## Prerequisites for building SWI-Prolog from source

This page contains a general description of the prerequisites for building SWI-Prolog.
This is mainly using for [building SWI-Prolog on Unix-based systems](<unix.html>).  The Unix build page contains links to OS specific pages.  This page provides background and guides you through the process for other operating systems.

  - Tools:

    $ gcc or clang :
    With some effort, other C compilers may work as well
    $ GNU-make :
    Do not try with other implementations of `make`
    $ autoconf :
    When building from GIT
    $ LaTeX :
    Optional for documentation, see README.doc
    $ perl :
    optional for documentation, see README.doc

  - Libraries (core system):

    $ gmp (http://gmplib.org/) :
    Provides unbounded integers and rational numbers.  Although
    the system compiles without it we strongly encourage you do
    use GMP.  Libraries and other software written for SWI-Prolog
    may fail to work properly without GMP.
    $ GNU readline library :
    Optional, provides commandline editing and completion.  You
    really want this!
    $ libunwind (http://www.nongnu.org/libunwind) :
    Not available on all platforms.  If it is supported, it enhances
    crash reports generated by the system.

  - Libraries (packages):

    $ unixODBC (http://www.unixodbc.org/) :
    Optional for building package odbc, providing database access.
    $ OpenSSL (www.openssl.org/) :
    Optional for building package ssl (Secure Socket layer)
    $ zlib :
    Optional for building package zlib (compressed streams)
    $ OSSP UUID library (http://www.ossp.org/pkg/lib/uuid/) :
    Needed for library(uuid).  Used by various packages.
    $ SUN Java SDK or OpenSDK :
    Optional for building JPL (Java interface).  Note that auto-detection
    of JPL prerequisites often fails.  See DISABLE_PKGS in build.templ
    $ libXt, X11 core libraries, libjpeg and libxpm :
    Required libraries for XPCE, the SWI-Prolog graphics layer that
    provides the built-in editor, graphical debugger and many other
    developers tools.
    $ libXft, libfontconfig and pkg-config :
    Provide proper Unicode font support for XPCE.  Without, XPCE may work
    or not, depending on locale and installed fonts.