ControLAB — Control Systems Suite

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Installation and Download

To get the latest version, visit the GitHub Releases page and download the package corresponding to your operating system:

• Windows: Standalone installer (.exe, NSIS). Installs the application directly on the operating system, creates shortcuts on the Desktop and in the Start Menu, and provides native uninstallation support through the Control Panel.
• Linux: Native packages for Debian/Ubuntu (.deb), Fedora/Red Hat/openSUSE (.rpm), and a standalone universal package (.AppImage).
• Android: Native application compiled as an .apk package, featuring an embedded Python engine powered by Chaquopy, allowing fully offline operation on smartphones and tablets.

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Development and Project Structure

• src/python/: Canonical source files for the mathematical engines, utilities, JSON bridge, and web server.
• src/main/, src/preload/, and src/renderer/: Electron application and interface shared with the Web and Android versions.
• android/app/src/main/python/: Copies used by Chaquopy, synchronized through node scripts/sync-mobile.js. Make changes to the original files in src/python/.
• scripts/: Application execution, synchronization, packaging, and validation scripts.
• tests/: Python and renderer tests.
• docs/test-systembars/: Android test matrix evidence generated by scripts/test-systembars-matrix.js, with results stored in resultado-matriz.json.

Once the dependencies are installed, run npm start to launch Electron, npm run web to launch the browser version, or npm run web:mobile to enable access over the local network.

Run npm test to execute JavaScript checks and Python tests. The scripts/run-python.js runner adds src/python/ to PYTHONPATH, including for test subprocesses.

To run the tests directly on Linux, use:

PYTHONPATH=src/python .venv/bin/python -m unittest discover -s tests

The Routh-Hurwitz CLI remains available through:

node scripts/run-python.js src/python/routh_hurwitz.py "s^2 + 3*s + 2"

Or:

./run.sh --cli "s^2 + 3*s + 2"

The previous Streamlit/Tkinter interfaces and interactive launcher have been removed.

.m Script Editor and Execution

The home screen provides a file browser, a tabbed editor with syntax highlighting, a console, a variable workspace, and figure visualization.

Open a .m file from the current directory or by clicking Open. Save changes using Save. Press F5 to execute the active document.

The console preserves variables within the same session. For example, after executing A=[1 2;3 4];, enter det(A) in the console.

Clear removes all session variables, while Clear Output clears only the console output.

Commands such as plot(x,y) and step(G) generate figures that can be exported as SVG files.

The directory navigation toolbar provides Back, Forward, Up One Level, and Select Folder controls, along with options to refresh and edit the current path.

Keyboard shortcuts:

• Alt+← / Alt+→: Navigate backward and forward through directory history.
• Alt+↑: Move up one directory level.

In Electron, folder selection uses the native operating system dialog. In the Web version, the folder selector navigates through directories exposed by the local backend.

The execution engine is an independent copy of the openMAT Rust core, located in vendor/openmat/, with its license and provenance documented in that directory.

The original openMAT project directory is not required to build or run ControLAB.

During development, Rust and Cargo are required to compile the engine, in addition to the existing Python and Node.js dependencies:

npm run build:openmat
npm start

# Alternatively, run in the browser with the local backend:
npm run web

The initial build may need to resolve Rust dependencies specified in Cargo.lock. Once the dependencies are cached, offline compilation is available using:

npm run build:openmat -- --offline

The executable is generated in build/runtime/ and bundled with the desktop application packages.

Users installing prebuilt releases do not need Rust.

On Windows, close the application before updating an executable that is currently in use.

Testing and Validation

Run npm test to compile the engine and execute JavaScript and Python validation checks.

Run npm run test:studio:browser to test the editor workflow using an isolated local server and the Chromium installation already provided by Puppeteer.

The browser test does not install additional browsers.

Current Implementation and Limitations

This development stage supports Electron and the Web version with a local backend.

Offline .m script execution on Android still requires porting and compiling the engine for Android and remains pending. The existing scientific Python modules continue to operate independently.

The interpreter supports the MATLAB language subset documented in vendor/openmat/README.md.

Scripts are limited to 1 MiB, and execution is subject to time, workload, logical memory, and event limits.

Variables remain available throughout the active session but are not automatically restored after the application is closed.