README.Windows.md

Windows build guide

This guide has been tested with Windows 10 Pro x64, version 22H2, build 19045.4529. Please read it in full before you proceed to familiarize yourself with the build procedure.

Table of Contents

1. Document conventions
2. Prerequisites
3. Get the source code
4. Set up the build environment
5. Build Kodi automagically
6. Build Kodi manually

1. Document conventions

This guide assumes you are using Developer Command Prompt for VS 2022, also known as terminal, console, command-line or simply cli. Commands need to be run at the terminal, one at a time and in the provided order.

This is a comment that provides context:

this is a command
this is another command
and yet another one

Example: Clone Kodi's current master branch:

git clone https://github.com/xbmc/xbmc kodi

Commands that contain strings enclosed in angle brackets denote something you need to change to suit your needs.

git clone -b <branch-name> https://github.com/xbmc/xbmc kodi

Example: Clone Kodi's current Matrix branch:

git clone -b Matrix https://github.com/xbmc/xbmc kodi

Several different strategies are used to draw your attention to certain pieces of information. In order of how critical the information is, these items are marked as a note, tip, or warning. For example:

Note

Linux is user friendly... It's just very particular about who its friends are.

Tip

Algorithm is what developers call code they do not want to explain.

Warning

Developers don't change light bulbs. It's a hardware problem.

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2. Prerequisites

To build Kodi:

• Windows 64bit OS, Windows 8.1 or above (allows build of x64, win32, uwp, arm)
• CMake (version 3.20 or greater is required to build Kodi, version 3.21 or greater to build with Visual Studio 2022)
• Git for Windows
• Java Runtime Environment (JRE)
• Nullsoft scriptable install system (NSIS) (Only needed if you want to generate an installer file)
• Visual Studio 2022 or Visual Studio 2019 (Community Edition is fine)

To run Kodi you need a relatively recent CPU with integrated GPU or discrete GPU with up-to-date graphics device-drivers installed from the manufacturer's website.

• AMD
• Intel
• NVIDIA

CMake install notes

All install screens should remain at their default values with the exception of the following.

• Under Install options change default to Add CMake to system PATH for all users or Add CMake to system PATH for current user (whichever you prefer).

Git for Windows install notes

All install screens should remain at their default values with the exception of the following two.

• Under Choosing the default editor used by Git change default to Use Notepad++ as Git's default editor or your favorite editor.
• Under Adjust your PATH environment change default to Use Git and optional Unix tools from the Windows Command Prompt.

JRE install notes

Default options are fine. After install finishes, add java's executable file path to your PATH environment variable. Should be similar to C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.8.0_311\bin.

NSIS install notes

Default options are fine.

Visual Studio 2022/2019 install notes

Start the Visual Studio installer and click Workloads select

• Under Desktop & Mobile section select
  • Desktop development with C++
    • Select the optional element Windows 11 SDK (10.0.22621.0)
  • Universal Windows Platform development (if compiling for UWP or UWP-ARM)

Click in Individual components select

• Under Compilers, build tools and runtimes section select
  • MSVC v142/3 - VS 2019/22 C++ ARM build tools (Latest) (if compiling for UWP-ARM)

Hit Install. Yes, it will download and install almost 8GB of stuff for x64 only or up to 20GB if everything is selected for UWP / UWP-ARM as well.

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3. Get the source code

Change to your home directory:

cd %userprofile%

Clone Kodi's current master branch:

git clone https://github.com/xbmc/xbmc kodi

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4. Set up the build environment

To set up the build environment, several scripts must be called.

Warning

The scripts may fail if you have a space in the path to the bat files.

Kodi can be built as either a normal 32bit or 64bit program, UWP 32bit and 64bit and UWP ARM 32bit. Unless there is a reason to prefer 32bit builds, we advise you to build Kodi for 64bit.

Tip

Look for comments starting with Or ... and only execute the command(s) you need.

Change to the 64bit build directory (recommended):

cd %userprofile%\kodi\tools\buildsteps\windows\x64

Or change to the 32bit build directory:

cd %userprofile%\kodi\tools\buildsteps\windows\win32

Or change to the UWP 64bit build directory:

cd %userprofile%\kodi\tools\buildsteps\windows\x64-uwp

Or change to the UWP 32bit build directory:

cd %userprofile%\kodi\tools\buildsteps\windows\win32-uwp

Or change to the UWP ARM 32bit build directory:

cd %userprofile%\kodi\tools\buildsteps\windows\arm-uwp

Download dependencies:

download-dependencies.bat

Tip

Look for the All formed packages ready! success message. If you see the message ERROR: Not all formed packages are ready!, execute the command again until you see the success message.

Download and setup the build environment for libraries:

download-msys2.bat

Build FFmpeg:

make-mingwlibs.bat

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5. Build Kodi automagically

If all you want is to build a Kodi package ready to install, execute the command below and you're done. If you want to find out more about building, ignore this step and continue reading. Or execute the command below, grab some coffee and keep reading. Building takes a while anyway.

Build a package ready to install:

BuildSetup.bat

Normal 32bit and 64bit builds generate an exe file ready to run, located at %userprofile%\kodi\kodi-build\Debug or %userprofile%\kodi\kodi-build\Release, depending on the build config. An installer exe file, located at %userprofile%\kodi\project\Win32BuildSetup, is also generated.

UWP builds generate msix, appxsym and cer files, located at %userprofile%\kodi\project\UWPBuildSetup. You can install them following this guide.

Note

To generate an exact replica of the official Kodi Windows installer, some additional steps are required:

Build built-in add-ons (peripheral.joystick only) with command line:

make-addons.bat peripheral.joystick

Build the installer with the command line:

BuildSetup.bat nobinaryaddons clean

BuildSetup.bat without parameters also builds all the Kodi add-ons that are not needed because they are not included in the installer and the process is very time consuming.

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6. Build Kodi manually

Change to your home directory:

cd %userprofile%

Create an out-of-source build directory:

mkdir kodi-build

Change to build directory:

cd kodi-build

Configure build for 64bit (recommended):

cmake -G "Visual Studio 17 2022" -A x64 -T host=x64 %userprofile%\kodi

Or configure build for 32bit:

cmake -G "Visual Studio 17 2022" -A Win32 -T host=x64 %userprofile%\kodi

Or configure build for UWP 64bit:

cmake -G "Visual Studio 17 2022" -A x64 -DCMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME=WindowsStore -DCMAKE_SYSTEM_VERSION=10.0 -T host=x64 %userprofile%\kodi

Or configure build for UWP 32bit:

cmake -G "Visual Studio 17 2022" -A Win32 -DCMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME=WindowsStore -DCMAKE_SYSTEM_VERSION=10.0 -T host=x64 %userprofile%\kodi

Or configure build for UWP ARM 32bit:

cmake -G "Visual Studio 17 2022" -A ARM -DCMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME=WindowsStore -DCMAKE_SYSTEM_VERSION=10.0 -T host=x64 %userprofile%\kodi

Visual Studio 2019:

Replace:

-G "Visual Studio 17 2022"

With:

-G "Visual Studio 16 2019"

Build Kodi: Build a Debug binary:

cmake --build . --config "Debug"

Or build a Release binary:

cmake --build . --config "Release"

Normal 32bit and 64bit builds generate an exe file ready to run, located at %userprofile%\kodi-build\Debug or %userprofile%\kodi-build\Release, depending on the build config. UWP builds generate msix, appxsym and cer files, located inside directories at %userprofile%\kodi-build\AppPackages\kodi\. You can install them following this guide.

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