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Installation

Arden can now be installed in two practical ways:

  • download a portable bundle from the latest GitHub release
  • build the compiler from source when you want the full repository workflow

If you only want a working compiler fast, use the portable bundle path first.

Fastest Path: Portable Bundle

Latest stable releases publish portable archives for:

  • Windows x64
  • Linux x64
  • macOS Apple Silicon
  • macOS Intel

Each portable archive includes:

  • the Arden compiler
  • a bundled LLVM toolchain layout
  • the linker helper binaries Arden expects on that platform
  • a launcher script (arden or arden.cmd)

The simplest flow is:

  1. Open the latest GitHub release.
  2. Download the archive for your platform.
  3. Extract it.
  4. Run the included launcher.
  5. Optional: run the bundled install script if you want Arden on PATH permanently.

Example verification:

./arden --version
./arden --help

On Windows:

.\arden.cmd --version
.\arden.cmd --help

Optional install helpers shipped inside the portable bundles:

  • Windows: install.ps1
  • Linux / macOS: install.sh

Those scripts are convenience helpers for PATH setup. The launcher itself is intended to work directly from the extracted folder.

If you want the compiler on your shell PATH permanently, add the extracted bundle directory to PATH after verifying it runs.

Build From Source

Use the source build path when you want to work inside the repository, hack on the compiler itself, or reproduce CI-style toolchain setup locally.

Requirements

You need:

  • Rust 1.83+
  • LLVM 21+
  • Clang
  • Git
  • a supported linker setup

Linker policy is explicit:

  • Linux: mold
  • macOS: LLVM lld
  • Windows: LLVM lld

Clone The Repository

git clone https://github.com/TheRemyyy/arden-lang.git arden
cd arden

If the repository is renamed later, use the current upstream URL and keep the rest of the steps the same.

Build The Compiler

cargo build --release

The resulting binary is:

  • target/release/arden
  • target/release/arden.exe on Windows

First Verification

Before changing shell config or editor settings, make sure the freshly built binary actually runs:

./target/release/arden --version
./target/release/arden --help

On Windows:

.\target\release\arden.exe --version
.\target\release\arden.exe --help

Platform Notes

Fedora / Linux

Example package install:

sudo dnf install -y git clang mold cmake ninja-build make gcc gcc-c++ llvm llvm-devel llvm-libs

If llvm-sys does not auto-detect LLVM correctly, point it at the installed prefix:

export LLVM_SYS_211_PREFIX=/usr

macOS

You need LLVM 21 tooling available and LLVM lld for final linking.

If LLVM is not on your shell path by default, export the appropriate prefix before building.

Typical things to verify:

  • clang --version
  • ld.lld --version or equivalent LLVM linker path
  • the active Rust toolchain can build normal Rust crates successfully

Windows

Windows builds use the MSVC toolchain plus LLVM tooling. CI also installs libxml2 through vcpkg, which is a useful reference if you are reproducing the GitHub Actions environment locally.

The simplest path is usually:

  • Rust with the MSVC target
  • LLVM tools installed and reachable
  • PowerShell session with the required toolchain paths available

Add Arden To Your PATH

Linux / macOS

export PATH="$PATH:$(pwd)/target/release"

Add that line to your shell config if you want it permanently.

Windows PowerShell

$env:PATH += ";$(pwd)\target\release"

Verify The Installation

arden --version
arden --help

If those work, the next best check is to run a real file:

cat > hello.arden <<'EOF'
import std.io.*;

function main(): None {
    println("Hello, Arden!");
    return None;
}
EOF

arden run hello.arden

Common Problems

  • cargo build --release fails because LLVM headers/libs are missing
  • linking fails because the expected linker (mold or lld) is not installed
  • arden works only with ./target/release/arden because PATH was not updated yet
  • editor integration is attempted before the compiler itself is confirmed working

When in doubt, solve the compiler install first and only then move on to LSP/editor setup.

Next Step

Continue with:

NextQuick Start