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This guide covers building OpenRCT2 from source on various Linux distributions.

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Prerequisites

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Build Tools

You’ll need CMake 3.24+, a C++20 compiler (GCC 12+ or Clang 11+), and Ninja or Make.

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Required Dependencies

OpenRCT2 requires the following development libraries:
  • SDL2 development files
  • libzip (≥1.0)
  • zlib
  • libpng (≥1.6)
  • OpenSSL (≥1.0.0)
  • libcurl
  • FreeType2
  • fontconfig
  • ICU (libicu)
  • zstd (libzstd)

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Optional Dependencies

  • FLAC (libflac)
  • Vorbis (libvorbis, libvorbisfile)
  • Ogg (libogg)
  • OpenGL development files
  • discord-rpc
  • ccache (for faster rebuilds)

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Installing Dependencies

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y \
  git cmake ninja-build \
  g++ pkg-config \
  libsdl2-dev \
  libzip-dev libpng-dev \
  libssl-dev libcurl4-openssl-dev \
  libfreetype6-dev libfontconfig1-dev \
  libicu-dev libzstd-dev \
  zlib1g-dev

# Optional dependencies
sudo apt install -y \
  libflac-dev libvorbis-dev libogg-dev \
  mesa-common-dev libgl1-mesa-dev \
  ccache

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Building OpenRCT2

1

Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/OpenRCT2/OpenRCT2.git
cd OpenRCT2
2

Create a build directory

mkdir build
cd build
Do not build in the source directory. CMake will reject in-source builds.
3

Configure the build

For a standard release build:
cmake .. -G Ninja -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release
For a debug build:
cmake .. -G Ninja -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug
To install to a custom prefix:
cmake .. -G Ninja \
  -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release \
  -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr/local
4

Compile

ninja
This will compile both openrct2 (the GUI) and openrct2-cli (the headless server).The build process will also generate required asset files (g2.dat, fonts.dat, palettes.dat, tracks.dat).
5

Install (optional)

To install system-wide:
sudo ninja install
Or to a custom DESTDIR:
DESTDIR=/tmp/openrct2-install ninja install

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Build Options

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Creating a Portable Build

For a portable build that can be moved to any directory: 
cmake .. -G Ninja \
  -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release \
  -DPORTABLE=ON
This sets the RPATH to $ORIGIN, allowing the binary to find libraries relative to its location.

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Building for AppImage

For AppImage packaging: 
cmake .. -G Ninja \
  -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release \
  -DAPPIMAGE=ON
This sets RPATH to $ORIGIN/../lib for the AppImage directory structure.

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Headless Build (Server Only)

To build only the headless server without GUI support: 
cmake .. -G Ninja \
  -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release \
  -DDISABLE_GUI=ON

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Static Linking

For a statically linked build: 
cmake .. -G Ninja \
  -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release \
  -DSTATIC=ON

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Building with Tests

cmake .. -G Ninja \
  -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug \
  -DWITH_TESTS=ON

ninja

# Run tests
ctest --output-on-failure

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Running OpenRCT2

After building, you can run OpenRCT2 directly from the build directory: 
./openrct2
For the headless server: 
./openrct2-cli host /path/to/save.sv6
On first run, OpenRCT2 will ask you to locate your RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 installation directory.

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Using CCache

CCache can significantly speed up rebuilds. It’s enabled by default if detected. To install CCache: 
sudo apt install ccache
To disable CCache: 
cmake .. -G Ninja -DOPENRCT2_USE_CCACHE=OFF

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Troubleshooting

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GCC Version Too Old

GCC 12 or later is required. Older versions will fail to compile.
If your distribution provides an older GCC: 
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntu-toolchain-r/test
sudo apt update
sudo apt install gcc-12 g++-12
export CC=gcc-12
export CXX=g++-12
Or use Clang instead: 
sudo apt install clang  # Ubuntu/Debian
export CC=clang
export CXX=clang++

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Missing pkg-config Files

If CMake cannot find libraries: 
# Check pkg-config can find libraries
pkg-config --modversion sdl2
pkg-config --modversion libzip
pkg-config --modversion libpng

# If not found, install the -dev packages
If you encounter OpenSSL linking issues: 
# Make sure openssl-dev is installed
sudo apt install libssl-dev  # Ubuntu/Debian
sudo dnf install openssl-devel  # Fedora

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X11/OpenGL Errors

For headless systems or when OpenGL is causing issues: 
cmake .. -G Ninja \
  -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release \
  -DDISABLE_OPENGL=ON

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Native Packages

Several distributions offer pre-built OpenRCT2 packages:
  • Arch Linux: sudo pacman -S openrct2
  • Gentoo: emerge games-simulation/openrct2
  • NixOS: nix-env -iA nixpkgs.openrct2
  • Ubuntu PPA: Available from the nightly PPA
  • Flatpak: flatpak install flathub io.openrct2.OpenRCT2
These may be easier than building from source if you don’t need the latest development version.

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Next Steps