4.1 Overview of compiling

Compiling LilyPond from source is an involved process, and is only recommended for developers and packagers. Typical program users are instead encouraged to obtain the program from a package manager (on Unix) or by downloading a precompiled binary configured for a specific operating system. Pre-compiled binaries are available on the (web)Download section ‘Download’ in General Information page.

Compiling LilyPond from source is necessary if you want to build, install, or test your own version of the program.

A successful compile can also be used to generate and install the documentation, incorporating any changes you may have made. However, a successful compile is not a requirement for generating the documentation. The documentation can be built using a Git repository in conjunction with a locally installed copy of the program. For more information, see Building documentation without compiling.

Attempts to compile LilyPond natively on Windows have been unsuccessful, though a workaround is available (see (contributor)LilyDev section ‘LilyDev’ in Contributor’s Guide).

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