KiCad 10.0.3 Release Overview
KiCad 10.0.3 has been officially released. This stable version includes critical bug fixes and other minor improvements made since the previous release.
A complete list of issues fixed since KiCad 10.0.0 is available on the KiCad 10.0.3 milestone page.
Because this release contains several critical bug fixes, users should consider upgrading as soon as practical. KiCad 10.0.3 was created from the 10.0 branch and includes a carefully selected set of changes from the development branch.
Packages for Windows, macOS, and Linux are available or will become available soon. Users should consult the KiCad download page for platform-specific installation guidance. A Windows package is also available through the Tsinghua University mirror for users in China.
Potential bugs can be reported through the KiCad issue tracker. When submitting an issue, include the operating system, KiCad version, steps to reproduce the problem, and any relevant project files or logs.
KiCad 10.0.3 Change List
General Improvements
- Prevent assertion errors caused by an empty label in the "Status" grid column.
- Improve handling of missing bitmaps.
- Allow KiCad to be built with OCCT 8.0.0. Issue #24281.
- Ensure that autosave files are deleted correctly in all cases.
- Add an autosave recovery dialog with recovery options for individual files.
- Fix an issue in which a local history commit was not created when a new project was saved manually for the first time.
- Use foreground colors to identify autosave and backup commits in the history list.
Schematic Editor
- Remove persistent saving of the Symbol Fields Table tab selection. Issue #24187.
- Prevent save times from increasing as additional files are added to the project directory. Issue #24102.
- Prevent an assertion error when the database symbol library table cannot be found. Sentry issue KICAD-18ZD.
- Prevent hierarchical labels from creating connections between top-level sheets. Issue #24290.
Simulator
- Export
/GNDon the root sheet as'GND', and export'0'at any hierarchy level as'0'. Issue #23996.
PCB Editor
- Add a shortcut to the Zone Manager through the toolbar's right-click context menu. Issue #24250.
- When importing PADS circuit boards, expand zone fills to match the polygon line width and set the edge-hatching border style.
- Use strict segment-intersection checking when importing PADS circuit boards.
- Correctly display pads on back-side copper layers when the footprint object filter is enabled. Issue #24205.
- Synchronize position-related labels with the restored state of the polar-coordinate checkbox. Issue #24304.
- Fix lookup of custom padstack shapes on non-copper layers.
- Display the time consumed by design rule checking (DRC) in the dialog status bar.
These PCB editor changes improve interoperability with imported board data, make pad and layer objects easier to inspect, and provide clearer feedback during design rule checking. The import-related fixes are particularly relevant when migrating layouts from other PCB design environments, where polygon geometry and segment-intersection rules may not map directly to KiCad's internal representation.
Footprint Editor
- Correctly handle real-time updates to pad-to-die delay in the footprint pin table editor.
- Sort the pin editor table by pin number.
- Fix a crash that occurred when importing Altium footprint libraries. Issue #24278.
- Replace the pad table dialog.
The footprint editor changes improve table behavior and library-import reliability. Real-time updates to pad-to-die delay are important when editing package-related timing data because the displayed values must remain synchronized with the current pin and pad definitions.
Command-Line Interface
- Add an option to close the properties pop-up window when exporting to PDF.
This option is useful for automated documentation workflows in which PDF output must be generated without interactive property windows appearing in the exported result.
Windows
- Fix an issue in which the file list in the commit dialog was empty. Issue #24196.
Upgrade Considerations
KiCad 10.0.3 is a maintenance release rather than a major feature release. Its primary purpose is to improve stability, correct behavior in specific workflows, and resolve issues affecting schematic capture, PCB editing, footprint development, simulation export, command-line operation, and project history management.
Before upgrading an active design environment, users should maintain backups of project files and verify that locally installed libraries and plugins remain compatible with the new version. Projects that rely on autosave recovery, local history, imported PADS or Altium data, or automated PDF export may benefit most directly from the fixes included in this release.
The release incorporates contributions from developers, package maintainers, library maintainers, documentation writers, translators, and other contributors involved in preparing the software.
