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Zeal requires several dependencies to build and run. This page lists all dependencies and how to install them.

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Required Dependencies

These dependencies are required to build Zeal:

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CMake

Minimum Version: 3.16.3 (3.21.0+ recommended for presets) CMake is the build system used by Zeal. 
brew install cmake

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Qt Framework

Minimum Version: 5.15.2 (Qt 5) or 6.2.0 (Qt 6) Zeal supports both Qt 5 and Qt 6. Qt 6 is automatically preferred if available.

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Required Qt Modules

  • Qt Concurrent: For multi-threaded operations
  • Qt Gui: GUI framework foundation
  • Qt Network: Network access and HTTP server
  • Qt WebEngine Core: Web rendering engine
  • Qt WebEngine Widgets: Web view widgets
  • Qt Widgets: Widget-based UI components

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Platform-Specific Qt Modules

Linux (X11 only): Qt X11 Extras (Qt 5) or Qt Gui Private (Qt 6.10+)Required for global keyboard shortcuts support.
brew install qt@6
# or
brew install qt@5
Qt WebEngine Widgets is required. Some minimal Qt installations may not include it by default.

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libarchive

Purpose: Reading compressed docset archives libarchive provides support for reading various archive formats (tar, zip, etc.). 
brew install libarchive
On macOS, CMake will automatically look in Homebrew paths (/opt/homebrew/opt/libarchive and /usr/local/opt/libarchive).

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SQLite

Purpose: Database operations for docset metadata and search SQLite is used to read docset indexes and manage application data. 
brew install sqlite

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X11 Libraries (Linux Only)

On X11-based Linux systems, additional libraries are required for global shortcuts:
  • libX11: X11 client library
  • xcb-util-keysyms: XCB keyboard symbols library
  • ECM: Extra CMake Modules (for finding XCB)
sudo apt install libx11-dev libxcb-keysyms1-dev extra-cmake-modules
Without X11 support, global keyboard shortcuts will not work on Linux.

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Dependencies via vcpkg

Zeal includes a vcpkg.json manifest for managing dependencies on Windows:
vcpkg.json
{
  "builtin-baseline": "120deac3062162151622ca4860575a33844ba10b",
  "dependencies": [
    {
      "name": "cpp-httplib",
      "default-features": false
    },
    {
      "name": "libarchive",
      "default-features": false
    },
    "openssl",
    "sqlite3",
    "vulkan-headers"
  ]
}

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Using vcpkg

1

Install vcpkg

Follow the vcpkg installation guide:
git clone https://github.com/microsoft/vcpkg.git
cd vcpkg
.\bootstrap-vcpkg.bat  # Windows
./bootstrap-vcpkg.sh   # Linux/macOS
2

Set environment variable

Windows (PowerShell)
$env:VCPKG_ROOT="C:\path\to\vcpkg"
Linux/macOS
export VCPKG_ROOT=/path/to/vcpkg
3

Configure with vcpkg

cmake --preset ninja-multi-vcpkg
vcpkg will automatically install the dependencies listed in vcpkg.json.
Qt must still be installed separately. vcpkg does not provide Qt in Zeal’s configuration.

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Optional Dependencies

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cpp-httplib

Purpose: HTTP server for local API Zeal can use either the system-installed cpp-httplib or a bundled version. 
# vcpkg (recommended on Windows)
vcpkg install cpp-httplib

# Or let CMake use the bundled version
# (no action needed - automatic fallback)
Zeal includes a bundled copy of cpp-httplib in src/contrib/. CMake will use it automatically if the system version is not found.

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OpenSSL

Purpose: HTTPS support in Qt WebEngine Required for secure connections when viewing documentation. 
vcpkg install openssl

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Vulkan Headers

Purpose: GPU acceleration in Qt WebEngine Improves rendering performance.
Windows (vcpkg)
vcpkg install vulkan-headers
On Linux and macOS, Vulkan headers are typically included with graphics drivers or Qt WebEngine dependencies.

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Build Tool Dependencies

Ninja provides faster builds than Make. 
brew install ninja

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Compiler Requirements

Zeal requires a C++17-compatible compiler:
  • GCC: 7.0+
  • Clang: 5.0+
  • MSVC: 2017 (15.7)+

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Dependency Summary Table

DependencyMinimum VersionPurposeRequired On
CMake3.16.3Build systemAll platforms
Qt5.15.2 / 6.2.0GUI frameworkAll platforms
libarchiveAnyArchive extractionAll platforms
SQLiteAnyDatabase operationsAll platforms
libX11AnyX11 integrationLinux (X11)
xcb-util-keysymsAnyKeyboard shortcutsLinux (X11)
Qt X11 Extras5.15.2+X11 integrationLinux (Qt 5 + X11)
ECMAnyCMake modulesLinux (X11)
OpenSSLAnyHTTPS supportAll platforms (optional)
cpp-httplibAnyHTTP serverAll platforms (bundled fallback)
Vulkan headersAnyGPU accelerationAll platforms (optional)

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Next Steps

Building Zeal

Learn how to build Zeal with these dependencies

Platform Notes

Platform-specific dependency installation tips

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