once a year, normally in late-May.

The SSEC McIDAS Help Desk provides full assistance for McIDAS software questions pertaining to the current or previous version. The Help Desk will still assist those sites that are two issues behind the current version at a reduced capability. A complete description of your MUG support is detailed in the SSEC McIDAS Users’ Group Policy Document.  If you are upgrading from an older version, please see the past versions page for links to download files and other materials from past versions.

A login name and password is required to download any software. Once you’ve entered your valid login name and password, you can obtain any other McIDAS software your site is licensed to receive (e.g., McIDAS-X and McIDAS-XCD).

McIDAS-X 2025.1 – released Dec 2025

McIDAS-X Software

2025.1 Installation Instructions

Download Software

Download (e.g., right-click and select Save) the following files to the ~mcidas directory on your McIDAS-X workstation.

McIDAS-XRD

See -XRD Information Page for more information on McIDAS-XRD.

Past Versions

See the past versions page for links to download files and other materials from past versions.

System Requirements

2025.1 Operating Systems

   Apple – supported on macOS 14.x and 15.x
  1. Tested on macOS 14 and 15:
    1. Podman container with Rocky Linux 9
    2. XQuartz X server
   Red Hat – supported on RHEL 8.x and 9.x
  1. Tested on:
    1. Enterprise Linux 8.10 Intel w/ gcc & gfortran 8.5
    2. Enterprise Linux 9.4 Intel w/ gcc & gfortran 11.5
Microsoft Windows®11
  1. Supported & Tested on:
    1. Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)
    2. Ubuntu 22.04.2 LTS
    3. gcc & gfortran 11.4

Complete System Requirements (RHEL, macOS, Windows)

Future OS Support Plans

OS User Survey Results

Note: The installation will fail if the names of the downloaded files do not exactly match those listed. If your web browser changes the names of the files during download (e.g., mcidas2025.1.tar.Z becomes mcidas2025_1_tar.Z), you must rename the files before installing.

What's New in McIDAS-X 2025.1

    1. Performance updates and bug fixes for the MTG (Meteosat Third Generation) ADDE servers for both nominal and high resolution data (released as a separate download).
    2. Initial release of the ADDE server (mtglks.c) for the MTG LI (lightning imager) data, and new commands, LTGDISP and LTGLIST, to display all lightning point data from MTG LI and GOES-R Series GLM.
    3. The GRD commands and grib/grid servers were updated to access true Mercator grib files.
    4. Updated the LEO command to use NOAA-20, NOAA-21, and Suomi NPP, replacing the previous NOAA satellites.
    5. The world map files, OUTLSUPW and OUTLHRES, were updated with newer and more detailed shapefiles to include all of the Canary Islands and many islands worldwide.
    6. The political boundary map, OUTLHPOL, now includes South Sudan. The regional maps, OUTLSUPU and OUTLUSAM, now include the Canadian province of Nunavut and the correct location of Isla Guadalupe.
    7. Updated the McIDAS-XRD Package included in the McIDAS-X installation files to include:
      • OUTALLSTATES, a high resolution world map that includes all state boundaries.
      • Updates to the IMGNORM, LLBOX, MAP2TEXT, MAKEMAP, RADAR, RGB, and XFGRID commands.
      • Updates to the -XRD Python package to use Python 3.

See 2025.1 Significant Changes to see a more complete listing of the significant changes, or see 2025.1 – All Software Changes to see a list of all of the code changes included in the release.

If upgrading from an older version, see the past versions page for links to download files and documentation from past versions.