Hardware Configuration

White Cat runs on Windows 10 and 11. To be tested on Windows 7 and Windows 8–8.1. No longer works on XP or Vista.

Since version 0.9.1, WhiteCat also runs on Linux (64-bit, x86_64) and on Raspberry Pi (ARM64, Raspberry Pi OS Bookworm) — see the WhiteCat on Raspberry Pi section below.

Users with very old machines can download an older version (0.8.x), still available on Christoph Guillermet's website.

CPU

• Theoretical minimum: dual-core 1 GHz
• Comfortable: any CPU made after 2010

RAM

• A full show (512 channels, memories, LFOs) fits comfortably within 50–100 MB
• 1 GB RAM is enough, 2 GB is comfortable

GPU / display

• SDL2 uses the hardware renderer by default — any card with DirectX 9 or OpenGL 2.0 works
• An integrated Intel HD Graphics card from 2011 or later is sufficient
• Minimum resolution: 1280×800

Storage

• Exe + DLLs + assets: ~350 MB
• Saved shows: around 100 MB each

In short

• Any second-hand office PC from 2010 or later running Windows 10 will run WhiteCat without issue.

For use in live performance conditions (reliability, responsiveness):

• CPU — Core i3/i5 6th gen or equivalent
• RAM — 4 GB
• GPU — integrated is fine (Intel UHD 620 or better)
• Storage — SSD
• Screen — 1920×1080, 15"
• OS — Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit

In short: a mid-range office laptop from recent years is perfectly adequate. No gaming machine needed.

Since version 0.9.1, WhiteCat runs on the Raspberry Pi — a compact, silent and inexpensive way to drive a show.

Recommended model

• Raspberry Pi 4 or Pi 5 — for a fluid display (the 2 GB RAM version is enough, WhiteCat is lightweight)
• The Pi 3 works but stays limited (less fluid interface) — backup use or standalone setups (installation, automatic loop)
• OS: Raspberry Pi OS Bookworm 64-bit (aarch64)
• A fast microSD card (class A1/A2) or a USB SSD for comfort

DMX output

• USB: Enttec Open/Pro, DMX King... interfaces via the libftdi1 driver (the user must be in the dialout group)
• Network: Art-Net (Ethernet), ideal towards Art-Net nodes or fixtures

Display

• Raspberry Pi OS uses the Wayland/labwc compositor; window placement is handled by the install.sh script (see the install page)
• HDMI screen or panel, 1280×800 minimum
• Video tracking (OpenCV) is disabled on Pi / Linux

Detailed installation: see Installing WhiteCat (Raspberry Pi section).

If you are buying a dedicated machine, you can test whether WhiteCat runs on it beforehand:

1. Copy the WhiteCat folder onto a USB stick.
2. Try running WhiteCat from the stick, in the shop.

• Prefer a matte screen.
• Look for a backlit keyboard and a numeric keypad.
• Disable automatic Windows updates during a show.

Using VVVV and WhiteCat together, you can run both on the same machine with an i5-class processor and a 1 GB graphics card.

For this kind of use, favour machines marketed as "gaming" laptops, which emphasise 3D graphics performance.