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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/usnistgov/NFIQ2/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

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Download Pre-built Binaries

The easiest way to get started with NFIQ2 is to download pre-built versions from the official GitHub Releases page.
Unless you are actively developing code for NFIQ2, we highly recommend downloading from GitHub Releases instead of attempting to compile from source.
1

Visit GitHub Releases

Navigate to the NFIQ2 Releases page and download the latest version for your platform.Look for the v2.3 release or newer.
2

Download for Your Platform

Select the appropriate package for your operating system:
  • Windows (64-bit): NFIQ2-*-win64.zip
  • Windows (32-bit): NFIQ2-*-win32.zip
  • macOS: NFIQ2-*-macos.tar.gz
  • Linux: NFIQ2-*-linux.tar.gz
3

Extract the Archive

Extract the downloaded archive to your preferred location.

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System Requirements

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Supported Operating Systems

  • Windows 10 or later (64-bit recommended)
  • Windows Server 2016 or later
  • Visual C++ Redistributable (included in release packages)
Architectures: x64, x86

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Hardware Requirements

  • RAM: 512 MB minimum, 2 GB recommended
  • Disk Space: 100 MB for library and CLI tool
  • Processor: Any modern x86_64 or ARM64 processor

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Installation Paths

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Default Installation Locations

When using NIST’s official release packages, files are installed to the following locations: 
# Libraries
C:\Program Files\NFIQ 2\lib\

# Headers
C:\Program Files\NFIQ 2\include\

# Executables
C:\Program Files\NFIQ 2\bin\

# Model Files
C:\Program Files\NFIQ 2\bin\nist_plain_tir-ink.txt

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What’s Included

Each release package contains:

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Library Components

  • NFIQ2 Library: Core library for computing quality scores
  • Header Files: C++ API headers for integration
  • Model Files: Random forest parameters (e.g., nist_plain_tir-ink.txt)

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Command-line Tool

  • nfiq2: Standalone executable for computing quality scores from the command line

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Dependencies

Release packages include all required dependencies:
  • OpenCV (Apache 2 License)
  • FingerJetFX OSE (LGPLv3)
  • digestpp (Public Domain)
  • Biometric Evaluation Framework (Public Domain, CLI only)
  • NIST Fingerprint Image Resampler (Public Domain, CLI only)

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Verify Installation

After installation, verify that NFIQ2 is working correctly: 
cd "C:\Program Files\NFIQ 2\bin"
nfiq2.exe --version
Expected output:
NFIQ 2.3.0

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Environment Setup

For easier command-line access, add NFIQ2 to your system PATH: 
# Add to PATH temporarily
$env:Path += ";C:\Program Files\NFIQ 2\bin"

# Add to PATH permanently (requires admin)
[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable(
    "Path",
    [Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable("Path", "Machine") + ";C:\Program Files\NFIQ 2\bin",
    "Machine"
)

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Building from Source

If you need to build NFIQ2 from source (for development or customization), refer to the detailed build instructions in the GitHub repository README.
Building from source requires satisfying multiple dependencies and is recommended only for developers. Always use the pre-built binaries for production deployments.

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Next Steps

Now that you have NFIQ2 installed, continue to the Quickstart Guide to compute your first quality score.

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