dolphin

Leahnaya/dolphin

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Table of Contents

Prerequisites

Tools
Required Dependencies
Optional Dependencies
System-Specific Instructions

Debian / Ubuntu
Fedora
Arch
Alpine
Chrome/Chromium OS (via Chromebrew)

Building

Distributable .deb Package

Externally Managed Packages
Troubleshooting

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Prerequisites

Tools

ninja
cmake, version 3.25 or newer for Dolphin 2606-214 and newer.
C++ compiler such as gcc, with C++23 support for Dolphin 2512-116 and newer.

Required Dependencies

Tip

Jump ahead to the System-Specific Instructions section to find the installation command tailored for your Linux distribution.

Libraries will silently fall back to their vendored counterpart if they cannot be found on the system.

Dependency	Vendored	Version	Debian / Ubuntu	Fedora	Arch	Alpine
Kernel Headers	⬜		`linux-libc-dev`	`kernel-headers`	`linux-headers`	`linux-headers`
bzip2	✅		`libbz2-dev`	`bzip2-devel`	`bzip2`	`bzip2-dev`
curl	✅		`libcurl4-openssl-dev` or `libcurl4-gnutls-dev`	`libcurl-devel`	`curl`	`curl-dev`
enet	✅	>=1.3.18	`libenet-dev`	`enet-devel`	`enet`	`enet-dev`
fmt	✅	>=10.1	`libfmt-dev`	`fmt-devel`	`fmt`	`fmt-dev`
glslang	✅	>=15.0	`glslang-tools` `glslang-dev`	`glslang-devel`	`glslang`	`glslang-dev` `spirv-tools-dev`
hidapi	✅		`libhidapi-dev`	`hidapi-devel`	`hidapi`	`hidapi-dev`
iconv	✅	>=1.14	Built-in	Built-in	`libiconv`	Built-in
libusb	✅		`libusb-1.0-0-dev`	`libusb1-devel`	`libusb`	`libusb-dev`
lz4	✅	>=1.8	`liblz4-dev`	`lz4-devel`	`lz4`	`lz4-dev`
lzma	✅		`liblzma-dev`	`xz-devel`	`xz`	`xz-dev`
lzo	✅		`liblzo2-dev`	`lzo-devel`	`lzo`	`lzo-dev`
mbedtls	✅	>=2.0, <=3.0	~~`libmbedtls-dev`~~ MbedTLS 2.x is no longer shipped from Debian Trixie forward and Ubuntu 25.04 forward.	~~`mbedtls-devel`~~ MbedTLS 2.x is no longer shipped from Fedora 42 forward.	~~`mbedtls2`~~ MbedTLS 2.x is no longer shipped as of 28/06/2026	`mbedtls2-dev`
minizip-ng	✅	>=4.0.4	`libminizip-ng-dev` In testing on Debian	`minizip-ng-devel`	`minizip-ng`	`minizip-ng-dev`
pugixml	✅		`libpugixml-dev`	`pugixml-devel`	`pugixml`	`pugixml-dev`
SFML	✅	>=3.0	`libsfml-dev` Version 3.x currently not available on Debian.	~~`SFML-devel`~~ Version 3.x currently not available	`sfml`	~~`sfml-dev`~~ Version 3.x Currently not available
spng	✅		`libspng-dev`	`libspng-devel`	`libspng`	`libspng-dev`
xxhash	✅	>=0.8.2	`libxxhash-dev`	`xxhash-devel`	`xxhash`	`xxhash-dev`
zstd	✅	>=1.4.0	`libzstd-dev`	`libzstd-devel`	`zstd`	`zstd-dev`
zlib	✅	>=1.3.1	`zlib1g-dev`	`zlib-devel`	`zlib-ng`	`zlib-dev`

Optional Dependencies

Dependency	Vendored	Version	CMake option	Debian / Ubuntu	Fedora	Arch	Alpine
ALSA	⬜		`ENABLE_ALSA`	`libasound2-dev`	`alsa-lib-devel`	`alsa-lib`	`alsa-lib-dev`
BlueZ	⬜		`ENABLE_BLUEZ`	`libbluetooth-dev`	`bluez-libs-devel`	`bluez-libs`	`bluez-dev`
cubeb	✅		`ENABLE_CUBEB`	`libcubeb-dev`	`cubeb-devel`	Not in the repos. AUR: `cubeb` OR `cubeb-git`	Not in the repos
egl	⬜		`ENABLE_EGL`	`libegl1-mesa-dev`	`mesa-libEGL-devel`	`libglvnd`	`mesa-egl`
FFmpeg	⬜		`ENCODE_FRAMEDUMPS`	`libavcodec-dev` `libavformat-dev` `libavutil-dev` `libswresample-dev` `libswscale-dev`	`libavcodec-free-devel` `libavformat-free-devel` `libavutil-free-devel` `libswresample-free-devel` `libswscale-free-devel`	`ffmpeg`	`ffmpeg-dev`
gettext	⬜		Only optional if not present.	`gettext`	`gettext`	`gettext`	`gettext`
gtest	✅		`ENABLE_TESTS`	`libgtest-dev`	`gtest-devel`	`gtest`	`gtest-dev`
libevdev	⬜		`ENABLE_EVDEV`	`libevdev-dev`	`libevdev-devel`	`libevdev`	`libevdev-dev`
libudev	⬜		`ENABLE_HWDB` and `ENABLE_EVDEV`	`libudev-dev` or `libeudev-dev`	`systemd-devel`	`systemd-libs`	`eudev-dev`
LLVM	⬜		`ENABLE_LLVM`	`llvm-dev`	`llvm-devel`	`llvm`	~~`llvm-dev`~~ Broken packaging
mgba	✅		`USE_MGBA`	~~`libmgba-dev`~~ Newer MGBA versions are currently broken with Dolphin.	Not in the repos	~~`libmgba`~~ Newer MGBA versions are currently broken with Dolphin.	~~`libmgba-dev`~~ Newer MGBA versions are currently broken with Dolphin.
miniupnpc	✅	>=1.6	`USE_UPNP`	`libminiupnpc-dev`	`miniupnpc-devel`	`miniupnpc`	`miniupnpc-dev`
OpenGL	⬜		Only optional if not present.	`libgl1-mesa-dev`	`mesa-libGL-devel`	`libglvnd`	`glfw-dev`
PkgConfig	⬜		Only optional if not present.	`pkg-config`	`pkgconf-pkg-config`	`pkgconf`	`pkgconf`
PulseAudio	⬜		`ENABLE_PULSEAUDIO`	`libpulse-dev`	`pulseaudio-libs-devel`	`libpulse`	`pulseaudio-dev`
Qt6	⬜	>=6.0	`ENABLE_QT`	`qt6-base-dev` `qt6-base-private-dev` `qt6-svg-dev`	`qt6-qtbase-devel` `qt6-qtbase-private-devel` `qt6-qtsvg-devel`	`qt6-base` `qt6-svg`	`qt6-qtbase-dev` `qt6-qtsvg-dev`
SDL	✅	>=3.2.0	`ENABLE_SDL`	`libsdl3-dev`	`SDL3-devel`	`sdl3`	`sdl3-dev`
systemd	⬜		Only optional if not present.	`libsystemd-dev`	`systemd-devel`	`systemd-libs`	N/A
x11	⬜		`ENABLE_X11`	`libx11-dev` `libxrandr-dev` `libxi-dev`	`libX11-devel` `libXrandr-devel` `libXi-devel`	`libx11` `libxrandr` `libxi`	`libx11-dev` `libxrandr-dev` `libxi-dev`

System-Specific Instructions

Debian / Ubuntu

Ubuntu users of these versions may need alternative flags or sources to meet minimum version requirements:

25.04 and older:

SDL: PPA OR -DUSE_SYSTEM_SDL3=OFF
FMT: PPA OR -DUSE_SYSTEM_FMT=OFF
ENET: -DUSE_SYSTEM_ENET=OFF
ZLIB: -DUSE_SYSTEM_ZLIB=OFF

25.10 and older:

minizip-ng: -DUSE_SYSTEM_MINIZIP-NG=OFF
SFML: -DUSE_SYSTEM_SFML=OFF

Ubuntu CMake Flags: -DUSE_SYSTEM_MBEDTLS=OFF -DUSE_SYSTEM_LIBMGBA=OFF Debian CMake Flags: -DUSE_SYSTEM_MINIZIP-NG=OFF -DUSE_SYSTEM_SFML=OFF -DUSE_SYSTEM_MBEDTLS=OFF -DUSE_SYSTEM_LIBMGBA=OFF

Install Command

apt install \
    # PkgConfig
    pkg-config \
    # OpenGL
    libgl1-mesa-dev \
    # X11
    libx11-dev \
    libxrandr-dev \
    libxi-dev \
    # EGL
    libegl1-mesa-dev \
    # FFMPEG
    libavcodec-dev \
    libavformat-dev \
    libavutil-dev \
    libswresample-dev \
    libswscale-dev \
    # udev (Use libeudev-dev if on non-systemd)
    libudev-dev \
    # evdev
    libevdev-dev \
    # SDL
    libsdl3-dev \
    # FMT
    libfmt-dev \
    # glslang
    glslang-dev \
    glslang-tools \
    # pugixml
    libpugixml-dev \
    # enet
    libenet-dev \
    # xxhash
    libxxhash-dev \
    # bzip2
    libbz2-dev \
    # LZMA
    liblzma-dev \
    # zstd
    libzstd-dev \
    # zlib
    zlib1g-dev \
    # minizip-ng
    libminizip-ng-dev \
    # lzo
    liblzo2-dev \
    # lz4
    liblz4-dev \
    # spng
    libspng-dev \
    # cubeb
    libcubeb-dev \
    # libusb
    libusb-1.0-0-dev \
    # SFML
    libsfml-dev \
    # MiniUPNPC
    libminiupnpc-dev \
    # MbedTLS
    ## We are using an outdated 2.x version, and Debian/Ubuntu only ship 3.x now
    # cURL (this could also be libcurl4-gnutls-dev)
    libcurl4-openssl-dev \
    # hidapi
    libhidapi-dev \
    # mgba
    ## libmgba-dev \
    ## Newer MGBA versions are currently broken with Dolphin
    # systemd
    libsystemd-dev \
    # gtest
    libgtest-dev \
    # ALSA
    libasound2-dev \
    # PulseAudio
    libpulse-dev \
    # LLVM
    llvm-dev \
    # BlueZ
    libbluetooth-dev \
    # Qt6
    qt6-base-dev \
    qt6-base-private-dev \
    qt6-svg-dev \
    # Gettext
    gettext

Fedora

A simpler alternative way to install all the necessary build dependencies is with dnf builddep dolphin-emu. This command installs everything required to build Fedora's dolphin-emu package, which should be close to up-to-date.

CMake Flags: -DUSE_SYSTEM_SFML=OFF -DUSE_SYSTEM_MBEDTLS=OFF -DUSE_SYSTEM_LIBMGBA=OFF

Install Command

dnf install \
    # PkgConfig
    pkgconf-pkg-config \
    # OpenGL
    mesa-libGL-devel \
    # X11
    libX11-devel \
    libXrandr-devel \
    libXi-devel \
    # EGL
    mesa-libEGL-devel \
    # FFMPEG
    libavcodec-free-devel \
    libavformat-free-devel \
    libavutil-free-devel \
    libswresample-free-devel \
    libswscale-free-devel \
    # udev
    systemd-devel \
    # evdev
    libevdev-devel \
    # SDL
    SDL3-devel \
    # FMT
    fmt-devel \
    # glslang
    glslang-devel \
    # pugixml
    pugixml-devel \
    # enet
    enet-devel \
    # xxhash
    xxhash-devel \
    # bzip2
    bzip2-devel \
    # LZMA
    xz-devel \
    # zstd
    libzstd-devel \
    # zlib
    zlib-devel \
    # minizip-ng
    minizip-ng-devel \
    # lzo
    lzo-devel \
    # lz4
    lz4-devel \
    # spng
    libspng-devel \
    # cubeb
    cubeb-devel \
    # libusb
    libusb1-devel \
    # SFML
    ## SFML-devel \
    ## SFML 3.0 is not yet shipped on Fedora
    # MiniUPNPC
    miniupnpc-devel \
    # MbedTLS
    ## We are using an outdated 2.x version, and Fedora only ships 3.x now
    # cURL
    libcurl-devel \
    # hidapi
    hidapi-devel \
    # mgba
    ## Not in the Fedora repos
    # systemd (already installed for udev)
    # gtest
    gtest-devel \
    # ALSA
    alsa-lib-devel \
    # PulseAudio
    pulseaudio-libs-devel \
    # LLVM
    llvm-devel \
    # BlueZ
    bluez-libs-devel \
    # Qt6
    qt6-qtbase-devel \
    qt6-qtbase-private-devel \
    qt6-qtsvg-devel \
    # Gettext
    gettext

Arch

If you are not using Cubeb from the AUR, you will need to add -DUSE_SYSTEM_CUBEB=OFF to the CMake flags.

CMake Flags: -DUSE_SYSTEM_LIBMGBA=OFF

Install Command

pacman -Syu \
    # Kernel headers
    linux-headers \
    # PkgConf
    pkgconf \
    # OpenGL
    libglvnd \
    # X11
    libx11 \
    libxrandr \
    libxi \
    # EGL (Already installed with OpenGL)
    # FFMPEG
    ffmpeg \
    # udev
    systemd-libs \
    # evdev
    libevdev \
    # SDL
    sdl3 \
    # FMT
    fmt \
    # glslang
    glslang \
    # pugixml
    pugixml \
    # enet
    enet \
    # xxhash
    xxhash \
    # bzip2
    bzip2 \
    # LZMA
    xz \
    # zstd
    zstd \
    # zlib
    zlib-ng \
    # minizip-ng
    minizip-ng \
    # lzo
    lzo \
    # lz4
    lz4 \
    # spng
    libspng \
    # cubeb
    ## Currently only in the AUR as `cubeb` or `cubeb-git`
    # libusb
    libusb \
    # SFML
    sfml \
    # MiniUPNPC
    miniupnpc \
    # MbedTLS
    ## No longer part of the repos
    # cURL
    curl \
    # hidapi
    hidapi \
    # systemd (Already installed with udev)
    # gtest
    gtest \
    # ALSA
    alsa-lib \
    # PulseAudio
    libpulse \
    # LLVM
    llvm \
    # BlueZ
    bluez-libs \
    # Qt6
    qt6-base \
    qt6-svg \
    # Gettext
    gettext

Alpine

CMake Flags: -DUSE_SYSTEM_SFML=OFF -DUSE_SYSTEM_LIBMGBA=OFF -DUSE_SYSTEM_CUBEB=OFF -DENABLE_LLVM=OFF

Install Command

apk add \
    # Kernel headers
    linux-headers \
    # PkgConfig
    pkgconf \
    # OpenGL
    glfw-dev \
    # X11
    libx11-dev \
    libxrandr-dev \
    libxi-dev \
    # EGL
    mesa-egl \
    # FFMPEG
    ffmpeg-dev \
    # udev
    eudev-dev \
    # evdev
    libevdev-dev \
    # SDL
    sdl3-dev \
    # fmt
    fmt-dev \
    # glslang
    glslang-dev \
    spirv-tools-dev \
    # pugixml
    pugixml-dev \
    # enet
    enet-dev \
    # xxhash
    xxhash-dev \
    # bzip2
    bzip2-dev \
    # LZMA
    xz-dev \
    # zstd
    zstd-dev \
    # zlib
    zlib-dev \
    # minizip-ng
    minizip-ng-dev \
    # lzo
    lzo-dev \
    # lz4
    lz4-dev \
    # spng
    libspng-dev \
    # cubeb
    ## Not available in repositories
    # libusb
    libusb-dev \
    # SFML
    ## libsfml-dev \
    ## SFML 3.0 is not yet shipped on Alpine
    # MiniUPNPC
    miniupnpc-dev \
    # MbedTLS
    mbedtls2-dev \
    # cURL
    curl-dev \
    # hidapi
    hidapi-dev \
    # mgba
    ## libmgba-dev \
    ## Newer MGBA versions are currently broken with Dolphin
    # systemd
    ## N/A
    # gtest
    gtest-dev \
    # ALSA
    alsa-lib-dev \
    # PulseAudio
    pulseaudio-dev \
    # LLVM
    ## llvm-dev \
    ## LLVM is currently badly packaged
    # BlueZ
    bluez-dev \
    # Qt6
    qt6-qtbase-dev \
    qt6-qtsvg-dev \
    # Gettext
    gettext

Chrome/Chromium OS (via Chromebrew)

Important

This is still a work in progress.

Install Command

crew install binutils wayland cmake gcc buildessential git libx11 pkg-config libxi libxext qtbase qtwayland mesa libxfixes libxxf86vm libusb libdrm libxrandr gettext linuxheaders enet libxshmfence libunwind lm_sensors elfutils patchelf vulkan_icd_loader

# Intel hardware
crew install xorg_intel_driver

# Nvidia hardware
crew install xorg_nouveau_driver

Building

If your system’s default compiler is too old to support C++23, you’ll need to specify a newer version manually when configuring the build.

For example, on Ubuntu 20.04, you can install gcc-13 from this PPA or clang-18 from LLVM's APT repository.

After installation, use the newer compiler explicitly during configuration, like so:

cmake --preset ninja-release-x64 -DCMAKE_C_COMPILER=gcc-13 -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER=g++-13
# or
cmake --preset ninja-release-x64 -DCMAKE_C_COMPILER=clang-18 -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER=clang++-18

You may then proceed with the clone instructions in the Cloning guide and build instructions in the Building With CMake guide.

Distributable .deb Package

Following the instructions from the PR where this feature was implemented:

sudo apt install dpkg-dev file
cmake --preset ninja-release-x64 -DCPACK_PACKAGE_CONTACT="Your Name Here" # You're responsible for what you distribute.
cmake --build --preset ninja-build-release-x64
cd build/x64/
cpack -G DEB

Externally Managed Packages

Dolphin maintains official Flatpak repositories for both releases and development builds. Additionally, on some distributions of Linux, package maintainers provide unofficial, unmodified builds of Dolphin. These are listed below:

Debian LTS (Bullseye), Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (Noble Numbat), and older use a highly outdated build from 2016. Do not install Dolphin Emulator from APT on these versions!
Debian Stable (Trixie), Ubuntu 24.10 (Oracular Oriole), and newer have recent release versions of Dolphin, though they can still become outdated due to software versions being mostly frozen when distribution versions release.
Arch Linux, AUR
Fedora follows the latest release version but isn't always quite caught up with the most recent.
OpenSUSE
Gentoo
Flathub is updated with the latest release versions. Steam Deck users may recognize this as the version distributed in the desktop mode's Discover store.

Troubleshooting

The compiler will normally tell you what's going on if you run into an error. Read the error messages closely and look them up verbatim to see if it's something missing on your system and/or a typo in recent Dolphin commits.
Need more speed? Add the -DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS=-march=native -DCMAKE_C_FLAGS=-march=native configure-time flags. The resulting build will be optimized specifically for YOUR processor! The difference is more noticeable the weaker your computer is. Note that this may result in longer compile times, and the binaries you build will almost certainly be unusable on any computer besides your own. AUR users of *-git packages can get a similar effect by following https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/makepkg#Building_optimized_binaries

Dolphin GitHub Wiki

Cloning
Building
- Using CMake
- Linux
- Windows
- macOS
- OpenBSD
Feature explanations
Dolphin Infrastructure
Reference