xref: /llvm-project-15.0.7/README.md (revision d356cdcf)
1# The LLVM Compiler Infrastructure
2
3This directory and its sub-directories contain the source code for LLVM,
4a toolkit for the construction of highly optimized compilers,
5optimizers, and run-time environments.
6
7The README briefly describes how to get started with building LLVM.
8For more information on how to contribute to the LLVM project, please
9take a look at the
10[Contributing to LLVM](https://llvm.org/docs/Contributing.html) guide.
11
12## Getting Started with the LLVM System
13
14Taken from [here](https://llvm.org/docs/GettingStarted.html).
15
16### Overview
17
18Welcome to the LLVM project!
19
20The LLVM project has multiple components. The core of the project is
21itself called "LLVM". This contains all of the tools, libraries, and header
22files needed to process intermediate representations and convert them into
23object files. Tools include an assembler, disassembler, bitcode analyzer, and
24bitcode optimizer. It also contains basic regression tests.
25
26C-like languages use the [Clang](http://clang.llvm.org/) frontend. This
27component compiles C, C++, Objective-C, and Objective-C++ code into LLVM bitcode
28-- and from there into object files, using LLVM.
29
30Other components include:
31the [libc++ C++ standard library](https://libcxx.llvm.org),
32the [LLD linker](https://lld.llvm.org), and more.
33
34### Getting the Source Code and Building LLVM
35
36The LLVM Getting Started documentation may be out of date. The [Clang
37Getting Started](http://clang.llvm.org/get_started.html) page might have more
38accurate information.
39
40This is an example work-flow and configuration to get and build the LLVM source:
41
421. Checkout LLVM (including related sub-projects like Clang):
43
44     * ``git clone https://github.com/llvm/llvm-project.git``
45
46     * Or, on windows, ``git clone --config core.autocrlf=false
47    https://github.com/llvm/llvm-project.git``
48
492. Configure and build LLVM and Clang:
50
51     * ``cd llvm-project``
52
53     * ``cmake -S llvm -B build -G <generator> [options]``
54
55        Some common build system generators are:
56
57        * ``Ninja`` --- for generating [Ninja](https://ninja-build.org)
58          build files. Most llvm developers use Ninja.
59        * ``Unix Makefiles`` --- for generating make-compatible parallel makefiles.
60        * ``Visual Studio`` --- for generating Visual Studio projects and
61          solutions.
62        * ``Xcode`` --- for generating Xcode projects.
63
64        Some common options:
65
66        * ``-DLLVM_ENABLE_PROJECTS='...'`` and ``-DLLVM_ENABLE_RUNTIMES='...'`` ---
67          semicolon-separated list of the LLVM sub-projects and runtimes you'd like to
68          additionally build. ``LLVM_ENABLE_PROJECTS`` can include any of: clang,
69          clang-tools-extra, cross-project-tests, flang, libc, libclc, lld, lldb,
70          mlir, openmp, polly, or pstl. ``LLVM_ENABLE_RUNTIMES`` can include any of
71          libcxx, libcxxabi, libunwind, compiler-rt, libc or openmp. Some runtime
72          projects can be specified either in ``LLVM_ENABLE_PROJECTS`` or in
73          ``LLVM_ENABLE_RUNTIMES``.
74
75          For example, to build LLVM, Clang, libcxx, and libcxxabi, use
76          ``-DLLVM_ENABLE_PROJECTS="clang" -DLLVM_ENABLE_RUNTIMES="libcxx;libcxxabi"``.
77
78        * ``-DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=directory`` --- Specify for *directory* the full
79          path name of where you want the LLVM tools and libraries to be installed
80          (default ``/usr/local``). Be careful if you install runtime libraries: if
81          your system uses those provided by LLVM (like libc++ or libc++abi), you
82          must not overwrite your system's copy of those libraries, since that
83          could render your system unusable. In general, using something like
84          ``/usr`` is not advised, but ``/usr/local`` is fine.
85
86        * ``-DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=type`` --- Valid options for *type* are Debug,
87          Release, RelWithDebInfo, and MinSizeRel. Default is Debug.
88
89        * ``-DLLVM_ENABLE_ASSERTIONS=On`` --- Compile with assertion checks enabled
90          (default is Yes for Debug builds, No for all other build types).
91
92      * ``cmake --build build [-- [options] <target>]`` or your build system specified above
93        directly.
94
95        * The default target (i.e. ``ninja`` or ``make``) will build all of LLVM.
96
97        * The ``check-all`` target (i.e. ``ninja check-all``) will run the
98          regression tests to ensure everything is in working order.
99
100        * CMake will generate targets for each tool and library, and most
101          LLVM sub-projects generate their own ``check-<project>`` target.
102
103        * Running a serial build will be **slow**. To improve speed, try running a
104          parallel build. That's done by default in Ninja; for ``make``, use the option
105          ``-j NNN``, where ``NNN`` is the number of parallel jobs to run.
106          In most cases, you get the best performance if you specify the number of CPU threads you have.
107          On some Unix systems, you can specify this with ``-j$(nproc)``.
108
109      * For more information see [CMake](https://llvm.org/docs/CMake.html).
110
111Consult the
112[Getting Started with LLVM](https://llvm.org/docs/GettingStarted.html#getting-started-with-llvm)
113page for detailed information on configuring and compiling LLVM. You can visit
114[Directory Layout](https://llvm.org/docs/GettingStarted.html#directory-layout)
115to learn about the layout of the source code tree.
116
117## Getting in touch
118
119Join [LLVM Discourse forums](https://discourse.llvm.org/), [discord chat](https://discord.gg/xS7Z362) or #llvm IRC channel on [OFTC](https://oftc.net/).
120
121The LLVM project has adopted a [code of conduct](https://llvm.org/docs/CodeOfConduct.html) for
122participants to all modes of communication within the project.
123