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Installing Zig

This guide will help you install Zig on your system. There are multiple ways to get Zig depending on your platform and needs.

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Download Pre-built Binaries

The easiest way to get started with Zig is to download pre-built binaries from the official website.
1

Visit the Zig downloads page

Navigate to ziglang.org/download to find the latest release for your platform.
2

Choose your platform

Zig provides pre-built binaries for:
  • Linux (x86_64, aarch64, riscv64, loongarch64, s390x)
  • macOS (x86_64, aarch64)
  • Windows (x86_64, aarch64)
  • FreeBSD (x86_64)
3

Extract the archive

Download and extract the archive to a directory of your choice:
tar xf zig-linux-*.tar.xz
4

Add to PATH

Add the Zig binary to your system PATH:
export PATH=$PATH:/path/to/zig
Add this to your shell’s configuration file (.bashrc, .zshrc, etc.) to make it permanent.

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Building from Source

You can build Zig from source for maximum control and to contribute to development.

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Prerequisites

Building Zig from source requires:
  • CMake 3.15 or later
  • C and C++ compiler (GCC, Clang, or MSVC)
  • Ninja build system (recommended)
  • LLVM, Clang, and LLD libraries (optional, for LLVM backend)

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Build with CMake

1

Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/ziglang/zig.git
cd zig
2

Create build directory

mkdir build
cd build
3

Configure with CMake

The CMakeLists.txt:1-38 defines the build configuration:
cmake .. \
  -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release \
  -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr/local \
  -GNinja
The default install prefix is stage3 in the build directory. Override with -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX.
4

Build and install

ninja install
This will create a stage3 build in the installation prefix.

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Build with Zig (Bootstrap)

If you already have Zig installed, you can use it to build the latest version:
1

Use zig build

From the source directory:build.zig:16:
zig build
2

Install to prefix

zig build -Doptimize=ReleaseFast --prefix /usr/local

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Common Build Options

From build.zig and CMakeLists.txt:
  • -Doptimize=ReleaseFast - Optimize for speed
  • -Doptimize=ReleaseSmall - Optimize for binary size
  • -Doptimize=Debug - Debug build with safety checks
  • -Dtarget=<triple> - Cross-compile for specific target
  • -Dno-lib - Skip copying lib/ files (for development)
  • -Denable-llvm - Enable LLVM backend
  • -DZIG_STATIC=ON - Build static binary (CMake)

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Package Managers

Package manager versions may lag behind the latest Zig release. For the newest features, download from ziglang.org or build from source.
brew install zig

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Verify Installation

After installation, verify that Zig is properly installed:
1

Check version

zig version
This should output the Zig version, e.g., 0.16.0.
2

Display the Zen of Zig

From main.zig:5641-5655:
zig zen
This displays the Zen of Zig:
 * Communicate intent precisely.
 * Edge cases matter.
 * Favor reading code over writing code.
 * Only one obvious way to do things.
 * Runtime crashes are better than bugs.
 * Compile errors are better than runtime crashes.
 * Incremental improvements.
 * Avoid local maximums.
 * Reduce the amount one must remember.
 * Focus on code rather than style.
 * Resource allocation may fail; resource deallocation must succeed.
 * Memory is a resource.
 * Together we serve the users.
3

View supported targets

zig targets
This shows all compilation targets that Zig supports, including architectures, operating systems, and C ABIs.

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Next Steps

Now that you have Zig installed, you’re ready to write your first program!

Quick Start Guide

Learn how to create and build your first Zig program

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