Skip to content

Building from Source

This guide is for contributors and power users who want the latest bleeding-edge DragonFruit code.

If you only want to use DragonFruit, use prebuilt releases from the Installation page.

Prerequisites

Install the following before building:

  • Git
  • Node.js (LTS recommended) + npm
  • Rust toolchain via rustup
  • Platform-specific Tauri system dependencies

Tip

If desktop build steps fail early, the most common cause is missing Tauri system dependencies on your OS.

1) Clone the repository

  1. Clone Open-Resin-Alliance/DragonFruit.
  2. Enter the repository root.

2) Install JavaScript dependencies

Install frontend/tooling dependencies:

  • npm install

3) Optional: initialize plugin submodules

Some complex plugin integrations may be included as submodules under plugins/.

If you are working on those integrations, initialize/update submodules. If not, DragonFruit can still run/build with available plugins and skips missing ones.

4) Run desktop development mode

Start the Tauri desktop app in development mode:

  • npm run tauri:dev

This launches the desktop runtime and enables iterative frontend + backend development.

5) Build production artifacts

To create a release-style desktop build for your current OS:

  • npm run tauri:build

Common outputs by platform:

  • Windows: .exe (NSIS)
  • macOS: .dmg
  • Linux: .flatpak (project workflow may include additional Flatpak steps)

6) Useful verification commands

Run checks before opening a PR:

  • npm run lint
  • npm run test

Common build issues

If a source build fails:

  1. Re-check Tauri prerequisites for your platform.
  2. Confirm Rust and Node are installed and on PATH.
  3. Remove stale dependency/build caches, then reinstall.
  4. Search existing reports or open a new issue:
  5. https://github.com/Open-Resin-Alliance/DragonFruit/issues

Next steps

  • For user install paths and release channels, see Installation.
  • For architecture and internals, continue to the Developer Guide.