The JMRI project is building tools for model railroad computer control. We want it to be usable to as many people as possible, so we're building it in Java to run anywhere, and we're trying to make it independent of specific hardware systems.

Using JMRI requires a combination of hardware (in this case running Windows), Java software and a JMRI download for a specific version. The table below shows configurations that have been reported working - there may be other combinations that are also possible, but they have not been reported by the user community.

JMRI 5.11.4 is the next release of the current development series, containing the latest and greatest JMRI updates. The series is working toward the JMRI 5.12 production release, probably in June 2025.

Once you have downloaded the JMRI® software and installed it, simply open the program in the usual manner for your operating system. Windows will show an icon on desktop (with default install options selected).

We recommend using Java 17 with current JMRI versions starting with JMRI 5.9.1. Although Java 11 will work, we recommend that you install Java 17 as it's more up to date.

The JMRI libraries contain the PanelPro application for creating panels to control or follow your (virtual) model railroad. This page introduces the application, and how to use it.

JMRI® Applications JMRI is a Java-based cross-platform program suite for model railroaders. It contains modular applications for: Programming of Digital Command Control (DCC) decoders (DecoderPro®) Drawing computer based panels for depicting a model railroad layout (PanelPro™ and Layout Editor) Controlling the layout (All modules)

This page lists hardware and networks that JMRI is known to work with, and provides links to information on how to configure JMRI to work with each particular type.

Making it easy for all model railroaders to get started with JMRI is important. Below are some common questions and answers frequently asked in user forums, of experienced users, and of developers. As your experience with JMRI grows, you will have your own questions. The best place to get help is by asking for it in the JMRI User Forum.

The Download page on the main JMRI website provides links to download various JMRI versions, along with links to release notes, etc. Note that there are different downloads for different types of computers (Macintosh, Windows, etc), and the procedures for installing JMRI differ.