Install the SmartSpectra C++ SDK on Ubuntu 24.04 or Linux Mint 22 (noble) for amd64 and arm64.

SmartSpectra C++ Quickstart — Ubuntu 24.04 / Mint 22

Warning — Experimental platform: Linux support for the SmartSpectra C++ SDK is experimental. If you have any issues running SmartSpectra, contact Presage support for assistance.

This guide covers the noble apt suite, which supports both amd64 and arm64. If you are on Ubuntu 22.04 / Mint 21, follow the Ubuntu 22.04 / Mint 21 guide instead.

Installation

Prerequisites

CMake 3.22.1 or later (the version shipped with Ubuntu 24.04 / Mint 22 is sufficient)
C++17 compiler such as GCC or Clang
Vulkan-capable graphics driver — Linux builds use Vulkan inference by default. The SDK package installs the Vulkan loader dependency through apt, but the host must provide a working Vulkan driver.
cmake, curl, gpg, and pkg-config — used by the build, install, and verify steps below. Install with sudo apt install cmake curl gpg pkg-config if they are not already present.
API key from physiology.presagetech.com

Add the SDK

Install the Presage signing key:

sudo install -d -m 0755 /etc/apt/keyrings
curl -fsSL https://packages.presagetech.com/KEY.gpg \
  | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /etc/apt/keyrings/presage-archive-keyring.gpg
sudo chmod 644 /etc/apt/keyrings/presage-archive-keyring.gpg

Add the noble apt source:

echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/presage-archive-keyring.gpg] https://packages.presagetech.com/apt/ubuntu noble main" \
  | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/presage-technologies.list

Installing an RC build? Keep the same signing-key setup, but use the noble-rc apt source instead of noble:
echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/presage-archive-keyring.gpg] https://packages.presagetech.com/apt/ubuntu noble-rc main" \
  | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/presage-technologies.list
Then run the same sudo apt update and sudo apt install libsmartspectra-dev commands below.

Install the SDK:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install libsmartspectra-dev

The signed-by= source entry scopes the Presage signing key to the Presage apt repository. APT selects the package matching your system's dpkg --print-architecture (amd64 or arm64) automatically.

The SmartSpectra SDK package is self-contained. You do not need to install protobuf, curl, OpenSSL, or other SDK runtime libraries separately. On noble, libsmartspectra-dev depends on the distro OpenCV runtime packages shipped in noble-universe; apt pulls them in automatically when you install the package.

Verify that the package is visible to build tools:

pkg-config --modversion SmartSpectra

The command prints the installed SDK version (for example, 1.7.0). If it prints nothing or reports that the package is missing, reinstall libsmartspectra-dev and confirm you are on a supported Ubuntu 24.04 / Mint 22 (amd64 or arm64) host.

Example

This quick start creates a minimal CMake project that links against the installed SmartSpectra::SDK package and reads from the default camera.

You will create exactly these files:

hello_vitals/hello_vitals.cpp
hello_vitals/CMakeLists.txt

Result you should get

At the end, the app should show console output with:

a successful CMake configure and build
Processing... Press Ctrl+C to stop.
Cardio metrics: log lines when cardio metrics are available
Breathing metrics: log lines when breathing metrics are available
a clean exit after you stop the sample

SmartSpectra C++ quickstart demo

Step 1 - Get an API key

Open the Presage Developer Admin Portal Registration.
Register or log in.
Copy your API key from the portal.

Step 2 - Create the project directory

mkdir hello_vitals
cd hello_vitals

Step 3 - Create `hello_vitals.cpp`

Open a new file named hello_vitals.cpp in your editor of choice and paste this entire file:

This example also lives in smartspectra/cpp/samples/hello_vitals/.

#include <smartspectra/messages/metrics.h>
#include <smartspectra/smartspectra.h>
#include <smartspectra/smartspectra_config.h>

#include <chrono>
#include <csignal>
#include <cstdlib>
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <thread>

namespace spectra = presage::smartspectra;

namespace {

volatile std::sig_atomic_t g_stop_requested = 0;

void HandleSignal(int) {
    g_stop_requested = 1;
}

std::string ResolveApiKey(int argc, char** argv) {
    if (argc > 1) {
        return argv[1];
    }
    if (const char* key = std::getenv("SMARTSPECTRA_API_KEY")) {
        return key;
    }
    return {};
}

}  // namespace

int main(int argc, char** argv) {
    std::signal(SIGINT, HandleSignal);
    const std::string api_key = ResolveApiKey(argc, argv);
    if (api_key.empty()) {
#if defined(_WIN32)
        std::cerr << "Usage: .\\hello_vitals.exe YOUR_API_KEY\n"
                  << "or set SMARTSPECTRA_API_KEY=YOUR_API_KEY\n";
#else
        std::cerr << "Usage: ./hello_vitals YOUR_API_KEY\n"
                  << "or export SMARTSPECTRA_API_KEY=YOUR_API_KEY\n";
#endif
        return 1;
    }

    spectra::SmartSpectraConfig config;
    config.api_key = api_key;
    config.requested_metrics = spectra::SmartSpectraConfig::BreathingMetrics();
    config.AddMetrics(spectra::SmartSpectraConfig::CardioMetrics());

    spectra::SmartSpectra sdk(config);
    sdk.SetOnMetrics([](const spectra::Metrics& metrics, int64_t) {
        if (metrics.has_cardio()) {
            std::cerr << "Cardio metrics: "
                      << metrics.cardio().ShortDebugString() << "\n";
        }
        if (metrics.has_breathing()) {
            std::cerr << "Breathing metrics: "
                      << metrics.breathing().ShortDebugString() << "\n";
        }
    });
    sdk.SetOnValidationStatusChanged(
        [have_last_status = false,
         last_code = spectra::ValidationCode::kOk,
         last_hint = std::string{}](const spectra::ValidationStatus& status, int64_t) mutable {
            if (have_last_status &&
                status.code == last_code &&
                status.hint == last_hint) {
                return;
            }
            have_last_status = true;
            last_code = status.code;
            last_hint = status.hint;
            std::cerr << "Validation [" << status.code
                      << "]: " << status.hint << "\n";
        });
    sdk.SetOnError([](const spectra::SmartSpectraError& error) {
        std::cerr << "Error [" << static_cast<int>(error.code)
                  << "]: " << error.message << "\n";
    });

    const auto source_error =
        sdk.UseCamera().SetResolution(1280, 720).SetFps(30).Build();
    if (!source_error.ok()) {
        std::cerr << "Failed to create camera source: "
                  << source_error.message << "\n";
        return 1;
    }

    if (const auto err = sdk.Start(); !err.ok()) {
        std::cerr << "Failed to start: " << err.message << "\n";
        return 1;
    }

    std::cout << "Processing... Press Ctrl+C to stop.\n";
    while (!g_stop_requested) {
        std::this_thread::sleep_for(std::chrono::milliseconds(200));
    }
    if (const auto err = sdk.Stop(); !err.ok()) {
        std::cerr << "Stop failed: " << err.message << "\n";
    }
    return 0;
}

The example requests breathing and cardio metrics. Add FaceMetrics() or other metric groups with config.AddMetrics(...) when your app expects those outputs.

Step 4 - Create `CMakeLists.txt`

Open a new file named CMakeLists.txt in the same directory and paste this entire file:

cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.22.1)
project(SmartSpectraHelloVitals CXX)
set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 17)
set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED ON)

find_package(SmartSpectra REQUIRED)
add_executable(hello_vitals hello_vitals.cpp)
target_link_libraries(hello_vitals SmartSpectra::SDK)

Step 5 - Build

cmake -S . -B build
cmake --build build

A successful build produces the executable at build/hello_vitals. If CMake reports that it cannot locate SmartSpectra, rerun pkg-config --modversion SmartSpectra to confirm the SDK is installed correctly before continuing.

Step 6 - Run

Pass the API key as an argument:

./build/hello_vitals YOUR_API_KEY

Or set it once in your shell:

export SMARTSPECTRA_API_KEY="YOUR_API_KEY"
./build/hello_vitals

Sit centered in front of the webcam, well-lit, and stay reasonably still. The app logs breathing and cardio metrics until you stop it with Ctrl+C. If no face is detected the app still runs and exits cleanly, but no metrics callbacks fire. An internet connection is required for subscription validation when using the standard SDK.

What success looks like

When your program is running, you should see all of these:

Processing... Press Ctrl+C to stop. prints after launch
the camera starts without a source creation error
Cardio metrics: or Breathing metrics: logs print while you sit centered and well-lit
the process exits after Ctrl+C without a Stop failed message

Expected API key check

The first measurement should start after the executable launches with a valid API key argument or SMARTSPECTRA_API_KEY environment variable. If startup fails with an authentication error, verify that the key is authorized for this app and that your shell did not include extra quotes or whitespace.

Common manual mistakes

If the console output does not match the target state, check these first:

the Presage apt source was added for the wrong Ubuntu or Mint suite
libsmartspectra-dev did not finish installing before CMake was run
the API key argument or SMARTSPECTRA_API_KEY environment variable is missing
another app is already using the camera
the host has no desktop keyring session; see Running headless
the binary is an older build from before the latest source change

Running headless (Docker, CI, no desktop)

A desktop Ubuntu or Mint session provides D-Bus and a Secret Service backend (gnome-keyring) automatically. Without one — in a Docker container, on a CI runner, or in an SSH session with no desktop — the SDK cannot persist its device identity and aborts at initialization with:

Load secret 'key_id' failed: D-Bus Secret Service is not reachable

Install a D-Bus launcher and a Secret Service backend, then start a session bus and unlock a fresh keyring before running your binary:

sudo apt install -y dbus-x11 gnome-keyring
eval "$(dbus-launch --sh-syntax)"
echo "" | gnome-keyring-daemon --unlock --components=secrets >/dev/null 2>&1
./build/hello_vitals

dbus-launch --sh-syntax writes export DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS=…; to stdout so the eval exports the address into the current shell's environment, and gnome-keyring-daemon --unlock --components=secrets opens the secrets backend with an empty passphrase so libsecret reads and writes keys unattended. The same three commands also satisfy the SDK on a stock Ubuntu Server install. (Without --sh-syntax, dbus-launch prints bare KEY=value lines that eval treats as shell-local assignments rather than env exports, so the SDK subprocess does not inherit the bus address.)

Build the Provided Samples

The SDK package does not install the sample source code. To build the repository samples against the installed SDK, clone the SmartSpectra repository after installing libsmartspectra-dev:

git clone https://github.com/Presage-Security/SmartSpectra.git
cd SmartSpectra/cpp/samples
cmake -S . -B build -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release
cmake --build build --target minimal_example

Run a sample with your API key:

./build/minimal_example/minimal_example --api_key=YOUR_API_KEY

Advanced apt workflows

Most users only need the stable noble repository above. Use these when you intentionally need release-candidate packages, version pinning, or repository removal.

Pinning the installed SDK version

To keep a working machine on the currently installed SDK version while you test or stage a rollout, hold the package:

sudo apt-mark hold libsmartspectra-dev

Release the hold when you are ready to take SDK updates again:

sudo apt-mark unhold libsmartspectra-dev

Release-candidate channel

Release-candidate builds are published to the parallel noble-rc apt suite signed by the same Presage key:

echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/presage-archive-keyring.gpg] https://packages.presagetech.com/apt/ubuntu noble-rc main" \
  | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/presage-technologies-rc.list

sudo apt update && sudo apt -t noble-rc install libsmartspectra-dev

Keep the stable noble source configured alongside noble-rc; the RC channel does not republish stable releases.

Returning from RC to stable

sudo apt update
sudo apt install --reinstall -t noble libsmartspectra-dev=$(apt-cache madison libsmartspectra-dev | awk '/noble\/main/ {print $3; exit}')
sudo rm -f /etc/apt/sources.list.d/presage-technologies-rc.list
sudo rm -f /etc/apt/preferences.d/presage-rc
sudo apt update

Uninstalling the package

sudo apt remove --purge libsmartspectra-dev
sudo apt autoremove --purge
sudo rm -f /etc/apt/sources.list.d/presage-technologies.list
sudo rm -f /etc/apt/sources.list.d/presage-technologies-rc.list
sudo rm -f /etc/apt/preferences.d/presage-rc
sudo rm -f /etc/apt/keyrings/presage-archive-keyring.gpg
sudo rm -f /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/presage-technologies.gpg
sudo apt update

Next Steps

Configure which metrics to compute
Run headless without video output
Migration Guide for upgrading from older SDK versions

Documentation

API reference available at C++ API Reference.

Troubleshooting

If you are upgrading an older C++ integration, start with the C++ Migration Guide.

If your binary fails at startup with Load secret 'key_id' failed: D-Bus Secret Service is not reachable, you are on a host without a desktop session — see Running headless for the D-Bus and keyring bootstrap.

Debian `Signed-By` conflict

Older Debian instructions installed the Presage key in /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/ and used a source line without signed-by=. If apt update reports E: Conflicting values set for option Signed-By regarding source https://packages.presagetech.com/apt/ubuntu/ noble, remove the legacy key copy and run apt update again:

sudo rm -f /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/presage-technologies.gpg
sudo apt update

For support: contact support@presagetech.com or submit a GitHub issue.

Ubuntu 24.04 / Mint 22

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