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This guide covers the complete build process for compiling the Pacman game from source code.

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Prerequisites

Before building, ensure you have all required development libraries installed on your Linux system.

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Required libraries

The game requires the following development packages:
  • libsdl1.2-dev - SDL 1.2 graphics library
  • libsdl-image1.2-dev - SDL image loading library
  • libglfw3-dev - GLFW for resolution management
  • libmikmod-dev - MikMod audio library
  • x11-utils - X11 utilities including xrandr
Install all dependencies with a single command:
sudo apt install libsdl1.2-dev libsdl-image1.2-dev libglfw3-dev libmikmod-dev x11-utils

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Build configuration

The project uses a traditional Makefile build system. Let’s examine the key configuration options.

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Compiler settings

The Makefile is configured with the following settings: 
CC = gcc
INCLUDEDIR = /usr/include/SDL
INCLUDESRCDIR = src/include

CFLAGS = -DLINUX -O3 -ggdb -ffast-math -funroll-loops \
         -fomit-frame-pointer -Wall -pipe \
         -I$(INCLUDEDIR) -I$(INCLUDESRCDIR)

LDFLAGS = -L/usr/lib -lSDL -lSDL_image -lm -lmikmod -lglfw
  • -DLINUX - Defines the Linux platform macro
  • -O3 - Maximum optimization level for performance
  • -ggdb - Generate debug information for GDB
  • -ffast-math - Enable fast floating-point optimizations
  • -funroll-loops - Unroll loops for better performance
  • -fomit-frame-pointer - Omit frame pointer for more registers
  • -Wall - Enable all compiler warnings
  • -pipe - Use pipes instead of temporary files

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Source files

The build includes these source modules: 
SRC = src/main.c \
      src/gfx.c \
      src/menuopt.c \
      src/mov_fig.c \
      src/sprites.c \
      src/movefant.c \
      src/misc.c

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Building the game

Follow these steps to compile the game.
1

Navigate to source directory

Open a terminal and change to the project directory:
cd /path/to/pacman
2

Verify dependencies

Ensure all required libraries are installed:
pkg-config --exists sdl && echo "SDL found" || echo "SDL missing"
which xrandr && echo "xrandr found" || echo "xrandr missing"
3

Compile the game

Run make to build the executable:
make
This will compile all source files and link them into the pacman executable.
4

Verify the build

Check that the executable was created:
ls -lh pacman
You should see the pacman binary in the current directory.

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Build output

During a successful build, you’ll see output similar to: 
gcc -DLINUX -O3 -ggdb -ffast-math -funroll-loops -fomit-frame-pointer -Wall -pipe \
    -I/usr/include/SDL -Isrc/include -c src/main.c -o src/main.o
gcc -DLINUX -O3 -ggdb -ffast-math -funroll-loops -fomit-frame-pointer -Wall -pipe \
    -I/usr/include/SDL -Isrc/include -c src/gfx.c -o src/gfx.o
...
gcc -DLINUX -O3 -ggdb -ffast-math -funroll-loops -fomit-frame-pointer -Wall -pipe \
    src/main.o src/gfx.o src/menuopt.o src/mov_fig.o src/sprites.o src/movefant.o src/misc.o \
    -o pacman -L/usr/lib -lSDL -lSDL_image -lm -lmikmod -lglfw

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Cleaning and rebuilding

To clean up build artifacts and start fresh:

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Clean build files

Remove all compiled object files and the executable: 
make clean
This command removes:
  • All .o object files in the src/ directory
  • The pacman executable

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Full rebuild

To perform a complete clean rebuild: 
make clean && make
It’s good practice to run make clean before rebuilding if you’ve made changes to header files, as Make may not detect all dependencies.

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Troubleshooting

Common build issues and their solutions.

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SDL headers not found

Error: 
fatal error: SDL.h: No such file or directory
Solution: 
# Install SDL development packages
sudo apt install libsdl1.2-dev

# Or specify custom SDL path in Makefile
export INCLUDEDIR=/usr/local/include/SDL

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GLFW library not found

Error: 
/usr/bin/ld: cannot find -lglfw
Solution: 
# Install GLFW development library
sudo apt install libglfw3-dev

# Verify library is installed
ldconfig -p | grep glfw

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xrandr not available

Warning: 
WARNING: 'xrandr' not available on the system.
Resolution cannot be saved or restored automatically.
Solution: 
# Install X11 utilities
sudo apt install x11-utils

# Verify xrandr is available
which xrandr
xrandr --version
Without xrandr, the game will still run but won’t be able to restore your original screen resolution and multi-monitor configuration after exiting.

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Permission denied when running make

Error: 
make: *** [pacman] Error 1
Permission denied
Solution: 
# Ensure you have write permissions in the directory
ls -la

# If needed, change ownership
sudo chown -R $USER:$USER .

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Compiler optimization issues

If you experience crashes or odd behavior, try building with less aggressive optimization: 
# Edit Makefile and change -O3 to -O2
# Then rebuild
make clean && make

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Custom build options

You can customize the build by modifying the Makefile or passing options to make.

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Debug build

For debugging with GDB, the default build includes -ggdb. To run with debugger: 
make
gdb ./pacman

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Release build without debug symbols

Edit the Makefile and remove -ggdb from CFLAGS, or create a separate target: 
release: CFLAGS := $(filter-out -ggdb,$(CFLAGS))
release: pacman
Then build with: 
make release

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Static linking

To create a more portable executable with static libraries: 
make LDFLAGS="-L/usr/lib -static -lSDL -lSDL_image -lm -lmikmod -lglfw"
Static linking may not work with all libraries, particularly if they depend on dynamic system libraries.

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Verifying the build

After building, verify the executable is properly linked: 
# Check linked libraries
ldd ./pacman

# Check file type
file ./pacman

# Test run (see Running guide for details)
./pacman -w
Expected output from ldd should show:
  • libSDL-1.2.so.0
  • libSDL_image-1.2.so.0
  • libglfw.so.3
  • libmikmod.so.3
  • Standard system libraries (libc, libm, etc.)

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Next steps

Now that you’ve built the game successfully:
  • Learn how to run the game with different options
  • Understand the game controls and mechanics
  • Explore the source code to customize the game

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