Where to download and install Interactive Brokers (IBKR) Trader Workstation?

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I downloaded Interactive Brokers Traders Workstation. It looks like a java program with an install script.

You can see the instructions here:
IBKR Traders Workstation Instructions

I have always used apps using the Manjaro app manager and so they install automatically and I assume in the appropriate place. And I’ve always held off installing apps if it wasn’t part of the software manager.

But, this time, I really want the app installed.

So, when I run this install script, it’s asking where to install it.

Can someone suggest where I should install this kind of app?

Is /usr/local/ a good place?

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pamac search --aur ib-tws

ib-tws  1:10.29.1h-1                                                                                                                                                                                                                     AUR
    Electronic trading platform from discount brokerage firm Interactive Brokers (IBKR)

Build and install from the AUR with:

pamac build ib-tws

You will likely find this easier to manage. However, keep in mind that the AUR is officially unsupported in either Arch or Manjaro. The AUR will need to be enabled in pamac if it isn’t already.

I also found the Interactive Brokers download page for the Linux version of their app (likely the version you have):

The site states:

…so, either way, It seems the updating is easily manageable.

@Nachlese (in the next post) suggests installing it under ~/.local/ and this is likely a wise choice.

I hope this helps. Cheers.

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3

Probably better not to install it system wide, but in your user accounts $HOME instead.
~/.local/bin
should already be in your $PATH

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4

Thanks to both your responses. I’m researching both a bit more.

The pamac build for ib-tws (AUR) says it only needs 10mb while the one I downloaded from IBKR says it needs something like 366mb. Not sure why the difference.

And I checked with Google Gemini and it says /usr/local/ is used for non-core apps:
" locally installed software that’s not part of the core system or standard package repositories"

So, it seems like the right location.

Anyways, I’m just reading into both a bit more.

5

Think of ~/.local/ as the user counterpart to /usr/local - the main advantage is that you can access the configuration of your app without requiring elevated privileges; otherwise, they are both equal in terms of intended usage.

It’s possible that their package also contains supporting software, whereas, from the AUR all dependencies are built and installed as needed. Some may already exist in your system.

Cheers.

6

Ok, I see why there might be a big difference in size between the packages.

So, if I install the package from IBKR, is there a good chance a lot of files (packages) will be duplicated where I install it because it has to put all the dependent packages in the installed directory? Or does it depend on the install script and how well written it is?

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The latter, most likely; though without knowing anything about the IBKR package, it’s difficult to guess.

At least the AUR route would place required dependencies in the appropriate file system locations; with foreign packages it’s often uncertain, which is why they are seldom encouraged - AUR builds also are not officially supported.

It’s getting harder to avoid duplication of packages in recent times; especially with the apparent popularity of containerised app platforms such as flatpak, appimage and snap.

8

Thanks for all the info.

At this point, I’m thinking I’ll just use the AUR package because it seems to be pretty current. And if for some reason the maintainer goes “AWOL” or something, I can always install the IBKR package.

1 Like
9

Most welcome.

All that remains is to give a little tick to the post that helped most, and the thread will be automatically closed after a time.

Cheers.

10

Just want to update the solution post as it wasn’t written in order of what needs to be done:

You want to first execute:
pamac build ib-tws

And then the search will work:
pamac search ib-tws

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It’s an AUR package, so it must be done with pamac search --aur ib-tws

2 Likes
12

I corrected the omission; the search command indeed should have been:
pamac search --aur ib-tws as mentioned immediately above;

…and the same command would have produced the output as shown in my post (the solution post) regardless of the order in which it was used.

Search was of course ancilliary to the actual Build command; only included to demonstrate its availability in the AUR.

Cheers.

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Oh, I see. At first when I did the search, nothing happened. And so I figured, I need to install it first. :slight_smile:

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