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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/open-pencil/open-pencil/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

Before building the OpenPencil desktop app, you need to install Rust, Bun, and platform-specific development tools. Follow the instructions for your operating system below.

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All Platforms

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Rust

Install Rust using rustup: 
curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh
Or download from rustup.rs. Verify installation: 
rustc --version
cargo --version

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Bun

Install Bun (JavaScript runtime and package manager): 
curl -fsSL https://bun.sh/install | bash
Verify installation: 
bun --version

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macOS

Install Xcode Command Line Tools: 
xcode-select --install
This provides:
  • Clang — C/C++ compiler for Rust native dependencies
  • macOS SDK — System headers and frameworks
  • Git — Version control (if not already installed)
Verify installation: 
xcode-select -p
# Should output: /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools

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Building Universal Binaries

To build universal binaries (Intel + Apple Silicon), add both Rust targets: 
rustup target add x86_64-apple-darwin
rustup target add aarch64-apple-darwin
Then build with: 
bun run tauri build --target universal-apple-darwin

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Windows

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1. Rust with MSVC Toolchain

Download and run the Rust installer from rustup.rs. During installation, select the stable-msvc toolchain. If you already have Rust installed with a different default, switch to MSVC: 
rustup default stable-msvc
Verify: 
rustc --version
rustup show
# Should show: default toolchain: stable-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc

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2. Visual Studio Build Tools

Install Visual Studio Build Tools with the “Desktop development with C++” workload. This provides:
  • MSVC compiler — Required for Rust native dependencies
  • Windows SDK — System headers and libraries
You can also install the full Visual Studio IDE (Community, Professional, or Enterprise) if you prefer.

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3. WebView2 Runtime

WebView2 is pre-installed on:
  • Windows 10 (version 1803 and later)
  • Windows 11 (all versions)
If missing, download the WebView2 Evergreen Runtime from Microsoft. Verify installation by checking for msedgewebview2.exe in C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\EdgeWebView\Application\.

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Building for ARM64

To build for Windows ARM64, add the target: 
rustup target add aarch64-pc-windows-msvc
Then build with: 
bun run tauri build --target aarch64-pc-windows-msvc

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Linux

The OpenPencil desktop app requires WebKit2GTK and several system libraries. Install them using your distribution’s package manager.

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Debian / Ubuntu

Install all required dependencies: 
sudo apt install libwebkit2gtk-4.1-dev build-essential curl wget file \
  libxdo-dev libssl-dev libayatana-appindicator3-dev librsvg2-dev
Breakdown:
  • libwebkit2gtk-4.1-dev — WebKit rendering engine (Tauri’s webview)
  • build-essential — GCC, G++, make, and other build tools
  • curl, wget, file — Download and file type utilities
  • libxdo-dev — X11 automation library
  • libssl-dev — OpenSSL headers for Rust crypto crates
  • libayatana-appindicator3-dev — System tray support
  • librsvg2-dev — SVG rendering library

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Fedora / RHEL / CentOS

sudo dnf install webkit2gtk4.1-devel openssl-devel curl wget file \
  libappindicator-gtk3-devel librsvg2-devel xdotool

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Arch Linux

sudo pacman -S webkit2gtk-4.1 base-devel curl wget file openssl \
  libappindicator-gtk3 librsvg xdotool

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Other Distributions

For other Linux distributions, see the official Tauri v2 prerequisites guide.

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Verification

After installing all prerequisites, verify your setup: 
# Check Rust
rustc --version

# Check Bun
bun --version

# Install dependencies
bun install

# Try running the dev server
bun run tauri dev
If the desktop window opens successfully, your environment is configured correctly.

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Troubleshooting

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macOS: “xcode-select: error: tool ‘xcodebuild’ requires Xcode”

You installed the full Xcode app instead of Command Line Tools. Either:
  • Use the full Xcode (larger download, includes IDE)
  • Or uninstall Xcode and install Command Line Tools only

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Windows: Rust targets wrong toolchain

Ensure stable-msvc is the default: 
rustup default stable-msvc
rustup show
If you see stable-gnu, switch to MSVC.

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Linux: Missing libraries

Error messages will indicate which library is missing. Search for the package name in your distribution’s package manager. For example: 
error: failed to run custom build command for `webkit2gtk-sys`
Means you need libwebkit2gtk-4.1-dev (Debian/Ubuntu) or equivalent.

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Version conflicts

If you encounter build errors after updating dependencies:
  1. Clear build cache: cargo clean (in desktop/ directory)
  2. Update Rust: rustup update
  3. Reinstall Node modules: rm -rf node_modules && bun install

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CI Environment

For automated builds (GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, etc.), the build.yml workflow installs all dependencies and builds for multiple platforms. See .github/workflows/build.yml for the complete CI setup.