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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsTo build Bitcoin Core from source on Linux, follow the Unix build notes for the exact source revision you checked out, install its required dependencies, configure with CMake, then compile. Most failures come from an outdated toolchain, a missing feature-specific library, CMake overlooking dependencies built with depends, or insufficient available memory—not from one universal build problem.
How do I build Bitcoin Core from source on Linux?
Start with Bitcoin Core’s Unix build notes and use instructions that match your checkout or release. The linked page tracks the moving master branch, so commands and requirements can change; do not combine it casually with older Autoconf-era guides.
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For a standard CMake build, the documented sequence is:
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cmake --build build
cmake --install build # optionalThe install step is optional. To inspect available CMake configuration options for your checkout, run:
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cmake -B build -LHInstall the baseline development packages that match your Linux distribution. The current upstream examples are:
| Distribution | Example baseline packages |
|---|---|
| Debian or Ubuntu | build-essential cmake python3 libboost-dev |
| Fedora | gcc-c++ cmake make python3 boost-devel |
| Alpine | build-base cmake linux-headers python3 boost-dev |
| Arch | gcc make cmake python boost |
These package names are examples from the upstream build notes; check the notes and your distribution’s package manager for the exact revision and release you are using. The project warns that older Debian or Ubuntu releases may need a later compiler.
Why does a build fail before or during compilation?
Check toolchain versions before blaming the source
Bitcoin Core’s current dependencies page lists minimum versions of GCC 12.1, Clang 17.0, CMake 3.22, Boost 1.74.0, and runtime glibc 2.31. These are project documentation thresholds, not a guarantee that every Linux release packages a compatible combination. Since the page can change, verify them against the exact Bitcoin Core revision you are building.
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Check which executables your shell will use and their versions before investigating source-level errors:
gcc --version
clang --version
cmake --version
Also check the installed Boost package through your distribution’s package manager. A version mismatch can surface as configuration or compilation errors; changing project code is not the right first response when the toolchain itself is below the documented minimum.
Separate required libraries from optional features
A missing-dependency message often means CMake is trying to build a feature whose development library is not installed. Upstream associates these dependencies with these features:
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- Wallet: SQLite. To build without wallet support, configure with
-DENABLE_WALLET=OFF; upstream says this removes the SQLite dependency. - GUI: Qt and libqrencode. For a GUI build, upstream calls for Qt, libqrencode, and
-DBUILD_GUI=ON. The option-DWITH_QRencode=OFFdisables QR encoding support while retaining the GUI; it is not the general switch for disabling the GUI. - IPC: Cap’n Proto.
- ZMQ: libzmq.
- USDT tracing: SystemTap development files.
Install the development package for a feature you intend to build, or disable that feature using the option documented for your checkout. A headless, walletless build can omit some dependencies, but it will not provide the features you disabled. Consult the upstream build notes for the relevant options.
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These are two supported dependency routes, with different trade-offs. The project describes depends as a dependency build and cache system that builds packages in controlled sysroots and verifies fetched sources against checksums. That can make dependency selection more predictable, but it does not guarantee every host build will succeed.
| Route | What it offers | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Distribution packages | Uses libraries and development tools managed by your Linux distribution, fitting an existing system setup. | Package versions may be too old for the Bitcoin Core revision; check upstream minimums and your distribution release. |
Repository depends |
Builds dependencies in controlled sysroots, giving more control over selected dependency versions. | CMake does not use the generated output automatically. You must pass the generated toolchain file when configuring. |
Neither route is universally better. Use distribution packages when their versions meet the project’s requirements and you want integration with the host system. Consider depends when you need its controlled dependency build, and make sure your CMake configuration actually consumes it.
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Why does CMake ignore dependencies built with depends?
By default, CMake ignores the output from depends. The upstream depends README instructs you to pass its generated toolchain file during configuration. For the example Linux target, use:
cmake -B build --toolchain depends/x86_64-pc-linux-gnu/toolchain.cmakeUse the toolchain file for your actual target rather than assuming the example path fits every build. If CMake reports a dependency missing after you built it through depends, first confirm that configuration received the correct generated toolchain file.
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What can I do when compilation runs out of memory?
Bitcoin Core’s Unix build notes call C++ compilers memory-hungry and recommend at least 1.5 GB of available memory while compiling. This is the project’s guidance for available memory during compilation, not a universal minimum specification for the whole machine. Your available memory depends on what else is running, and the recommendation does not guarantee a build will fit.
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Upstream suggests several possible mitigations, none of which is a guaranteed fix:
- With GCC, try garbage-collector tuning as described in the Unix build notes.
- Reduce debug information from the default
RelWithDebInfoflags if your build does not need it. - Try Clang, which the project describes as often less resource hungry.
Apply one change at a time and retry the build so you can tell whether it helped. The appropriate trade-off depends on your need for debug information and the resources available on your system.
How do I tell build problems from problems running a node?
For a CMake or compiler failure, retain and inspect the configure and build output first. Bitcoin Core’s developer documentation points to debug.log in the data directory, startup options such as -debug and -loglevel, and the logging RPC for investigating behavior after the program runs. Those runtime diagnostics do not replace the compiler output for a failed build; see the project’s developer notes.
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