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Added missing requirements for Zen Desktop build and added a new section for common fixes

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Jatin-Shihora 2025-04-03 15:03:25 +05:30
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@ -1,10 +1,24 @@
---
title: Building Zen Browser 📦
lastmod: 2024-09-25
lastmod: 2024-04-03
---
We've taken the time to make building Zen Browser as easy as possible, independent of your operating system or technical knowledge.
#### Basic Requirements
The following resources are essential for a successful build. Without them, you will encounter unnecessary build failures:
- Disk Space: Keep _30GB_ of free space on the disk (the build process is resource-intensive).
- Git ([Download here](https://git-scm.com/downloads)) – Required for version control and managing source code.
- Python 3 ([Download here](https://www.python.org/downloads/)) – Needed for running build scripts and automation tools.
- Node.js 21+ ([Download here](https://nodejs.org/)) – Required for managing dependencies and running JavaScript-based tools.
- MozillaBuild ([Download here](https://wiki.mozilla.org/MozillaBuild)) – Required for `mach` and Gecko compilation.
- 7-Zip ([Download here](https://www.7-zip.org/download.html)) – Used to extract Firefox source archives.
- sccache ([Download here](https://github.com/mozilla/sccache/releases)) – A caching tool that speeds up rebuilds by storing compiled objects.
> **Note:** If you're using Windows, ensure that all the basic software requirements are added to the `PATH` variable.
> [!failure]
> We cannot provide support if a build fails. Please understand this before proceeding with the following steps.
@ -59,6 +73,16 @@ npm run build
This command compiles the source code and creates the necessary files for running Zen Browser.
- If your changes are only in JavaScript, you can run the following command after completing the first build for faster rebuilds:
```bash
npm run build:ui
```
This skips unnecessary compilation steps and only rebuilds the UI components.
For changes in other languages or core functionality, you should always run the full build using `npm run build` after every code change.
## Step 6: Run the Browser
After building the browser, you can start it using:
@ -68,3 +92,43 @@ npm start
```
This command launches the browser, allowing you to see your changes in action.
---
---
### Common Build Errors & Fixes
#### Q: "mach not found" error?
> Install [MozillaBuild](https://wiki.mozilla.org/MozillaBuild), add it to your `PATH`, then restart your terminal.
#### Q: "7z" or "7-Zip" missing during build?
> Download [7-Zip](https://www.7-zip.org/), add it to your `PATH`, then restart your terminal.
#### Q: "Unsupported Microsoft Visual Studio version" or build failing for similar reasons on Windows?
> Ensure Visual Studio is installed with the "Desktop development with C++" workload and Windows 10/11 SDK.
#### Q: Build stuck or freezing?
> Try running with fewer threads:
> ```sh
> cd engine && python mach build --jobs=2
> ```
#### Q: "Git submodule" errors after cloning?
> Run:
> ```sh
> git submodule update --init --recursive
> ```
#### Q: "npm run init" fails?
> Manually bootstrap the project:
> ```sh
> cd engine && python mach bootstrap
> ```
#### Q: "zen.exe" not found after build?
> Perform a clean rebuild:
> ```sh
> npm run reset-ff && npm run init && npm run build
> ```
---