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

# Building Jan from Source

> Complete guide to building Jan from source code with detailed prerequisites and build commands.

# Building Jan from Source

For developers who want to build Jan from source or contribute to the project, this guide covers everything you need to get started.

## Prerequisites

Before building Jan, ensure you have the following installed:

* **Node.js** ≥ 20.0.0
* **Yarn** ≥ 1.22.0
* **Make** ≥ 3.81
* **Rust** (for Tauri backend)
  * Install from [rustup.rs](https://rustup.rs/)

### Platform-Specific Requirements

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="macOS">
    For macOS universal builds, you'll need:

    ```bash theme={null}
    rustup target add x86_64-apple-darwin
    rustup target add aarch64-apple-darwin
    ```

    For iOS development:

    ```bash theme={null}
    xcode-select --install
    rustup target add aarch64-apple-ios
    rustup target add aarch64-apple-ios-sim
    rustup target add x86_64-apple-ios
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Linux">
    GPU acceleration is available for NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel Arc graphics cards.

    Additional packages may be required:

    ```bash theme={null}
    sudo apt-get install build-essential libssl-dev
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Windows">
    Ensure you have:

    * Visual Studio Build Tools
    * Windows 10 or later
    * GPU support for NVIDIA/AMD/Intel Arc
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Quick Start with Make

The easiest way to build and run Jan:

```bash theme={null}
git clone https://github.com/janhq/jan
cd jan
make dev
```

This single command handles everything:

* Installs all dependencies
* Builds Tauri plugin APIs
* Builds core components
* Builds extensions
* Downloads required binaries
* Launches the development environment

## Available Make Targets

Jan uses a Makefile to simplify common development tasks:

### Development

```bash theme={null}
make dev                    # Full development setup and launch
make dev-web-app           # Run web app only (without Tauri)
make dev-android           # Android development mode
make dev-ios               # iOS development mode (macOS only)
```

### Building

```bash theme={null}
make build                 # Production build for current platform
make build-web-app        # Build web application
make build-cli            # Build Jan CLI (release)
make build-cli-dev        # Build Jan CLI (debug, faster)
make build-mlx-server     # Build MLX server (macOS Apple Silicon only)
```

### Testing & Linting

```bash theme={null}
make test                  # Run all tests (TypeScript + Rust)
make lint                  # Run linters
```

### Cleanup

```bash theme={null}
make clean                 # Delete all build artifacts and dependencies
```

<Warning>
  `make clean` removes node\_modules, build folders, and caches. You'll need to run `make dev` again after cleaning.
</Warning>

## Manual Build Commands

If you prefer more control over the build process:

### Install Dependencies

```bash theme={null}
yarn install
```

### Build Core Components

```bash theme={null}
yarn build:tauri:plugin:api  # Build Tauri plugin APIs
yarn build:core              # Build core SDK
yarn build:extensions        # Build all extensions
```

### Run Development Server

```bash theme={null}
yarn dev                     # Start Tauri app in dev mode
yarn dev:web                 # Start web app only
```

### Production Builds

```bash theme={null}
yarn build                   # Full production build
yarn build:web              # Build web application
yarn build:tauri            # Build Tauri application
```

## Platform-Specific Builds

### macOS Universal Build

```bash theme={null}
yarn build:tauri:darwin
```

Creates a universal binary that runs on both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs.

### Windows Build

```bash theme={null}
yarn build:tauri:win32
```

### Linux Build

```bash theme={null}
yarn build:tauri:linux
```

Produces both `.deb` and `.AppImage` packages.

## Mobile Development

### Android

```bash theme={null}
make dev-android
```

This will:

* Install Android Rust targets
* Initialize Android app (if needed)
* Set up Android environment
* Start development server

### iOS

```bash theme={null}
make dev-ios
```

Requirements:

* macOS only
* Xcode command line tools
* iOS simulators installed

## Testing

### Run All Tests

```bash theme={null}
yarn test                    # TypeScript tests
cd src-tauri && cargo test  # Rust tests
cd autoqa && python main.py # End-to-end tests
```

### Watch Mode

```bash theme={null}
yarn test:watch             # Run tests in watch mode
yarn test:ui                # Run tests with UI
yarn test:coverage          # Generate coverage report
```

## Project Structure

Understanding the codebase structure:

```
jan/
├── web-app/              # React frontend
├── src-tauri/            # Rust backend
│   ├── src/core/         # Core Tauri commands
│   └── plugins/          # Tauri plugins
├── core/                 # TypeScript SDK
├── extensions/           # JavaScript extensions
├── docs/                 # Documentation
├── scripts/              # Build utilities
├── package.json          # Root workspace config
└── Makefile              # Build automation
```

## Troubleshooting

### Build Failures

**Check your versions:**

```bash theme={null}
node --version   # Should be ≥ 20.0.0
yarn --version   # Should be ≥ 1.22.0
rustc --version  # Should be installed
```

**Clean and rebuild:**

```bash theme={null}
make clean
make dev
```

### Extensions Not Loading

Verify extensions are properly built:

```bash theme={null}
ls -la pre-install/*.tgz
```

Rebuild extensions:

```bash theme={null}
yarn build:extensions
```

### Common Issues

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Permission denied on Linux">
    Make build scripts executable:

    ```bash theme={null}
    chmod +x src-tauri/build-utils/*
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Rust target not found">
    Install required targets for your platform:

    ```bash theme={null}
    make install-rust-targets      # macOS
    make install-android-rust-targets  # Android
    make install-ios-rust-targets      # iOS
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="MLX server build fails">
    MLX server only builds on macOS Apple Silicon:

    * Ensure you're on macOS
    * Check Swift is installed: `swift --version`
    * Requires Xcode or Xcode command line tools
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Getting Help

If you encounter issues:

1. Check the [troubleshooting docs](https://jan.ai/docs/desktop/troubleshooting)
2. Search [GitHub Issues](https://github.com/janhq/jan/issues)
3. Ask in [Discord](https://discord.gg/FTk2MvZwJH) `#🆘|jan-help` channel
4. Review the [Contributing Guide](/resources/contributing)

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Contributing Guide" icon="code-pull-request" href="/resources/contributing">
    Learn how to contribute code to Jan
  </Card>

  <Card title="Core Library" icon="diagram-project" href="/core/overview">
    Understand Jan's core library and architecture
  </Card>
</CardGroup>