CNTK Binary Download and Configuration

Microsoft Cognitive Toolkit (CNTK) supports both Windows and Linux 64bit platforms.

We only build release versions after milestones. We encourage users to enlist the source code to get most updated features and bug fixes, and to contribute back to the toolkit community.

This page describes the CNTK binary using the prepackaged scripts, which is the recommended way to get started. See the steps below for instructions

You can also install a CNTK binary download manually or, if you're a developer, build it from sources. This is described here:

• Automated binary install

• Binary install with manual steps: For those who need custom installation (with setting being different from the pre-packaged scripts).

• Build from sources: Those interested in contributing to CNTK.

[Note: The CNTK new Python and C++ APIs are a Beta release for users to try and provide feedback on the usability and functional aspects of the API. CNTK executable with BrainScript support is in production]

Language Support:

CNTK can act as a library and provides Python and C++ APIs. Additionally, CNTK can be used as a standalone exe with BrainScript. When CNTK is used a library, these APIs enable programmatically defining CNTK models and drive their training/evaluation, using either built-in data readers or user supplied data in native Python numpy/C++ arrays.

• Python:
  • CNTK with Python APIs is supported for Python 3.4 for Windows and Linux. For both platforms one can create a 3.4.4 Python environment within any Anaconda (Python 2.7 or 3.x version).

• Brainscript:
  • CNTK also supports the BrainScript framework.