> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://academy.pentaho.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://academy.pentaho.com/getting-started/start-here/developer-edition.md).

# Developer Edition

Pentaho Data Integration on your own machine, free for students, academic institutions and non-profits. Apply on pentaho.com; the download instructions arrive by email once approved.

{% hint style="warning" icon="triangle-exclamation" %}
**Sandbox — for testing purposes only.** This is a sandbox version of the new Getting Started section, published so it can be tested. Some links and details are still being verified, and REPLACE-ME markers are intentional. The current Academy is at [academy.pentaho.com](https://academy.pentaho.com/).
{% endhint %}

Pentaho Developer Edition is the Data Integration design client on your own machine, licensed for learning, teaching and research. Take this route if you want to keep Pentaho beyond a 5-hour hosted session — to work through the workshops at your own pace, or to prototype against your own data.

{% columns %}
{% column %}

<p align="center"><i class="fa-graduation-cap" style="color:blue;">:graduation-cap:</i><br><strong>Free</strong><br><em>students, academia, non-profits</em></p>
{% endcolumn %}

{% column %}

<p align="center"><i class="fa-laptop-code" style="color:green;">:laptop-code:</i><br><strong>Your own machine</strong><br><em>Windows or macOS</em></p>
{% endcolumn %}

{% column %}

<p align="center"><i class="fa-envelope-open-text" style="color:orange;">:envelope-open-text:</i><br><strong>By application</strong><br><em>approved by email</em></p>
{% endcolumn %}

{% column %}

<p align="center"><i class="fa-key" style="color:cyan;">:key:</i><br><strong>No licence key</strong><br><em>install and go</em></p>
{% endcolumn %}
{% endcolumns %}

{% hint style="info" icon="arrow-up-right-from-square" %}
**There's no download on this page.** You apply through the form on pentaho.com, and the download instructions arrive by email once you're approved. This page covers both halves — what to do before you go, and what to do when you're back.
{% endhint %}

***

## Before you go

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

#### Check you're eligible

Developer Edition is licensed free to:

* **Students** — at a school, college or university
* **Faculty, instructors and academic researchers**
* **Academic institutions and non-profit organisations** — universities, colleges, charities

Evaluating for a commercial organisation? Developer Edition isn't the route — [request an Enterprise Edition trial](/getting-started/start-here/enterprise-trial.md) instead, and a Pentaho Account Executive sets it up with you. Just want a look at the product? The [hosted lab](/getting-started/start-here/hosted.md) needs only a voucher request.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Check prerequisites

Confirm your machine is ready before you apply. Developer Edition runs on Windows and macOS.

<table><thead><tr><th width="219"></th><th>Requirement</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Operating system</strong></td><td>Windows 11, or macOS 15 (Sequoia) / 14 (Sonoma) — Intel and Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3)</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Java</strong></td><td>Java 21 (certified) or Java 17 (supported) — Oracle JDK, OpenJDK, Temurin or Azul Zulu builds</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Disk space</strong></td><td>50 GB free after installation</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Memory</strong></td><td>16 GB RAM dedicated to PDI</td></tr></tbody></table>

Check your Java version first — this is where most installs go wrong:

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Windows (PowerShell)" %}

```powershell
java -version
```

{% endtab %}

{% tab title="macOS" %}

```bash
java -version
```

{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

{% hint style="warning" %}
On Windows, install to a path with **no spaces in it**. `C:\Pentaho\design-tools` works; `C:\Program Files\Pentaho` causes problems later.
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Submit the application form

The form is on pentaho.com — the [Pentaho Academic Access Program](https://pentaho.com/academic-access/). Applications are reviewed to confirm academic or non-profit eligibility, so use your institutional or organisational email address: a personal address takes longer to validate.

<p align="center"><a href="https://pentaho.com/academic-access/" class="button primary" data-icon="arrow-up-right-from-square">Apply for Developer Edition on pentaho.com</a></p>

{% hint style="success" icon="bookmark" %}
**Bookmark this page before you go.** Your approval email contains the download instructions, but not the install steps or the workshops. This is where you'll want to land when it arrives.
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

***

## While you wait

Your application is reviewed to confirm eligibility. Once it's approved you'll receive an email with download instructions within a few days.

Don't wait idly. Request a hosted-lab voucher and you can be working in PDI in \~10 minutes — work through your first workshop now, so you've got the basics down by the time your approval arrives.

<p align="center"><a href="/getting-started/start-here/hosted.md" class="button primary" data-icon="bolt">Open the hosted lab</a></p>

***

## When your approval arrives

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

#### Download Developer Edition

Follow the download instructions in your approval email — the link is specific to your application, so don't share it. The download is a single archive; save it somewhere you can find it, you'll extract it in the next step.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Install and launch

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Windows (PowerShell)" %}

1. Create the directory `C:\Pentaho\design-tools`.
2. Extract the archive into it.
3. Open the `design-tools\data-integration` folder.
4. Run `spoon.bat` — or launch it from the command line:

```powershell
Set-Location C:\Pentaho\design-tools\data-integration; .\spoon.bat
```

{% endtab %}

{% tab title="macOS" %}

1. Extract the archive to `~/Pentaho`.
2. Open the `design-tools/data-integration` folder.
3. Open **Data Integration.app** — or launch it from the command line:

```bash
cd ~/Pentaho/design-tools/data-integration
open "Data Integration.app"
```

Because the app comes from outside the App Store, macOS may block the first launch — right-click **Data Integration.app** and choose **Open** the first time.
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

The first launch takes longer than later ones as plugins load. You should see the Spoon welcome screen — if you do, you're ready. Developer Edition needs no licence key.

<figure><img src="https://3943728088-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FAJTEK6oUvy85HsDW5Nqk%2Fuploads%2FVfZIlFlR8bmDXSIJZc9d%2FDE.png?alt=media&amp;token=81ff1776-a88e-4db8-b923-16ddb4efabea" alt="The Spoon welcome screen in Pentaho Data Integration"><figcaption><p>The Spoon welcome screen — if you see this, you're ready</p></figcaption></figure>
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Download the workshops and start

Workshops come as a bundle of transformations, jobs, sample data, and setup scripts. Download the bundle, extract it, and open the first transformation in Spoon.

<p align="center"><a href="https://academy.pentaho.com/pentaho-data-integration" class="button primary" data-icon="diagram-sankey">Browse all Data Integration workshops</a></p>
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

***

## What Developer Edition doesn't include

Developer Edition covers the core data integration and analytics capability. Enterprise Edition adds features you'll need for a production evaluation — enterprise security and access control, the full server-side platform, scheduling and orchestration at scale, and Pentaho support.

If you're evaluating for a commercial organisation rather than learning, teaching or researching, the Enterprise trial is the route — it's arranged with a Pentaho Account Executive.

<p align="center"><a href="/getting-started/start-here/enterprise-trial.md" class="button primary" data-icon="building">Request an Enterprise Edition trial</a></p>

***

## If something goes wrong

<details>

<summary>I'm not a student, and not at an academic institution or a non-profit</summary>

Developer Edition isn't available to commercial organisations. If you're evaluating Pentaho for your organisation, [request an Enterprise Edition trial](/getting-started/start-here/enterprise-trial.md) — a Pentaho Account Executive sets the trial up with you and sizes it to what you're trying to prove. If you just want to look at the product, use the [hosted lab](/getting-started/start-here/hosted.md): request a voucher, and you're in within about 10 minutes.

</details>

<details>

<summary>I applied and haven't heard anything</summary>

Check your spam folder first — the approval email carries a download link, so it sometimes gets filtered. If nothing has arrived after a reasonable wait, email <academy@pentaho.com> with the address you used on the form.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Spoon won't start, or closes immediately</summary>

Almost always Java. Run `java -version` and confirm it matches the requirement above. If you have several JDKs installed, set `JAVA_HOME` explicitly to the supported one before launching. On Windows, also check your install path has no spaces in it.

</details>

<details>

<summary>macOS says the app can't be opened, or is from an unidentified developer</summary>

That's macOS Gatekeeper checking an app installed from outside the App Store. Right-click **Data Integration.app** and choose **Open**, then confirm — you only need to do this once. If it's still blocked, go to **System Settings → Privacy & Security** and choose **Open Anyway** next to the blocked-app message.

</details>

<details>

<summary>My download link isn't working, or has expired</summary>

Reply to your approval email — the Pentaho team can reissue it. If your circumstances have changed and you're now evaluating for a commercial organisation, [request an Enterprise Edition trial](/getting-started/start-here/enterprise-trial.md) instead.

</details>

<details>

<summary>I can't install software on this machine</summary>

Use the [hosted lab](/getting-started/start-here/hosted.md) instead. It runs entirely in a browser session, with nothing to install.

</details>

{% hint style="info" icon="life-ring" %}
**Still stuck?**

Press <kbd>Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>K</kbd> and click **Ask** to search every page on this site, or email <academy@pentaho.com>.

<button type="button" class="button primary" data-action="ask" data-icon="gitbook-assistant">Ask about this step...</button>
{% endhint %}

<p align="center"><a href="/getting-started/pentaho-academy.md" class="button secondary" data-icon="arrow-left">Back to all three options</a></p>


---

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