Most PlotJuggler install problems are not PlotJuggler bugs — they are mismatches between the file or package you chose and the system you put it on. This guide works through the four setup problems grounded in the documented requirements: an AppImage that will not run, PJ4-versus-PJ3 package confusion, a ROS package that cannot be found, and a Windows install that seems to have vanished. Start from the Install hub to confirm you followed the right guide, and re-download only from the official files on the Download page.
Problem 1 — The AppImage will not run
Work through these general Linux checks in order; they resolve the great majority of AppImage no-start cases for any application, including PlotJuggler:
- Executable permission. A downloaded AppImage is not executable until you set the bit:
chmod +x PlotJuggler-4.0.0-x86_64.AppImage, then run it as./PlotJuggler-4.0.0-x86_64.AppImage. Launching from a terminal (rather than double-clicking) also shows any message the program prints. - glibc version. The PJ4 AppImage requires glibc 2.35 or newer — Ubuntu 22.04 or later, or an equivalent distribution. On an older system the file can be perfectly downloaded and still be unable to run. Check with
ldd --version. If your glibc is older, your realistic options are a newer system, the PJ3 AppImage, or building from source — not re-downloading the same file. - Wrong architecture. PJ4 4.0.0 ships an x86_64 AppImage only; there is no PJ4 aarch64 AppImage. On ARM hardware, the PJ3 line still provides an aarch64 AppImage.
- Corrupted download. Compare the file’s SHA-256 with the GitHub digest listed on the Download page (
sha256sum <file>). A mismatch means download again. - General AppImage runtime issues. As general Linux guidance, some minimal systems lack the FUSE support AppImages traditionally use; running the AppImage from a terminal will surface this class of problem, and distribution documentation covers enabling it. We flag this as general guidance, not a PlotJuggler-specific error.
Full AppImage steps are in the Ubuntu install guide.
Problem 2 — PJ4 vs PJ3 package confusion
Two generations are installable at once, and their names are similar enough to cause real confusion:
| What you meant | Correct name | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| PJ4 from the apt repository | plotjuggler4 | Searching for a PJ4 package called just “plotjuggler” |
| PJ3 snap | plotjuggler (snap) | Expecting the snap to be PJ4 — the snap is the PJ3 line |
| ROS 2 integration | ros-$ROS_DISTRO-plotjuggler-ros | Installing it expecting the PJ4 app — it is built on PJ3 |
| PJ3 single .deb | plotjuggler_3.17.2_amd64_… .deb | Installing the bookworm/trixie build on Ubuntu 24.04 instead of the 24.04 build |
Decide the line first — PJ4 for the current app, PJ3 for ROS — then use only the names and files for that line. The apt repository guide covers the PJ4 channel in detail.
Problem 3 — The ROS package is not found
If sudo apt install ros-$ROS_DISTRO-plotjuggler-ros cannot locate the package:
- Check the distribution name. The ROS Index lists
plotjuggler_ros2.3.1 for humble, jazzy, kilted, lyrical and rolling. A distribution outside that list has no documented apt package. - Check $ROS_DISTRO is actually set. In a fresh terminal where you have not sourced your ROS setup, the variable can be empty, producing a package name that cannot exist. Echo it:
echo $ROS_DISTRO— or type the full name, e.g.ros-humble-plotjuggler-ros. - Update package lists with
sudo apt updateafter sourcing ROS, then retry. - Confirm your ROS apt source is configured — the PlotJuggler ROS package comes from the ROS package infrastructure, so a machine without the ROS repository set up cannot see it.
The full walkthrough is the ROS 2 install guide.
Problem 4 — Windows: installed, but where?
The PJ4 Windows installer installs for the current user, with no administrator rights needed. Two confusions follow from that. First, readers who expect a system-wide install look in the wrong places or under a different Windows user account — check under the account you installed with, in Windows Settings → Apps. Second, readers who cancelled a UAC prompt out of habit sometimes assume the install failed; PJ4 does not require elevation, so simply run the installer again and complete it. If the program truly is absent afterwards, re-run the installer from the official file on the Download page and watch it finish — and verify the SHA-256 first if the file came from anywhere else.
When to reinstall — and when not to
Reinstalling helps when the wrong file or package was installed (Problem 2) or a download is corrupt (checksum mismatch). It does not help when the underlying requirement is missing — an old glibc, an unlisted ROS distribution, or a Mac DMG that does not exist for the version you want (see the macOS guide). Match the problem to the checks above first; it is faster than reinstalling on hope.