First run is where family tree installs succeed or collapse into mirror-hopping.
Open the manager
Launch Gramps and use the Family Trees manager to create a new tree. Pick a path on a disk you administer.
Home Person
Add a starting person. Keep events thin if sources are thin. Accuracy beats a decorative chart.
One relationship
Link a parent or child so Charts have something to draw. That proves the pedigree model.
Optional import
Only then import GEDCOM from an online export. Spot-check people and media. Guide: switch.
Preferences worth a look
Set media directories and backup reminders if your build exposes them. Leave geography and Graphviz until reports need them.
Next
Installed first hour, troubleshooting.
Verify against research notes
Facts on this page come from the gramps-project/gramps README, GitHub Releases tag assets, Homebrew cask JSON for gramps, Snap Store metadata, and the Gramps wiki checked on 2026-09-15. If a newer stable tag appears, prefer the live Releases list and exact filenames over any hard-coded memory of one version alone. The home install panel reads gh.json at build time so the current release link stays fresh.
Keep one update door
One install style per machine. Write it down.
Pick one install style per machine and write it down. Windows AIO users return to GitHub Releases. Homebrew users run brew upgrade. Snap users refresh the snap. apt users use distro tools. Mixing three doors on one PATH creates confusing dual launches and stale Family Trees.
Privacy and offline use
- Local Family Trees keep pedigree data on disk after install.
- Online research in a browser is optional and separate.
Living-person details deserve care. Export GEDCOM only when you mean to share, and review privacy options before you upload a file to any third party. A desktop family tree is useful precisely because the database can stay offline after the first download.
Classroom and shared PCs
Shared labs often block unknown publishers. Document the asset name in your image build notes. Societies that need offline pedigrees should prefer a machine they administer. Keep GEDCOM licences and contributor agreements with the archive so redistribution stays clear.
Network and offline
You need network once to download the AIO, dmg, brew bottle, or snap. After the Family Tree lives on disk, editing people and printing charts works offline unless you choose online research later. That split is why a desktop family tree beats a fragile tab for travel and archive work that forbids cloud uploads.
After install checklist
Confirm the window opens, create one Family Tree, add a Home Person, save, and bookmark Releases or note the brew/snap door. Then read first-run and safety guides. If policy blocks unknown executables, ask an admin instead of smuggling a random mirror binary.
Extra install discipline
Write the asset name or package command in a short text file next to your backups. When someone else inherits the research PC, that note prevents a second random download for the same family tree job. Prefer stable tags, refuse renamed wrappers, and keep living-person exports intentional.
Why this matters for searchers
People who type family tree into a search box often land on adware portals. A clear install door, an exact filename, and a local Family Tree proof keep the job honest. Repeat the same door on the next machine instead of improvising a new mirror each time you travel.
Source checklist
- GitHub Releases stable tag assets
- Homebrew cask metadata when used
- Snap or apt package ids when used
- Gramps wiki for workflow menus after install
If any of those sources disagree with this page, prefer the upstream page and file a correction through the contact path so research notes can be updated.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Family Tree in Gramps?
A Family Tree is the local database Gramps opens for this family tree job. You can keep more than one. Create a clearly named tree on a disk path you can back up before you import anything large.
Should I import on day one?
Not until you can add a person manually. Prove the UI with a Home Person for this family tree, then import GEDCOM with a backup of the export file kept aside so a bad merge is recoverable.
Where do backups go?
Export GEDCOM or Gramps XML to a folder you control and date the filenames. Media folders need the same backup plan as the database whenever you treat the family tree as an archive.