This page documents how to download VTK through Git. See our table of contents for more information.

Follow our Git download instructions to install Git.

Clone

Clone VTK using the commands
`$ git clone git://vtk.org/VTK.git` `$ cd VTK`	`git help clone` Connection refused?
Clone VTKData using the commands
`$ cd ..` `$ git clone git://vtk.org/VTKData.git`	`git help clone`

Update

Users that have made no local changes and simply want to update a clone with the latest changes may run
`$ git pull`	`git help pull`
Avoid making local changes unless you have read our developer instructions.

After cloning your local repository will be configured to follow the upstream master branch by default. One may create a local branch to track the upstream release branch instead, which should guarantee only bug fixes to the functionality available in the latest release:
`$ git checkout --track -b release origin/release`	`git help checkout`
This local branch will always follow the latest release. Use the above instructions to update it. Alternatively one may checkout a specific release tag:
`$ git checkout v5.8.0`	`git help checkout`
Release tags never move. Repeat the command with a different tag to get a different release. One may list available tags:
`$ git tag`	`git help tag`