vaadin-framework/documentation/getting-started/getting-started-package.asciidoc

---
title: Vaadin Installation Package
order: 900
layout: page
---

[[getting-started.package]]
= Vaadin Installation Package

While the recommended way to create a Vaadin project and install the libraries is to use an IDE plugin or a dependency management system, such as Maven, Vaadin is also available as a ZIP distribution package.

You can download the newest Vaadin installation package from the download page
at http://vaadin.com/download/. Please use a ZIP decompression utility available
in your operating system to extract the files from the ZIP package.

[[getting-started.package.contents]]
== Package Contents

[filename]#README.TXT#:: This README file gives simple instructions for installing Vaadin in your project.

[filename]#release-notes.html#:: The Release Notes contain information about the new features in the particular release, give upgrade instructions, describe compatibility, etc.
Please open the HTML file with a web browser.

[filename]#license.html#:: Apache License version 2.0.
Please open the HTML file with a web browser.

[filename]#lib# folder:: All dependency libraries required by Vaadin are contained within the [filename]#lib# folder.

[filename]#*.jar#:: Vaadin libraries, as described in <<getting-started-libraries#getting-started.libraries,"Overview of Vaadin Libraries">>.


[[getting-started.package.install]]
== Installing the Libraries

You can install the Vaadin ZIP package in a few simple steps:

. Copy the JAR files at the package root folder to the [filename]#WEB-APP/lib# web
library folder in the project. Some of the libraries are optional, as explained
in
<<dummy/../../../framework/getting-started/getting-started-libraries#getting-started.libraries,"Overview
of Vaadin Libraries">>.

. Also copy the dependency JAR files at the [filename]#lib# folder to the
[filename]#WEB-APP/lib# web library folder in the project.


The location of the [filename]#WEB-APP/lib# folder depends on the project
organization, which depends on the development environment.

* In Eclipse Dynamic Web Application projects: [filename]#WebContent/WEB-INF/lib#.

* In Maven projects: [filename]#src/main/webapp/WEB-INF/lib#.