Optimization Solver:Download and install the Optimization Solver SDK

1. Download the latest version

The application programming interfaces (APIs) in V0.x and V2.x are mostly different. When you use the SDK, refer to the API documentation for the corresponding version.

Latest version: V2.2.0. Release date: 2025-08-07.

For changelogs and to download previous versions, see Download history.

The environment dependencies for the preceding packages are as follows:

The following sections describe how to install the SDK. You can also watch the videos in the Video overview.

2. Install the SDK (C, C++, C#, and MATLAB APIs)

Windows systems:

Double-click the installation file and follow the instructions.

To install for all users, run the installation package as an administrator. To do this, run Command Prompt as an administrator, switch to the folder that contains the installation package, and then run the package file.

Linux systems:

In the command line, run the following command and follow the instructions:

bash mindopt-install-linux64x86-2.2.0.sh

Or, for the ARM chip version:

bash mindopt-install-linux64aarch-2.2.0.sh

If you install in a Docker container, add the following configuration to the Dockerfile:

# The admin user is used as an example.
RUN cd /home/admin/mindopt/ && \
    bash mindopt-install-linux64x86-2.2.0.sh --target /home/admin/mindopt && \
    rm -rf mindopt-install-linux64x86-2.2.0.sh

# Set the mindopt environment variables.
ENV MINDOPT_HOME /home/admin/mindopt/2.2.0
ENV PATH $MINDOPT_HOME/linux64-x86/bin:$PATH
ENV LD_LIBRARY_PATH $MINDOPT_HOME/linux64-x86/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH

For Docker installations of V0.x.x, also add the following:

# The MDO_NATIVE_LIBRARY environment variable is required when you use the Java SDK. This is not needed for version 1.0.0 or later.
ENV MDO_NATIVE_LIBRARY $MINDOPT_HOME/linux64-x86/lib/libmindopt.so.0.25.1

macOS systems:

The process is the same as for Linux. In the command line, run the following command and follow the instructions:

bash mindopt-install-osx64x86-2.2.0.sh

Or, for the Apple Silicon chip version:

bash mindopt-install-osx64aarch-2.2.0.sh

After the solver is installed, the directory structure is as follows:

• The 2.2.0 root folder. The name indicates the software version you installed. You can install multiple versions in the mindopt directory. For example, 0.25.1 in the figure is a legacy version.

• The osx64-x86 subfolder. This folder contains executable files, dynamic-link libraries, and other related files. The folder name varies by operating system and architecture: win64-x86, linux64-x86, osx64-x86, linux64-aarch, or osx64-aarch. This helps you check if you installed the correct version.

• The examples folder. Check this folder. It contains examples for multiple programming languages, modeling tools, and sample input data in the data folder to help you get started.

• The docs folder contains the Readme.txt file, the End-User License Agreement (EULA), and other documents.

• The fl_client.ini file is the authentication file that you need to create. This is described later.

  

3. Check environment variables and run a test

The installation process configures the required environment variables. Verify that they are configured correctly. If you have multiple versions installed, you can switch between them by changing the version number in the environment variable.

Windows systems:

The installation adds the MINDOPT_HOME and Path environment variables automatically. You do not need to add them manually. If you install multiple versions, you can change the active version by modifying the MINDOPT_HOME variable. The following figure shows an example:

Linux and macOS systems:

The installation adds the command source ~/.mdo_profile to the ~/.bashrc and ~/.zshrc files. The changes take effect after you restart the terminal. If you install multiple versions, run nano ~/.mdo_profile to make changes.

Run the following commands to view the environment variables and apply them immediately:

cat ~/.mdo_profile
source ~/.mdo_profile

If you installed in a Docker container, you can use the export command to check the variables.

After you check the environment variables, run mindopt in the command line to verify the installation. The following figure shows an example:

Common solutions for runtime failures:

If the command fails, the cause is likely a permission issue. You can change the permissions of the executable file as follows:

Linux:

chmod u+x $MINDOPT_HOME/linux64-x86/bin/mindopt

macOS:

chmod u+x $MINDOPT_HOME/osx64-x86/bin/mindopt

Some systems may prevent mindopt from running due to developer security checks. On macOS, for example, you can click Allow Anyway in Security & Privacy. For more information about other issues, see the Installation issues section in the FAQ.

4. Configure the authentication file

To use the solver, you must configure a license file. MindOpt supports two authentication methods:

• 1. Cloud authentication: If you are an Alibaba Cloud user, follow the instructions in 3. Configure an Alibaba Cloud account for authentication to obtain a license key and configure the fl_client.ini license file. Then, place this file in one of the recommended locations described below.

  • This license is attached to your Alibaba Cloud account. The solver runs locally on your machine. An internet connection is required only for authentication. No other information is uploaded.

  • Benefits of this method:

    • You can request a license key yourself, and it is issued immediately.

    • One license key can be used on multiple computers.

    • You will receive a text message reminder before the license expires. You can then renew it on the console webpage without changing the license file.

• 2. Offline authentication: For offline use, MindOpt uses a mindopt.lic file for local authentication. This file is attached to a machine ID.

  • Starting from 2024, you can purchase a local authentication license that allows for offline, single-machine, and unlimited concurrent use from the console. For more information, see How to get the machine fingerprint for an offline fixed-machine license.

Note:

• During authentication, the software first searches for the mindopt.lic file and then the fl_client.ini file based on environment variable settings. It then validates the first file it finds.

• The names of the license files are fixed and cannot be changed.

Location of the authentication file:

• (Recommended) Set the MINDOPT_LICENSE_PATH environment variable to define the location of the license file.

The following example shows how to add the environment variable on Linux and macOS systems. The method for modifying the environment variable file is described earlier.

export MINDOPT_LICENSE_PATH=$HOME/mindopt

The following figure shows an example for Windows. For more information, see License configuration.

• If this environment variable is not set, MindOpt searches for the file in the {user_root_directory}\mindopt folder by default.

  • For example, if the current user on Windows is Administrator, the path is C:\Users\Administrator\mindopt\fl_client.ini.

  • For example, on Linux, the path is ~/mindopt/fl_client.ini.

5. (Optional) Install Java support

<dependency>
  <groupId>com.alibaba.damo</groupId>
  <artifactId>mindoptj</artifactId>
  <version>2.1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
  <classifier>osx-x64</classifier>
  <!-- macOS arm64  : osx-aarch -->
  <!-- linux arm64  : linux-aarch -->
  <!-- linux x86    : linux-x64 -->
  <!-- windows      : win-x64 -->
  <!-- all platforms: portable -->
  <type>jar</type>
</dependency>

<dependency>
  <groupId>com.alibaba.damo</groupId>
  <artifactId>mindoptj</artifactId>
  <version>2.0.0</version>
  <scope>system</scope>
  <systemPath>${env.MINDOPT_HOME}/osx64-x86/lib/mindoptj.jar</systemPath>
</dependency>

<dependency>
  <groupId>com.alibaba.damo</groupId>
  <artifactId>mindoptj</artifactId>
  <version>[0.24.0, 1.0.0)</version>
</dependency>

6. (Optional) Install Python support

After you install the Basic Edition package, go to the following path and run the command to install the Python SDK:

cd <MDOHOME>/<VERSION>/<PLATFORM>/lib/python
pip install .

7. Uninstall and reinstall

8. Use the solver

If you are a new user, you can follow the Quick example of problem-solving in the Quick Start document to get started. For more information, see the Solver User Manual.