Installation

PRISM is designed to be easy to install on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Prerequisites

• Python 3.8 or higher: Download Python

• Deno (for BIDS validation): Download Deno (Automatically installed by setup script)

• Git (optional, for cloning the repository): Download Git

Quick Install (Recommended)

macOS / Linux

Open your terminal and run:

git clone https://github.com/MRI-Lab-Graz/prism-studio.git
cd prism-studio
bash scripts/setup/setup.sh

Windows

Choose one of two installation methods depending on your use case:

Option 1: Pre-Built Version (Normal Users)

If you just want to use PRISM for dataset validation:

# Download the pre-built PrismValidator.exe from releases
# https://github.com/MRI-Lab-Graz/prism-studio/releases

# Extract the folder and run:
PrismValidator.exe "C:\path\to\your\dataset"

Advantages:

• No Python installation required

• Simple, single executable

• Minimal dependencies

• Easiest setup for end users

Disadvantages:

• Cannot modify the code

• Cannot install additional analysis tools

• Larger file size

Option 2: Development Installation (Developers)

If you want to contribute, modify code, or use additional development tools:

Open PowerShell and run:

git clone https://github.com/MRI-Lab-Graz/prism-studio.git
cd prism-studio
.\setup.ps1 -Dev

This will:

1. Create a Python virtual environment (.venv).

2. Install all necessary dependencies for development.

3. Install testing and documentation tools.

4. Prepare the application for use and modification.

Advantages:

• Full source code access

• Can modify and extend functionality

• Includes development and testing tools

• Suitable for contributions

Disadvantages:

• Requires Python 3.8+ installation

• More dependencies to manage

• Slightly longer setup time

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Note: The CLI tools (prism.py, prism_tools.py) intentionally enforce running from the repository-local virtual environment at ./.venv.

Manual Installation

If you prefer to set it up manually:

# 1. Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/MRI-Lab-Graz/prism-studio.git
cd prism-studio

# 2. Create a virtual environment
python -m venv .venv

# 3. Activate the environment
# macOS/Linux:
source .venv/bin/activate
# Windows:
.venv\Scripts\activate

# 4. Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

Verifying Installation

To check if everything is installed correctly, try running the help command:

# macOS/Linux
source .venv/bin/activate
python prism.py --help

# Windows
.venv\Scripts\activate
python prism.py --help

If you see the help message, you are ready to go!

Troubleshooting

Windows Antivirus / SmartScreen

If you are using the standalone .exe version on Windows, you might encounter warnings from Windows Defender or third-party antivirus software (like Norton). This is a common false positive for unsigned open-source software.

Please refer to the Windows Setup Guide for detailed instructions on how to handle these warnings.