build-native

name	build-native
description	Build libsignal native libraries for different platforms. Use when user asks about building, compiling, or creating native libraries for iOS, Android, macOS, Linux, or Windows.

Build Native Libraries

Help with building libsignal native libraries for all supported platforms.

Golden Rule

ALWAYS use Makefile commands. Never call scripts directly.

# CORRECT
make build ARGS="macos"

# WRONG - never do this
fvm dart scripts/build.dart macos

Quick Reference

Platform	Command	Output
macOS	make build ARGS="macos"	bin/macos/
Linux	make build ARGS="linux"	bin/linux/
Windows	make build ARGS="windows"	bin/windows/
iOS	make build ARGS="ios"	ios/Frameworks/ or ios/Libraries/
Android	make build ARGS="android"	android/src/main/jniLibs/
All	make build ARGS="all"	All platforms
List	make build ARGS="list"	Show available platforms

Platform-Specific Options

macOS

# Universal binary (arm64 + x86_64) - default
make build ARGS="macos"

# Specific architecture
make build ARGS="macos --arch arm64"
make build ARGS="macos --arch x86_64"

iOS

# Full XCFramework (device + simulators) - default
make build ARGS="ios"

# Specific targets
make build ARGS="ios --target device"
make build ARGS="ios --target simulator"
make build ARGS="ios --target simulator-arm64"
make build ARGS="ios --target simulator-x86_64"

Android

# All ABIs - default
make build ARGS="android"

# Specific ABI
make build ARGS="android --abi arm64-v8a"
make build ARGS="android --abi armeabi-v7a"
make build ARGS="android --abi x86_64"

Android NDK Setup:

export ANDROID_NDK_HOME=/path/to/ndk/26.3.11579264
# Or install via Android Studio SDK Manager

Windows

make build ARGS="windows"

Requirements: Run from "Developer PowerShell for VS" or after vcvars64.bat

Prerequisites

Platform	Requirements
All	Rust toolchain (rustup, cargo), FVM
Linux	gcc/g++, cross-compilation tools for arm64
macOS	Xcode Command Line Tools
iOS	Xcode (full)
Android	Android NDK
Windows	Visual Studio with C++

Rust Targets

Platform	Rust Target
Linux x86_64	x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
Linux arm64	aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu
macOS arm64	aarch64-apple-darwin
macOS x86_64	x86_64-apple-darwin
iOS device	aarch64-apple-ios
iOS simulator arm64	aarch64-apple-ios-sim
iOS simulator x86_64	x86_64-apple-ios
Android arm64	aarch64-linux-android
Android arm	armv7-linux-androideabi
Android x86_64	x86_64-linux-android
Windows	x86_64-pc-windows-msvc

Troubleshooting

"cargo not found"

# Install Rust toolchain
curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh

"cbindgen not found"

cargo install cbindgen

"protoc not found"

# macOS
brew install protobuf

# Linux
sudo apt install protobuf-compiler

# Windows
choco install protoc

"NDK not found" (Android)

# Check current NDK
echo $ANDROID_NDK_HOME

# Common paths
export ANDROID_NDK_HOME=~/Android/Sdk/ndk/26.3.11579264
export ANDROID_NDK_HOME=~/Library/Android/sdk/ndk/26.3.11579264

Build fails on Windows

• Ensure you're in "Developer PowerShell for VS"
• Or run vcvars64.bat first
• CI workaround: Remove Git's link.exe from PATH (conflicts with MSVC)

Other Useful Commands

# Full setup (installs all dependencies)
make setup

# Just FVM/Flutter setup
make setup-fvm

# Build dependencies only (Rust, protoc)
make setup-build

# Regenerate FFI bindings after native library update
make codegen

# Show current libsignal version
make version