xmake-commands

name	xmake-commands
description	Use when invoking Xmake from the command line — configuring, building, running, cleaning, installing, packing, or inspecting a project. Covers the common flags for `xmake f`, `xmake`, `xmake run`, `xmake install`, `xmake pack`, and friends.

Xmake Commands

Xmake's CLI is a single xmake binary with subcommands. Without a subcommand it runs build.

Configure (xmake f / xmake config)

xmake f -m release                # build mode
xmake f -p linux -a x86_64        # platform + arch
xmake f --toolchain=clang
xmake f -c                        # clear old config
xmake f --menu                    # interactive TUI (shows all options)
xmake f -v                        # verbose

Config is persisted under .xmake/, so later xmake calls reuse it.

Build

xmake                 # build all default targets
xmake app             # build a specific target
xmake -r              # rebuild (force)
xmake -j 8            # parallel jobs
xmake -v              # show compile commands
xmake -vD             # verbose + diagnostics (for debugging xmake.lua)
xmake -w              # treat warnings

Run

xmake run                  # run default runnable target
xmake run app arg1 arg2    # pass arguments
xmake run -d app           # run under debugger (gdb/lldb/cdb)

Clean

xmake clean                # current config
xmake clean --all          # all configs
xmake clean app            # one target

Install / uninstall

xmake install -o /usr/local
xmake install --root app       # one target, root-prefixed
xmake uninstall -o /usr/local

Pack (xmake pack)

Produce distributable archives (zip/tar.gz/deb/rpm/nsis/wix/...):

xmake pack                           # default format
xmake pack -f zip
xmake pack -f nsis                   # Windows installer
xmake pack -f deb mylib              # Debian package for one target

Packaging metadata is defined via xpack(...) in xmake.lua.

Project info & inspection

xmake show                           # project summary
xmake show -l targets
xmake show -l toolchains
xmake show -l plats
xmake show -t app                    # info for one target
xmake show --key=options

Project file generation (for IDEs/other tools)

xmake project -k compile_commands    # compile_commands.json
xmake project -k cmakelists          # CMakeLists.txt (one-way export)
xmake project -k vsxmake -m "debug,release"   # Visual Studio solution
xmake project -k xcode               # Xcode project

Self-update

xmake update                 # stable
xmake update -s dev          # dev branch

When to branch out

• Writing tests runnable via xmake test → xmake-tests
• Packaging details and xpack interfaces → see xmake docs