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

# Building Ghidra

> Complete guide to building Ghidra from source

This guide covers how to build Ghidra from source code for development purposes.

## Prerequisites

### Required Build Tools

Before building Ghidra, ensure you have the following tools installed:

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Java Development Kit (JDK)">
    * **Version:** JDK 21 64-bit
    * **Download:** [Eclipse Temurin](https://adoptium.net/temurin/releases)
    * **Verify installation:** `java -version`
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Gradle Build System">
    * **Version:** Gradle 8.5 or later
    * **Download:** [Gradle releases](https://gradle.org/releases/)
    * **Alternative:** Use the provided Gradle wrapper if Internet connection is available
    * **Verify installation:** `gradle --version`
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Python 3">
    * **Version:** 3.9 to 3.13 with bundled pip
    * **Download:** [Python downloads](https://www.python.org/downloads/)
    * **Verify installation:** `python3 --version` and `pip3 --version`
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

### Platform-Specific Requirements

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Linux">
    Required native build tools:

    * GCC or Clang compiler
    * make

    Install on Ubuntu/Debian:

    ```bash theme={null}
    sudo apt-get install build-essential
    ```

    Install on Fedora/RHEL:

    ```bash theme={null}
    sudo dnf groupinstall "Development Tools"
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="macOS">
    Required native build tools:

    * GCC or Clang (included with Xcode Command Line Tools)
    * make

    Install Xcode Command Line Tools:

    ```bash theme={null}
    xcode-select --install
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Windows">
    Required:

    * [Microsoft Visual Studio 2017+](https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/vs/community/) OR
    * [Microsoft C++ Build Tools](https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/visual-cpp-build-tools/)

    The following components must be installed:

    * MSVC (Microsoft Visual C++ compiler)
    * Windows SDK
    * C++ ATL (Active Template Library)
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Getting the Source Code

### Option 1: Download ZIP Archive

```bash theme={null}
# Download the latest source from GitHub
wget https://github.com/NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra/archive/refs/heads/master.zip

# Extract the archive
unzip ghidra-master.zip
cd ghidra-master
```

### Option 2: Clone the Repository

```bash theme={null}
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra.git
cd ghidra
```

<Tip>
  Cloning the repository is recommended if you plan to contribute changes back to the project.
</Tip>

## Build Process

### Step 1: Download Dependencies

Download non-Maven Central dependencies. This creates a `dependencies` directory in the repository root:

```bash theme={null}
gradle -I gradle/support/fetchDependencies.gradle
```

<Note>
  If you didn't install Gradle system-wide, you can use the Gradle wrapper instead:

  * Linux/macOS: `./gradlew -I gradle/support/fetchDependencies.gradle`
  * Windows: `.\gradlew.bat -I gradle/support/fetchDependencies.gradle`
</Note>

### Step 2: Prepare Development Environment

Download Maven Central dependencies and setup the repository for development. By default, these will be stored at `$HOME/.gradle/`:

```bash theme={null}
gradle prepdev
```

### Step 3: Build Ghidra

Create a compressed development build:

```bash theme={null}
gradle buildGhidra
```

The compressed development build will be located at `build/dist/`.

<Warning>
  The build created this way is intended only to run on the platform on which it was built.
</Warning>

## Alternative Build Options

### Build Uncompressed Distribution

Build Ghidra to `build/dist` in an uncompressed form:

```bash theme={null}
gradle assembleAll
```

### Build Native Components Only

Build native components for your current platform (requires native tool chains):

```bash theme={null}
gradle buildNatives
```

### Compile Sleigh Files

Manually compile sleigh files (Ghidra will also do this at runtime when necessary):

```bash theme={null}
gradle sleighCompile
```

### Build Documentation

Generate Javadoc documentation:

```bash theme={null}
gradle createJavadocs
```

### Build Python Packages

Build Python3 packages for PyGhidra and the Debugger:

```bash theme={null}
gradle buildPyPackage
```

## Common Gradle Commands

### Clean Build Files

Clean up repository build files (may be necessary after a `git pull` to fix unexplainable compilation errors):

```bash theme={null}
gradle clean
```

### Skip Specific Tasks

You can skip certain Gradle tasks to speed up your build using the `-x <task>` argument:

```bash theme={null}
# Example: Skip IP header checks
gradle buildGhidra -x ip
```

### Generate Eclipse Project Files

Generate nested Eclipse project files for import:

```bash theme={null}
gradle cleanEclipse eclipse
```

## Offline Development

To move the Ghidra repository to an offline network and continue development:

```bash theme={null}
# 1. Fetch dependencies
gradle -I gradle/support/fetchDependencies.gradle

# 2. Download Maven dependencies to local directory
gradle -g dependencies/gradle prepdev

# 3. Move ghidra directory to offline system

# 4. Build on offline system
gradle -g dependencies/gradle buildGhidra
```

<Note>
  The `-g` flag specifies the Gradle user home directory. Overriding it to be inside the Ghidra repository ensures all Maven Central dependencies are moved with the rest of the repository.
</Note>

## Testing Your Build

### Run Unit Tests

```bash theme={null}
gradle unitTestReport
```

### Run Integration Tests

```bash theme={null}
gradle integrationTest
```

### Run All Tests and Generate Report

```bash theme={null}
gradle combinedTestReport
```

### Headless Testing (CI/Docker)

For running tests in headless mode on Linux, in a CI environment, or in Docker:

```bash theme={null}
Xvfb :99 -nolisten tcp &
export DISPLAY=:99
```

This is required to make AWT happy in headless environments.

## Next Steps

After successfully building Ghidra:

1. See the [Development Setup](/community/development-setup) guide to configure your IDE
2. Review the [Contributing Guide](/community/contributing) to learn how to submit changes
3. Check the [Troubleshooting](/resources/troubleshooting) guide if you encounter issues