Compile Aseprite from source code for Windows 11/10 x64

compile-aseprite-win.md

Prerequisites

• Windows 11/10 x64.
• Visual Studio Community 2022 + Desktop Development with C++ + Windows 10.0 SDK.
• CMake.
• Ninja Build System.
• Skia.
• Winrar or 7zip.

Download and Set Up Visual Studio Community 2022

• Get Visual Studio Community 2022.

  

• Once the installer launches, select Desktop Development with C++ workload.

  

• In the "Individual Components" section, select Windows 10.0 SDK.

  

• Click the "Install while downloading" button to begin installing Visual Studio 2022.

Get The Source Code

• Get the Aseprite source code Aseprite-v1.x-Source.zip

  

Download and Set Up CMake

• Get CMake cmake-3.xx.x-windows-x86_64.msi

  

• Choose the option Add CMake To The System PATH For All Users

  

Download and Set Up Ninja

• Download Ninja Build System.

  

• Extract ninja-win.zip and copy ninja.exe to C:\Program Files\CMake\bin.

Download Skia

• Download Skia Skia-Windows-Release-x64.zip.

  

• In the C:\ directory, create a folder named deps.

• Inside the deps directory, create another folder named skia.

• Extract the contents of Skia-Windows-Release-x64.zip into the skia folder.

Compiling

• In the C:\ directory, create a folder named aseprite.

• Extract the contents of Aseprite-v1.x-Source.zip into the aseprite folder.

• Search Command Prompt

  

• Execute the following commands:

call "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Community\Common7\Tools\VsDevCmd.bat" -arch=x64
cd C:\aseprite
mkdir build
cd build
cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=RelWithDebInfo -DLAF_BACKEND=skia -DSKIA_DIR=C:\deps\skia -DSKIA_LIBRARY_DIR=C:\deps\skia\out\Release-x64 -DSKIA_LIBRARY=C:\deps\skia\out\Release-x64\skia.lib -G Ninja ..
ninja aseprite

• The executable will be located at C:\aseprite\build\bin\aseprite.exe.

Tested With Aseprite v1.3.7

Please remember to support the creators of Aseprite. Only use this method to try the program or if you don't have access to funds or a credit card :)

I'm getting errors when I follow the instructions.
C:\aseprite\build>cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=RelWithDebInfo -DLAF_BACKEND=skia -DSKIA_DIR=C:\deps\skia -DSKIA_LIBRARY_DIR=C:\deps\skia\out\Release-x64 -DSKIA_LIBRARY=C:\deps\skia\out\Release-x64\skia.lib -G Ninja ..
CMake Error at C:/Program Files/CMake/share/cmake-3.28/Modules/CMakeDetermineCXXCompiler.cmake:48 (message):
Could not find compiler set in environment variable CXX:

set(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER "C:/Program Files/Microsoft Visual
Studio/2022/Community/VC/Tools/MSVC/14.30.30705/bin/Hostx64/x64/cl.exe").

Call Stack (most recent call first):
CMakeLists.txt:23 (project)

CMake Error: CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER not set, after EnableLanguage
-- Configuring incomplete, errors occurred!

How can I fix it?

I'm on Win 10 anyway.

Hi. Im getting this error with any compiler im trying to use. Maybe you can help me. I`m on Windows 11.

C:\aseprite\build>cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=RelWithDebInfo -DLAF_BACKEND=skia -DSKIA_DIR=C:\deps\skia -DSKIA_LIBRARY_DIR=C:\deps\skia\out\Release-x64 -DSKIA_LIBRARY=C:\deps\skia\out\Release-x64\skia.lib -G Ninja ..
-- The C compiler identification is unknown
-- The CXX compiler identification is unknown
-- Detecting C compiler ABI info
-- Detecting C compiler ABI info - failed
-- Check for working C compiler: C:/Program Files/Microsoft Visual Studio/2022/Community/VC/Tools/MSVC/14.39.33519/bin/Hostx64/x64/cl.exe
-- Check for working C compiler: C:/Program Files/Microsoft Visual Studio/2022/Community/VC/Tools/MSVC/14.39.33519/bin/Hostx64/x64/cl.exe - broken
CMake Error at C:/Program Files/CMake/share/cmake-3.29/Modules/CMakeTestCCompiler.cmake:67 (message):
The C compiler

"C:/Program Files/Microsoft Visual Studio/2022/Community/VC/Tools/MSVC/14.39.33519/bin/Hostx64/x64/cl.exe"

is not able to compile a simple test program.

It fails with the following output:

Change Dir: 'C:/aseprite/build/CMakeFiles/CMakeScratch/TryCompile-7uvaq3'

Run Build Command(s): C:/PROGRA~1/MIB055~1/2022/COMMUN~1/Common7/IDE/COMMON~1/MICROS~1/CMake/Ninja/ninja.exe -v cmTC_7395d
[1/2] C:\PROGRA~1\MIB055~1\2022\COMMUN~1\VC\Tools\MSVC\1439~1.335\bin\Hostx64\x64\cl.exe    -o CMakeFiles\cmTC_7395d.dir\testCCompiler.c.obj -c C:\aseprite\build\CMakeFiles\CMakeScratch\TryCompile-7uvaq3\testCCompiler.c
FAILED: CMakeFiles/cmTC_7395d.dir/testCCompiler.c.obj
C:\PROGRA~1\MIB055~1\2022\COMMUN~1\VC\Tools\MSVC\1439~1.335\bin\Hostx64\x64\cl.exe    -o CMakeFiles\cmTC_7395d.dir\testCCompiler.c.obj -c C:\aseprite\build\CMakeFiles\CMakeScratch\TryCompile-7uvaq3\testCCompiler.c
ninja: build stopped: subcommand failed.

CMake will not be able to correctly generate this project.
Call Stack (most recent call first):
CMakeLists.txt:23 (project)

-- Configuring incomplete, errors occurred!

Thanks !

This might be a dumb or obvious prereq, but I think this process also requires git to be installed. Otherwise the error "error: could not find git for clone..." appears. If this is someone's first time trying to compile something, or if they're a starving artist with no dev experience, they may not know how to parse the error message.

@KilkankB I figured out how to fix your error if you're still having it. From https://community.aseprite.org/t/cmake-error-webp-libraries-notfound/17305, double check your skia install directory, and where it is in your filesystem matches -DSKIA_DIR=C:\deps\skia. If it doesn't, either move the directory or update the flag to match where it actually is

sorry guys if i dont reply to ur problems
im not that smart 😭

Appreciate this guide. This is way easier to understand than the install.md included. Thank you for this.

Appreciate this guide. This is way easier to understand than the install.md included. Thank you for this.

thank you :)

best tutorial ever tbh

best tutorial ever tbh

thank you :)

Tnx, also how to make this work with powershell windows terminal??

Tnx, also how to make this work with powershell windows terminal??

change the default terminal to windows terminal