A general-purpose programming language and toolchain for maintaining robust, optimal, and reusable software.

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• Introduction
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• Frequently Asked Questions
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Building from Source

Note that you can download a binary of master branch or install Zig from a package manager.

Stage 1: Build Zig from C++ Source Code

This step must be repeated when you make changes to any of the C++ source code.

Dependencies

POSIX

• cmake >= 2.8.5
• gcc >= 5.0.0 or clang >= 3.6.0
• LLVM, Clang, LLD development libraries == 10.x, compiled with the same gcc or clang version above
  • Use the system package manager, or build from source.

Windows

• cmake >= 3.15.3
• Microsoft Visual Studio. Supported versions:
  • 2015 (version 14)
  • 2017 (version 15.8)
  • 2019 (version 16)
• LLVM, Clang, LLD development libraries == 10.x
  • Use the pre-built binaries or build from source.

Instructions

POSIX

mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..
make install

Need help? Troubleshooting Build Issues

MacOS

brew install cmake llvm
brew outdated llvm || brew upgrade llvm
mkdir build
cd build
cmake .. -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=$(brew --prefix llvm)
make install

You will now run into this issue: homebrew and llvm 10 packages in apt.llvm.org are broken with undefined reference to getPollyPluginInfo or error: unable to create target: 'Unable to find target for this triple (no targets are registered)', in which case try -DZIG_WORKAROUND_4799=ON

This has been fixed upstream with LLVM 10.0.1.

Building with LLVM 10.0.1 you might run into this problem: ld: library not found for -llibxml2.tbd Building with LLVM 10.0.1 installed via Homebrew fails, in which case you can try -DZIG_WORKAROUND_6087=ON.

Windows

See https://github.com/ziglang/zig/wiki/Building-Zig-on-Windows

Stage 2: Build Self-Hosted Zig from Zig Source Code

Now we use the stage1 binary:

zig build --prefix $(pwd)/stage2 -Denable-llvm

This produces stage2/bin/zig which can be used for testing and development. Once it is feature complete, it will be used to build stage 3 - the final compiler binary.

Stage 3: Rebuild Self-Hosted Zig Using the Self-Hosted Compiler

Note: Stage 2 compiler is not yet able to build Stage 3. Building Stage 3 is not yet supported.

Once the self-hosted compiler can build itself, this will be the actual compiler binary that we will install to the system. Until then, users should use stage 1.

Debug / Development Build

stage2/bin/zig build

This produces zig-cache/bin/zig.

Release / Install Build

stage2/bin/zig build install -Drelease

License

The ultimate goal of the Zig project is to serve users. As a first-order effect, this means users of the compiler, helping programmers to write better code. Even more important, however, are the end users.

Zig is intended to be used to help end users accomplish their goals. For example, it would be inappropriate and offensive to use Zig to implement dark patterns and it would be shameful to utilize Zig to exploit people instead of benefit them.

However, such problems are best solved with social norms, not with software licenses. Any attempt to complicate the software license of Zig would risk compromising the value Zig provides to users.

Therefore, Zig is available under the MIT (Expat) License, and comes with a humble request: use it to make software better serve the needs of end users.