Step 3: Download and install client applications | Admin

You will use the Helix Core Visual Client, also known as P4V, to work with versioned assets via a graphical user interface (GUI). P4V is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

After you complete the steps on this page you will have:

  • Helix Core Visual Client (P4V)

  • Helix Core Visual Admin Client (P4Admin)

  • P4Merge, a merging and file comparison tool

  • P4, the command-line client

You will use P4V and P4Admin to configure security and add users in later steps.

If you installed Helix Core Server on Windows, you will also use P4V to configure a super user in a later step.

These steps assume that you are installing the server and client applications on different computers. Installing the server on a separate computer ensures that everyone in your organization can access the files as needed.

Download the installer

  1. Go to the P4V download page.

  2. In the Family field, select your operating system. If you are downloading the Windows installer, in the Version field, select (EXE).

  3. Click Download.

  4. In the download confirmation dialog box, click Download again.

  5. After the download is complete, install P4V and other client applications using the steps for your operating system.

Install P4V and other client applications

Windows

  1. Double-click the downloaded .exe file to start the installer.

  2. On the Select Applications screen, make sure all applications, including P4Admin, are selected. To install P4V in a different folder, click Change and select a folder.

  3. Click Next.

  4. On the Client Configuration screen, enter or select the following information:

    • Server: Server address you used when installing Helix Core Server.

    • User Name : User name you used when installing Helix Core Server. This user has super user permissions, which give you access to perform advanced tasks on the server.

    • Text Editing Application: Accept the default editor or click Browse to select a different application.

  5. Click Next.

  6. On the Ready to install screen, click Install to start installation.

    If you are prompted to allow the installer to make changes to your computer, click Yes.

  7. When installation is complete, on the Finished installing screen, click Exit.

    P4V opens unless you selected not to open it.

macOS

For macOS, install P4V, P4Admin, and P4Merge first. Then, install the command-line client (P4).

Install P4V, P4Admin, and P4Merge

  1. Double-click the downloaded .dmg file.

  2. Drag p4v, p4merge, and p4admin to the Applications folder.

  3. In the Applications folder, double-click p4v. If you are prompted to open it, click Open.

  4. In the Open Connection dialog box, enter the following information:

    • Server: Server address you used when installing Helix Core Server

    • User: Username you used when installing Helix Core Server. This user has super user permissions, which give you access to perform advanced tasks on Helix Core Server.

  5. Click OK.

  6. In the Perforce Password Required dialog box, enter your password and click OK.

    P4V opens.

To install P4, complete the steps in Install P4 (macOS and Linux only).

Linux

Install P4V, which is packaged as a compressed file that includes P4V, P4Merge, P4P4Admin and P4VC. P4VC is a command-line client that can send certain P4 command-line commands to P4V without having to open a full P4V instance.

If you installed Helix Core Server for Linux, P4, a more full featured command-line client than P4VC, was installed on the server. If P4V is installed on a different computer than the server, you must install P4 separately to use it on that computer.

  1. Uncompress the .tgz file.

    tar xvfz p4v.tgz

    New directories are created:

    • p4v-202x.xxxxxx/bin

    • p4v-202x.xxxxxx/lib

  2. Add the new directories to your PATH. For example:

    PATH="$PATH:~/Downloads/p4v-2024.1.2591061/bin:~/Downloads/p4v-2024.1.2591061/lib

  3. To start P4V, open a terminal window and type p4v .

    P4V opens.

To install P4 on a Linux computer where Helix Core Server is not installed, complete the steps in Install P4 (macOS and Linux only).

Install P4 (macOS and Linux only)

Complete these steps to install P4 on:

  • macOS.

  • A Linux computer that does not have Helix Core Server installed.

  1. Go to the Helix Command-Line Client (P4) download page.

  2. In the Family field, select your operating system and the appropriate Platform.

  3. Click Download.

  4. In the download confirmation dialog box, click Download again.

  5. Double-click the downloaded .tgz file to extract p4.

  6. Open a command line window.

  7. Make the downloaded p4 file executable:

    chmod +x Downloads/helix-core-server/p4

  8. On macOS, move p4 into /usr/local/bin, a common execution path:

    sudo mv Downloads/helix-core-server/p4 /usr/local/bin/

  9. To test that P4 works, in the command line, enter p4 info. Installation is successful unless a Command not found: p4 error is displayed.

    An error may be displayed that tells you to check $P4PORT. P4PORT stores the server address you entered during P4V installation and P4USER is the username you entered.

    • To view your default P4 settings, at a command prompt, enter p4 set

    • To change the P4PORT value, type p4 set P4PORT=<SERVER ADDRESS>

    • Enter p4 set again to view the values you set.

What's next

  • If you installed Helix Core Server for Linux, you already configured an administrative user. Next, use P4Admin to configure security.

    Go to Step 5: Configure security.