We’re excited to announce the release of WISDM v2.5.1, a focused update that extends the package’s reach to Linux environments. Whether you’re running large-scale species distribution models on a remote server, working in a Docker container, or deploying workflows in a cloud environment, WISDM can now go with you.

Full Linux support

Until now, WISDM was built primarily for Windows. Version 2.5.1 changes that. The package now runs consistently across both Windows and Linux platforms, making it easier to integrate WISDM into server-based and remote workflows.

Key additions for Linux users include:

• Interactive Shiny apps (Correlation Viewer, Hyperparameter Tuning) can now be accessed remotely through standard connection methods like SSH or Docker
• Charts and figures render correctly in server environments (via Cairo) that don't have a display screen attached
• Consistent raster tiling on Linux via explicit GeoTIFF block sizing

Cleaner conda environments

To prevent cross-language dependency conflicts, the single wisdm-conda.yml has been split into dedicated Python (wisdm-py-conda.yml) and R (wisdm-r-conda.yml) environments. Package versions are now pinned to builds available on both Windows and Linux.

Maxent improvements

Maxent has been updated to work on any operating system, not just Windows. The package is also now smarter about finding Java on your computer and will automatically look in the usual places where Java is installed so you don't have to configure it manually.

Other improvements

This release also includes several smaller but meaningful improvements:

• Multiprocessing stability: A job start desynchronization delay (up to 10 seconds) has been added to the Apply Model transformer, preventing all concurrent tiles from launching simultaneously and competing for resources
• Path handling: Hardcoded Windows path separators have been replaced throughout R and Python scripts
• Documentation: Added clarification that MESS (Multivariate Environmental Similarity Surface) and MoD (Most Dissimilar Variable) spatial outputs are limited to continuous covariates, and expanded documentation on modelling methods and background data generation

Get started

To download the latest version of WISDM or read the full changelog, visit the WISDM GitHub repository. If you have questions or run into issues, head to the SyncroSim Community Forum.