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MAX packages

You can install MAX as a conda package named max using magic—a package manager and virtual environment manager that supports both conda and PyPI packages.

The max package is available as a nightly and stable build. You can safely use different versions of MAX in different projects, because every project you create with magic has its own package dependencies.

Our website allows you to select documentation that corresponds to the latest nightly or stable build, using a drop-down in the site header (or the mobile menu). By default, we show the nightly version so you always see the latest APIs and documentation.

If you just want to try MAX quickly, instead see Get started with MAX.

Nightly release

To get the latest performance improvements and new features, we recommend installing our nightly build, which we release several times a week.

For example, here's how to create a project with a nightly build:

  1. If you don't have the magic CLI yet, you can install it on macOS and Ubuntu Linux with this command:

    curl -ssL https://magic.modular.com/ | bash
    curl -ssL https://magic.modular.com/ | bash

    Then run the source command that's printed in your terminal.

    Or if you already have it, make sure it's up to date:

    magic self-update
    magic self-update
  2. Create a new project:

    magic init nightly-project --format pyproject
    magic init nightly-project --format pyproject
  3. Install MAX with magic add:

    cd nightly-project
    cd nightly-project
    magic add max
    magic add max

After it's installed, you should see the MAX version number printed like this:

✔ Added max >=25.1.0.dev2025012705,<26
✔ Added max >=25.1.0.dev2025012705,<26

This shows the version specifier that your project now depends on for the max package. You can also see and modify this version in your project's local pyproject.toml file. The .dev suffix on the version name (followed by the build date) indicates a nightly version.

To learn more about how to manage your packages and interact with the Magic virtual environment, see the Magic documentation.

Stable release

If you want a better tested but slightly older version of MAX, you can install a stable build. (Each MAX stable release is described in the MAX changelog.)

To install a stable build, simply specify the version number when you call magic add. For example:

  1. If you don't have the magic CLI yet, you can install it on macOS and Ubuntu Linux with this command:

    curl -ssL https://magic.modular.com/ | bash
    curl -ssL https://magic.modular.com/ | bash

    Then run the source command that's printed in your terminal.

    Or if you already have it, make sure it's up to date:

    magic self-update
    magic self-update
  2. Create a new project:

    magic init stable-project --format pyproject
    magic init stable-project --format pyproject
  3. Install a specific MAX version with magic add:

    cd stable-project
    cd stable-project
    magic add "max~=24.6"
    magic add "max~=24.6"

After it's installed, you should see the MAX version number printed like this:

✔ Added max~=24.6
✔ Added max~=24.6

This shows the version specifier that your project now depends on for the max package. You can also see and modify this version in your project's local pyproject.toml file.

To learn more about how to manage your packages and interact with the Magic virtual environment, see the Magic documentation.

Uninstall MAX

If you installed MAX with magic, just delete the project paths that you created with magic init (paths with a pyproject.toml, mojoproject.toml, or pixi.toml file).

To remove the magic tool, delete the magic binary:

rm ~/.modular/bin/magic
rm ~/.modular/bin/magic

That's it.

Next steps