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Installation

QuickJS-ng can be installed in several ways. Choose the method that best fits your workflow.

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Prebuilt Binaries

The easiest way to get started is with prebuilt binaries from GitHub releases.
1

Download the binary

Visit the GitHub Releases page and download the binary for your platform:
  • Linux (x86_64, ARM64)
  • macOS (x86_64, ARM64)
  • Windows (x86_64)
2

Extract and install

# Extract the archive
tar -xzf quickjs-*.tar.gz

# Move binaries to your PATH
sudo mv qjs qjsc /usr/local/bin/

# Verify installation
qjs --help
Each release includes binaries for multiple architectures. Make sure to download the one matching your system.

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Using jsvu

As of version 2.2.0, jsvu (JavaScript Version Updater) installs QuickJS-ng when the quickjs engine is requested.
1

Install jsvu

npm install jsvu -g
2

Install QuickJS

jsvu --engines=quickjs
3

Add to PATH

Follow the instructions from jsvu to add the binary to your PATH, or run it directly:
~/.jsvu/quickjs
jsvu makes it easy to install and manage multiple JavaScript engines for testing and comparison.

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Building from Source

For the latest features or custom builds, you can compile QuickJS from source.
1

Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/quickjs-ng/quickjs.git
cd quickjs
2

Build QuickJS

make
3

Install system-wide

sudo make install
By default, this installs to /usr/local. You can customize the installation prefix:
make install INSTALL_PREFIX=/custom/path
See the Building guide for detailed build instructions, including debug builds and amalgamated builds.

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Amalgamated Build

For projects that want to embed QuickJS without CMake, download the amalgamated build from the Releases page. 
# Download quickjs-amalgam.zip from releases
wget https://github.com/quickjs-ng/quickjs/releases/latest/download/quickjs-amalgam.zip
unzip quickjs-amalgam.zip
The amalgamated build contains:
  • quickjs-amalgam.c - Single source file with all QuickJS code
  • quickjs.h - Main header file
  • quickjs-libc.h - Standard library header

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Compiling the Amalgamated Build

# Basic compilation
gcc -c quickjs-amalgam.c -o quickjs.o

# With standard library modules (std, os, bjson)
gcc -c quickjs-amalgam.c -DQJS_BUILD_LIBC -o quickjs.o

# Link with your application
gcc your_app.c quickjs.o -lm -lpthread -o your_app
The amalgamated build is perfect for integrating QuickJS into existing projects without adding build system complexity.

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Verifying Installation

After installation, verify that QuickJS is working: 
qjs --help

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What’s Included

A complete QuickJS installation includes:
  • qjs - The QuickJS interpreter and REPL
  • qjsc - The QuickJS compiler (JavaScript to C)
  • libquickjs.a or libquickjs.so - Static or shared library
  • Header files: quickjs.h, quickjs-libc.h

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System Requirements

Linux

  • GCC 7+ or Clang 6+
  • CMake 3.10+
  • GNU Make
  • POSIX environment

macOS

  • Xcode Command Line Tools
  • CMake 3.10+
  • GNU Make (included)

Windows

  • MSVC 2017+ or MinGW-w64
  • CMake 3.10+

Embedded

  • C11 compiler
  • Minimal libc
  • ~200KB footprint

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Troubleshooting

Windows Users: The Makefile wrapper is not available on Windows. You must use CMake commands directly.

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Common Issues

Command not found If qjs is not found after installation, make sure the installation directory is in your PATH: 
export PATH=/usr/local/bin:$PATH
Permission denied If you get permission errors during installation, use sudo: 
sudo make install
Library not found If you get linker errors about missing libraries, update your library path: 
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/local/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH

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Next Steps

Quick Start

Run your first QuickJS program

Building Guide

Learn about build options and customization

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