> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/freerdp/freerdp/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Building on Linux

> Step-by-step instructions for building FreeRDP from source on Ubuntu/Debian and Fedora using CMake and Ninja.

## Prerequisites

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Ubuntu / Debian">
    ```bash theme={null}
    sudo apt-get update
    sudo apt-get install -y \
      build-essential git cmake ninja-build pkg-config \
      libssl-dev \
      libx11-dev libxext-dev libxinerama-dev libxcursor-dev \
      libxdamage-dev libxv-dev libxkbfile-dev \
      libwayland-dev libxkbcommon-dev \
      libasound2-dev libpulse-dev \
      libkrb5-dev \
      libcjson-dev \
      libusb-1.0-0-dev \
      libavcodec-dev libavutil-dev libswscale-dev \
      libcups2-dev \
      libpcsclite-dev \
      libfuse3-dev \
      libsdl2-dev libsdl2-ttf-dev
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Fedora / RHEL">
    ```bash theme={null}
    sudo dnf install -y \
      gcc gcc-c++ git cmake ninja-build pkg-config \
      openssl-devel \
      libX11-devel libXext-devel libXinerama-devel libXcursor-devel \
      libXdamage-devel libXv-devel libxkbfile-devel \
      wayland-devel libxkbcommon-devel \
      alsa-lib-devel pulseaudio-libs-devel \
      krb5-devel \
      cjson-devel \
      libusb1-devel \
      ffmpeg-devel \
      cups-devel \
      pcsc-lite-devel \
      fuse3-devel \
      SDL2-devel SDL2_ttf-devel
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Build

<Steps>
  <Step title="Clone the repository">
    ```bash theme={null}
    git clone https://github.com/FreeRDP/FreeRDP.git /tmp/freerdp/src
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure with CMake">
    ```bash theme={null}
    cmake -GNinja \
      -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release \
      -DWITH_VERBOSE_WINPR_ASSERT=OFF \
      -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/tmp/freerdp/install \
      -B /tmp/freerdp/build \
      -S /tmp/freerdp/src
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Compile and install">
    ```bash theme={null}
    cmake --build /tmp/freerdp/build --target install
    ```
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  Using Ninja (`-GNinja`) significantly speeds up incremental builds compared to the default Makefile generator.
</Tip>

## Common CMake options

### Display subsystems

| Flag                                | Description                                         |
| ----------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- |
| `-DWITH_X11=ON`                     | Build the X11 client and server (default on Linux). |
| `-DWITH_WAYLAND=ON`                 | Build `wlfreerdp`, the Wayland client.              |
| `-DWITH_X11=OFF -DWITH_WAYLAND=OFF` | Headless / library-only build.                      |

### SSL

| Flag                | Description                                     |
| ------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| `-DWITH_OPENSSL=ON` | Use OpenSSL (default).                          |
| `-DWITH_MBEDTLS=ON` | Use MBedTLS instead (set `-DWITH_OPENSSL=OFF`). |

### H.264 and graphics scaling

| Flag                 | Description                                 |
| -------------------- | ------------------------------------------- |
| `-DWITH_FFMPEG=ON`   | Enable FFmpeg-based H.264 and audio.        |
| `-DWITH_OPENH264=ON` | Enable Cisco OpenH264.                      |
| `-DWITH_SWSCALE=ON`  | Enable Swscale for high-DPI / smart-sizing. |
| `-DWITH_CAIRO=ON`    | Enable Cairo for high-DPI / smart-sizing.   |

### Audio

| Flag                   | Description                                     |
| ---------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| `-DWITH_PULSE=ON`      | Enable PulseAudio (default when headers found). |
| `-DWITH_ALSA=ON`       | Enable ALSA (default when headers found).       |
| `-DWITH_DSP_FFMPEG=ON` | Use FFmpeg for audio processing.                |

### Server and proxy

| Flag               | Description                  |
| ------------------ | ---------------------------- |
| `-DWITH_SERVER=ON` | Build server-side libraries. |
| `-DWITH_PROXY=ON`  | Build the RDP proxy.         |
| `-DWITH_SHADOW=ON` | Build the shadow server.     |

## Using a CMake preload file

The repository includes a preload for a full Linux debug build with all optional features enabled:

```bash theme={null}
cmake -C /tmp/freerdp/src/ci/cmake-preloads/config-linux-all.txt \
  -GNinja \
  -B /tmp/freerdp/build \
  -S /tmp/freerdp/src

cmake --build /tmp/freerdp/build
```

## Debug vs release example

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash release build theme={null}
  cmake -GNinja \
    -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release \
    -DWITH_VERBOSE_WINPR_ASSERT=OFF \
    -B build -S .
  cmake --build build
  ```

  ```bash debug build theme={null}
  cmake -GNinja \
    -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug \
    -DWITH_VERBOSE_WINPR_ASSERT=ON \
    -B build -S .
  cmake --build build
  ```
</CodeGroup>

<Note>
  For builds that are not from a stable release, keep `-DWITH_VERBOSE_WINPR_ASSERT=ON` so that crashes produce useful diagnostic output.
</Note>