# SWI Prolog distribution as zip

**URL:** <https://swi-prolog.discourse.group/t/swi-prolog-distribution-as-zip/7156>\
**Category:** Help!\
**Created:** [January 8, 2024, 8:40am UTC](https://swi-prolog.discourse.group/t/swi-prolog-distribution-as-zip/7156 "2024-01-08T08:40:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![hnbeck](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/swi-prolog.discourse.group/hnbeck/32/3149_2.png) [@hnbeck](https://swi-prolog.discourse.group/u/hnbeck)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2024, 8:40am UTC](https://swi-prolog.discourse.group/t/swi-prolog-distribution-as-zip/7156/1 "2024-01-08T08:40:26Z")

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Hi,

it may be sound a little bit weird: for installation of SWI Prolog at my office computer, I’m not allowed to execute “foreign” exe. Execution of SWI Prolog exe (= installer) is therefore prohibited (only system admins can do this). I know that SWI Prolog needs no installer, unzip a SWI Prolog directory would be enough. Is a SWI Prolog zip available anywhere, or could I take an GitHub repro? Due to IT policies I can not make a zip myself on my private notebook and send the zip per e-mail.

It’s not that big problem, I could try to get temporal local admin rights, but if I could avoid this I would be happy 😉

Cheers

Hans

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**Author:** ![jan](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/swi-prolog.discourse.group/jan/32/4_2.png) [@jan](https://swi-prolog.discourse.group/u/jan)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2024, 9:13am UTC](https://swi-prolog.discourse.group/t/swi-prolog-distribution-as-zip/7156/2 "2024-01-08T09:13:08Z")

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There is no official zip. The installer is just a 7zip file with the extractor as a header though. If I do

```
 7z l swipl-9.1.21-1.x64.exe

```

it nicely lists the contents. Seems all fine except that it contains a directory `$PLUGINSDIR` with DLL helpers for the extraction. You can delete this after extracting.

It is probably wise to use the latest development version as that no longer requires the installer to build the Prolog library index.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hnbeck](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/swi-prolog.discourse.group/hnbeck/32/3149_2.png) [@hnbeck](https://swi-prolog.discourse.group/u/hnbeck)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2024, 9:35am UTC](https://swi-prolog.discourse.group/t/swi-prolog-distribution-as-zip/7156/3 "2024-01-08T09:35:12Z")

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Thanks, Jan! Renaming the .exe to .zip and unpacking it with 7z was my solution.

Cheers

Hans