Offline Installation#

This guide explains how to install DataLab on a system without internet access.

Note

This page focuses on offline installation using pip (Python package manager). For other offline installation methods, see the Other offline installation methods section below.

Offline installation via pip#

GNU/Linux Windows macOS

This method works on any operating system with Python 3.9 to 3.14. It assumes you have an online machine available to download packages, and a separate offline machine where DataLab will be installed.

Requirements#

Offline machine#

  • GNU/Linux, Windows, or macOS

  • Python 3.9 to 3.14 installed with the same major version as the online machine

  • No assumptions regarding installed packages

Important

Version compatibility is critical:

  • ✅ Allowed: Python 3.10.2 ↔ Python 3.10.11 (same major version)

  • ❌ Not allowed: Python 3.10.x ↔ Python 3.11.x (different major versions)

SciPy, NumPy, and scikit-image are highly dependent on the Python major version. Both machines must use the same major Python version for reliable offline installation.

To check your Python version, run:

python --version

Online machine#

  • Windows, Linux, or macOS

  • Python with the same major version as the offline machine

  • pip installed

Preparing packages (online machine)#

Download all required Wheel packages for offline installation.

Create a folder for packages#

mkdir C:\datalab-offline
cd C:\datalab-offline

mkdir ~/datalab-offline
cd ~/datalab-offline

Download DataLab and dependencies#

pip download datalab-platform --dest C:\datalab-offline

pip download datalab-platform --dest ~/datalab-offline

This command downloads:

  • datalab-platform

  • sigima

  • plotpy

  • guidata

  • pythonqwt

  • numpy, scipy, scikit-image, and other dependencies

Expected folder structure#

After downloading, your folder should contain files similar to:

datalab-offline/
├─ datalab_platform‑1.x.x‑py3‑none‑any.whl
├─ sigima‑1.x.x‑py3‑none‑any.whl
├─ plotpy‑x.x.x‑py3‑none‑any.whl
├─ guidata‑3.x.x‑py3‑none‑any.whl
├─ pythonqwt‑x.x.x‑py3‑none‑any.whl
├─ numpy‑...‑cp310‑cp310‑[platform].whl
├─ scipy‑...‑cp310‑cp310‑[platform].whl
├─ scikit_image‑...‑cp310‑cp310‑[platform].whl
└─ ...

Note

The [platform] suffix in the wheel filenames will vary depending on your system: win_amd64 (Windows), manylinux (Linux), macosx (macOS).

Transfer to offline machine#

Transfer the datalab-offline folder to your offline machine using:

  • USB drive

  • Network share

  • Any other approved method in your organization

Offline installation#

On the offline machine, navigate to the folder and install DataLab.

Install DataLab offline#

python -m pip install --no-index --find-links . datalab-platform

The --no-index option tells pip not to connect to the internet, and --find-links . tells pip to look for packages in the current directory.

Verification#

To verify that DataLab is installed correctly, run:

python -m datalab.app

This should launch the DataLab application.

Optional: Virtual environment#

It is recommended to install DataLab in a virtual environment to avoid conflicts with other Python packages.

Create and activate a virtual environment#

python -m venv C:\venvs\datalab
C:\venvs\datalab\Scripts\activate

python -m venv ~/venvs/datalab
source ~/venvs/datalab/bin/activate

Install DataLab in the virtual environment#

python -m pip install --no-index --find-links C:\datalab-offline datalab-platform

python -m pip install --no-index --find-links ~/datalab-offline datalab-platform

Launch DataLab#

python -m datalab.app

WinPython for offline usage#

Windows

WinPython is particularly well-suited for offline installations as it provides a portable, self-contained Python environment.

Prepare on online machine#

  1. Download WinPython with the same major Python version as your target system

  2. Install WinPython

  3. Open the WinPython Command Prompt

  4. Download packages:

pip download datalab-platform --dest C:\datalab-offline

Install on offline machine#

  1. Transfer WinPython and the datalab-offline folder to the offline machine

  2. Open the WinPython Command Prompt

  3. Install DataLab:

cd C:\datalab-offline
python -m pip install --no-index --find-links . datalab-platform

Benefits of WinPython#

  • Portable: No installation required, can run from USB drive

  • Self-contained: All dependencies included

  • Ideal for restricted environments: No admin rights needed

  • Multiple versions: Can have multiple Python versions side by side

Quick summary#

The complete workflow in four steps:

  1. On online machine: Download packages

    pip download datalab-platform --dest /path/to/datalab-offline

  2. Transfer: Copy the datalab-offline folder to the offline machine

  3. On offline machine: Install offline

    python -m pip install --no-index --find-links /path/to/datalab-offline datalab-platform

  4. Verify: Launch DataLab

    python -m datalab.app

Other offline installation methods#

While this guide focuses on pip-based offline installation, DataLab can also be installed offline using other methods:

Stand-alone installer (Windows)#

Windows Recommended for offline installation

The all-in-one installer is the simplest way to install DataLab offline on Windows. It does not require any Python distribution or internet connection on the target machine.

Advantages:

  • No Python installation required

  • Single executable file

  • Self-contained with all dependencies

  • No internet connection needed during installation

  • Works on air-gapped systems

How to use:

  1. On a machine with internet access, download the installer from the DataLab Releases page

  2. Transfer the installer executable to the offline machine (USB drive, network share, etc.)

  3. Run the installer on the offline machine

For more information, see All-in-one installer.

WinPython distribution (Windows)#

Windows

DataLab-WinPython is a portable Python distribution that includes DataLab and all its dependencies.

Advantages:

  • Portable (can run from USB drive)

  • No installation required

  • Includes full Python environment

  • Can be extended with additional packages

  • Ideal for restricted environments

How to use:

  1. Download DataLab-WinPython from the releases page

  2. Transfer to the offline machine

  3. Extract and run

For more information, see Python distribution.

Conda offline installation#

GNU/Linux Windows macOS

Conda packages can also be installed offline using a similar approach to pip:

  1. On online machine: Download the conda package and dependencies:

    conda create -n datalab-offline --download-only --json conda-forge::datalab

    Or use conda list --explicit to create a specification file.

  2. Transfer the downloaded packages to the offline machine

  3. On offline machine: Install from the local packages:

    conda create -n datalab --offline -c file:///path/to/packages datalab

For more information about offline conda installation, see the Conda documentation.

For standard online installation, see Conda package.

See also

For standard online installation methods, see Installation.