Installing VAqua

Step 1: Verify System Requirements

Make sure your system satisfies the requirements listed in the Overview. In particular, if you are running macOS 10.10 (Yosemite), make sure you have updated the Java Runtime Support framework.

Step 2: Download

Download the JAR file here.

Step 3: Install

Copy the JAR file to an appropriate location and add it to your classpath.^[1]

VAqua uses an Apple-developed framework called JavaNativeFoundation. To use VAqua natively on Apple Silicon computers, a version of JavaNativeFoundation that includes arm64 code must be installed and made available. See this note for details.

Step 4: Connect

Add code similar to the following to your main() method, ideally before anything that would initialize the UI.

if (System.getProperty("os.name", "").startsWith("Mac OS")) {
    UIManager.setLookAndFeel("org.violetlib.aqua.AquaLookAndFeel");
}