Install ola with Homebrew, apt, MacPorts, Nix

Project links

• Homepage
• Repository
• Upstream docs
• Package manager page

Commands and aliases

• ola_artnet
• ola_dev_info
• ola_dmxconsole
• ola_dmxmonitor
• ola_e131
• ola_patch
• ola_plugin_info
• ola_plugin_state
• ola_rdm_discover
• ola_rdm_get
• ola_rdm_set
• ola_recorder
• ola_set_dmx
• ola_set_priority
• ola_streaming_client
• ola_timecode
• ola_trigger
• ola_uni_info
• ola_uni_merge
• ola_uni_name
• ola_uni_stats
• ola_usbpro
• olad
• rdmpro_sniffer
• usbpro_firmware

Project history

OLA began within the Open Lighting Project. The project's history page records the first linux-lighting mailing-list post on 2008-07-21 and the 2009-07-28 rename from LLA, Linux Lighting Architecture, to OLA, Open Lighting Architecture, because the software had grown beyond Linux.

The project moved repositories to GitHub on 2013-12-24 after outgrowing its previous hosting site. The OpenLightingProject/ola repository was created on GitHub on 2013-12-16, matching that migration period.

Adoption history

OLA's adoption is tied to the open-source lighting-control community and to the practical difficulty of speaking many fixture, network, and USB protocols. Official documentation describes OLA as a framework library, a C++ client API, and the olad main program; the public site emphasizes standalone protocol conversion, API-backed lighting software, and ARM platforms for low-cost Ethernet-to-DMX gateways.

Its packaging across Homebrew, Debian/Ubuntu as libola-dev, MacPorts, Nix, and FreeBSD reflects a cross-platform tool used by developers and integrators rather than a single desktop application. It also appears in hardware and media-art contexts such as Raspberry Pi DMX gateways, Pure Data bridges, and embedded-lighting presentations.

How it is used

Operators run olad as a service, patch universes to physical or network outputs, monitor DMX values, discover and configure RDM devices, and use command-line tools such as ola_dmxconsole, ola_patch, ola_rdm_get, ola_rdm_set, and ola_set_dmx. Developers use libola and client bindings as a backend for controllers and protocol gateways.

Why package nerds care

OLA is package-nerd catnip because it turns a messy physical-protocol world into a daemon, libraries, and many tiny CLIs. It is also a reminder that package managers do not only distribute web and developer tools; they preserve infrastructure for theaters, clubs, art installations, churches, hobby rigs, and embedded gateways.

Timeline

• 2008-07-21: The first linux-lighting mailing-list status post was sent.
• 2009-07-28: LLA was renamed to OLA to reflect operation beyond Linux.
• 2013-12-24: The Open Lighting Project announced its move to GitHub.
• 2014-01-09: Simon Newton presented the Open Lighting Project at linux.conf.au 2014.
• 2026-07-01: GitHub repository metadata reported 736 stars, 227 forks, C++ as the primary language, and the repository description 'The Travel Adaptor for the Lighting Industry.'

Related projects

• Related projects include Open Fixture Library, libartnet, Open Lighting Embedded, RDM responder testing tools, Art-Net, sACN, DMX512, RDM, and USB DMX hardware from vendors such as Enttec and DMXKing.

Sources

• https://api.github.com/repos/OpenLightingProject/ola
• https://docs.openlighting.org/doc/latest/index.html
• https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/ola
• https://github.com/OpenLightingProject/ola
• https://packages.debian.org/unstable/main/ola-rdm-tests
• https://wiki.openlighting.org/index.php/Open_Lighting_Architecture
• https://www.openlighting.org/ola/
• https://www.openlighting.org/ola/get-help/media/
• https://www.openlighting.org/openlightingproject/about/history/