Installing Sentra

Sentra can be installed in several ways depending on your operating system and preferences.

Quick Installation

Option 1: Binary Releases (Recommended)

Download the latest pre-compiled binary for your platform:

1. Visit the releases page
2. Download the appropriate binary for your system:
   • Windows: sentra-windows-amd64.exe
   • macOS: sentra-macos-amd64 (Intel) or sentra-macos-arm64 (Apple Silicon)
   • Linux: sentra-linux-amd64 or sentra-linux-arm64
3. Make it executable and add to PATH

Option 2: Build from Source

Prerequisites:

• Go 1.21 or later
• Git

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/sentra-language/sentra.git
cd sentra

# Build Sentra
make sentra
# or
go build -o sentra ./cmd/sentra

# Add to PATH (optional)
sudo mv sentra /usr/local/bin/

Platform-Specific Instructions

Windows

1. Download: Get sentra-windows-amd64.exe from releases
2. Rename: Rename to sentra.exe
3. Move: Place in a folder like C:\tools\sentra\
4. Add to PATH:
   • Open System Properties → Environment Variables
   • Add C:\tools\sentra to your PATH

Or using PowerShell:

# Download and install
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://github.com/sentra-language/sentra/releases/latest/download/sentra-windows-amd64.exe" -OutFile "sentra.exe"
Move-Item sentra.exe C:\tools\sentra\
# Add to PATH manually through System Properties

macOS

# Using Homebrew (when available)
brew install sentra-language/tap/sentra

# Or download binary
curl -L https://github.com/sentra-language/sentra/releases/latest/download/sentra-macos-amd64 -o sentra
chmod +x sentra
sudo mv sentra /usr/local/bin/

# For Apple Silicon Macs
curl -L https://github.com/sentra-language/sentra/releases/latest/download/sentra-macos-arm64 -o sentra
chmod +x sentra
sudo mv sentra /usr/local/bin/

Linux

Ubuntu/Debian

# Download and install
wget https://github.com/sentra-language/sentra/releases/latest/download/sentra-linux-amd64 -O sentra
chmod +x sentra
sudo mv sentra /usr/local/bin/

# Or add to ~/.local/bin for user installation
mkdir -p ~/.local/bin
mv sentra ~/.local/bin/
# Add ~/.local/bin to PATH in ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc
echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bashrc

CentOS/RHEL/Fedora

# Download
curl -L https://github.com/sentra-language/sentra/releases/latest/download/sentra-linux-amd64 -o sentra
chmod +x sentra
sudo mv sentra /usr/local/bin/

Arch Linux

# Install from AUR (when available)
yay -S sentra

# Or manual installation
wget https://github.com/sentra-language/sentra/releases/latest/download/sentra-linux-amd64 -O sentra
chmod +x sentra
sudo mv sentra /usr/local/bin/

Verify Installation

After installation, verify Sentra is working:

# Check version
sentra --version

# Run a simple test
echo 'log("Hello, Sentra!")' | sentra run -

# Check available commands
sentra --help

Expected output:

Sentra Programming Language v1.0.0
Built with Go 1.21

IDE and Editor Support

Visual Studio Code

Install the Sentra Language Extension:

1. Open VS Code
2. Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X)
3. Search for “Sentra Language Support”
4. Install the extension

Vim/Neovim

# Install vim plugin
git clone https://github.com/sentra-language/vim-sentra ~/.vim/bundle/vim-sentra

Emacs

;; Add to your .emacs or init.el
(use-package sentra-mode
  :ensure t
  :mode "\\.sn\\'")

Development Environment Setup

Create First Project

# Initialize a new Sentra project
sentra init my-first-project
cd my-first-project

# Project structure
ls -la
# .
# ├── main.sn          # Entry point
# ├── sentra.toml       # Project configuration
# ├── src/              # Source files
# └── tests/            # Test files

Configure Your Environment

Create a sentra.toml in your project:

[package]
name = "my-app"
version = "1.0.0"
description = "My Sentra application"
author = "Your Name <email@example.com>"

[dependencies]
# Add dependencies here when available

[build]
target = "."
output = "dist/"

[test]
directory = "tests/"
pattern = "*.test.sn"

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. Command not found

# Check if Sentra is in PATH
which sentra
echo $PATH

# If not found, add to PATH
export PATH="$PATH:/path/to/sentra"

2. Permission denied (Linux/macOS)

# Make executable
chmod +x sentra

# Check permissions
ls -la sentra

3. “Cannot execute binary file” (Linux) This means you downloaded the wrong architecture. Download the correct one:

• For 64-bit Intel/AMD: sentra-linux-amd64
• For ARM64: sentra-linux-arm64

4. Windows antivirus blocking Some antivirus software may flag the binary. Add an exception for the Sentra executable.

Getting Help

If you encounter issues:

1. Check the FAQ
2. Search GitHub Issues
3. Ask on GitHub Discussions
4. Join our Discord Community

Next Steps

Now that Sentra is installed:

1. Write your first program
2. Learn the language basics
3. Explore network programming

Updating Sentra

To update to the latest version:

# Check current version
sentra --version

# Download and replace with new version
# (repeat installation steps with latest release)

# Or if using package manager
brew upgrade sentra  # macOS with Homebrew
yay -Syu sentra     # Arch Linux with AUR

Uninstalling

To remove Sentra:

# Remove binary
sudo rm /usr/local/bin/sentra

# Remove VS Code extension
code --uninstall-extension sentra-language.sentra

# Remove project files (optional)
rm -rf ~/.sentra

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Next, let’s write your first Sentra program and learn the basic syntax.

Next: Your First Program →