Symbols and footprints

K is kicad-cli (see kicad-view). Footprint mistakes (a mirrored pinout, the wrong pitch, pin 1 in the wrong corner) are the most common reason a first board fails, so check every footprint against the datasheet by the numbers.

Where things live

• Stock libraries: /Applications/KiCad/KiCad.app/Contents/SharedSupport/{symbols,footprints,3dmodels} on macOS, or /usr/share/kicad/... on Linux. Search there first, for example ls <footprints>/Package_SO.pretty | grep -i tssop.
• Project libraries: <project>.pretty/ and <project>.kicad_sym, listed in fp-lib-table and sym-lib-table with ${KIPRJMOD} paths.
  • KiCad reads the project's tables only if the folder has a .kicad_pro.
  • Never edit the stock libraries. Copy the part into the project library instead.

Footprints

Take pad sizes from the datasheet's recommended land pattern, not from the package drawing.