Building On Linux

Building GnuCash on Linux from the Source Code

This page and the linked pages contains generic instructions for building on many Linux distributions. Some Linux distributions may vary in specific details like:

• the package manager they use to install software from the distribution repositories;
• the names of libraries and header files for compiling libraries in their repositories;
• locations in which libraries and programs are commonly installed.

Where information on these differences is known it will be listed in distribution specific sections for some common distributions in use in the GnuCash community. This information can be used to translate these instructions to those specific distributions. In most cases translation generally involves substituting a package managers name for "apt" which is used in the following and the names of the library files in the repositories of the distributions. The distribution specific sections will contain some information on how you might determine library names on that distribution. The instructions in the following are usually directly applicable directly to Debian/Ubuntu distributions and direct derivatives (although not necessarily all of them). Where such information is not available here, you may need to consult the distribution documentation for the required information. Please feel free to add distribution specific information relevant to these instructions for distribuitions that are not currently listed.

Most distributions have a package manager tool (some have several) that is for installing and removing software from the shell. Many also include a GUI software manager interface which can serve the same function. These are used to install the build tools and dependencies (libraries) needed to build GnuCash. Some package managers will have a different syntax from that shown for apt (e.g option switches instead of a <command> <target>. If you are not familiar with the command syntax consult the man pages for the package manager on your system to translate the commands from the apt syntax. A table of the names of the package manager front ends on some Linux systems is given here. In some cases the libraries may have slightly different names from those given here as may the development header files. Your package manager will have a command for searching its software repository. Again consultyour distributions documentation. Instructions for installing software will be given here using apt which is the preferred front end on Ubuntu based system.

Setting up to Build GNuCash on Linux

To build GnuCash on a Linux system you will first have to have completed the following steps:

1. Installing the Build Tools;
2. Getting the GnuCash sources;
3. Installing Google Test;
4. Installing Dependencies.

Distribution Specific Issues

===Linux Mint 19/Ubuntu18.04 On Linux Mint 19/Ubuntu 18.04 Google Test can be installed from the Software Manager