How to Download and Install the Weka Machine Learning Workbench

 The Weka machine learning workbench is a powerful and yet easy to use platform for predictive modeling.

In this post you will discover how you can install Weka on your workstation fast, and get started with machine learning.

After reading this post you will know:

• How to install the all-in-one version of Weka for Windows or Mac.
• How to install Java and Weka separately on Windows or Mac.
• How to install Weka on Linux and other platforms.

  Download Weka

  All versions of Weka can be downloaded from the Weka download webpage.

  Select the version of Weka that you would like to install then visit the Weka download page to locate and download your preferred version of Weka.

  Your options include:

  • Install the all-in-one version of Weka for Windows or Mac OS X.
  • Install Java and Weka separately for Windows or Mac OS X.
  • Install the standalone version of Weka for Linux and other platforms.

  Need more help with Weka for Machine Learning?

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  Install The All-In-One Version of Weka

  Weka provides an all-in-one installation version for Windows and Mac OS X.

  This installation includes both the Weka platform that you can use for predictive modeling, as well as the version of Java needed to run the Weka platform.

  Windows

  On windows the all-in-one version of Weka is provided as a self-extracting executable.

  You must choose whether you would like the 32-bit version of the package or the 64-bit version of the package. If you have a modern version of Windows, you should select the 64-bit version.

  On the Weka download webpage, these packages are called:

  • Self-extracting executable for 64-bit Windows that includes Oracle’s 64-bit Java.
  • Self-extracting executable for 32-bit Windows that includes Oracle’s 32-bit Java.

  The download is about 100 megabytes. After you have downloaded the package, double click on the icon to start the installation process.

  Follow the prompts for the installation and Weka will be added to your Program Menu.

  Start Weka by clicking on the bird icon.

  Mac OS X

  On OS X the all-in-one version of Weka is provided as a disk image.

  On the Weka download webpage, this package is called:

  • Disk image for OS X that contains a Mac application including Oracle’s Java.

  The download is about 120 megabytes. The disk image includes two versions of Weka, one with the Java version bundled and one standalone. I recommend installing both.

  Drag both the folder and the icon into your Applications folder.

  

  Expanded Weka Disk image for OS X

  Start Weka by clicking on the bird icon.

  Install Java and Weka Separately

  You may already have the Java Runtime Environment or Java Development Kit installed on your workstation or you may like to install Java separately from Weka so that you can use Java with other applications.

  Weka provides a version that you can download that does not include the Java Runtime Environment.

  I recommend this installation of Weka if you would like to access the data files and documentation provided with the Weka installation.

  Weka requires at least Java 1.7 installed.

  If you do not have Java installed and would like to install Java separately from Weka, you can download Java from the Java Download webpage. The webpage will automatically determine the version of Java you need for your workstation and download the latest version. The Java download is about 60 megabytes.

  Windows

  Weka provides a version for Windows that does not include Java.

  You must choose whether you would like the 32-bit version of the package or the 64-bit version of the package. If you have a modern version of Windows, you should select the 64-bit version.

  On the Weka downloads page, this version is named as follows:

  • Self-extracting executable for 64-bit Windows without a Java VM.
  • Self-extracting executable for 32-bit Windows without a Java VM.

  The download is about 50 megabytes. After you have downloaded the package, double click to start the installation process. Follow the prompts for the installation and Weka will be added to your Program Menu.

  Start Weka by clicking on the bird icon.

  Mac OS X

  There is only a single download version of Weka for OS X.

  It is a disk image that includes both the version of Weka bundled with Java as well as the standalone version.

  On the Weka download webpage, this package is called:

  • Disk image for OS X that contains a Mac application including Oracle’s Java.

  The download is about 120 megabytes. Open the disk image and drag the standalone version of Weka (the folder) into your Applications folder.

  

  Weka Installation Directory

  Start Weka by double clicking on the weka.jar file.

  You can also start Weka on the command line, assuming Java is in your path.

  1. Change directory into your weka installation directory. For example

  cd /Applications/weka-3-8-0

  2. Start the Java virtual machine with the weka.jar file. For example:

  java -jar weka.jar

  Install Weka On Linux And Other Platforms

  Weka also provides a standalone version that you can install on Linux and other platforms.

  Weka runs on Java and can be used on all platforms that support Java.

  It is a zip file and has the following name of the Weka download webpage:

  • Zip archive containing Weka.

  Download the zip file and unzip it.

  You can also start Weka on the command line, assuming Java is in your path.

  

  Weka Installation Files

  1. Change directory into your Weka installation directory. For example

  cd /Applications/weka-3-8-0

  2. Start the Java virtual machine with the weka.jar file, For example:

  java -jar weka.jar

  Summary

  In this post you discovered how you can download and install the Weka machine learning workbench.

  Specifically, you learned:

  • How to install Weka using the all-in-one version on Windows and Mac OS X.
  • How to install Weka using the standalone version on Windows and Mac OS X.
  • How to install Weka using the standalone version on Linux and other platforms.

  Do you have any questions about downloading and installing Weka or about this post? Ask your questions in the comments below and I will do my best to answer.