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Building drop-app on Windows

Prerequisites​

To compile drop-app on Windows, you'll need:

  • Node.js v22
  • yarn (v1/legacy) package manager
  • git VCS
  • Rust (stable)
  • Microsoft Visual Studio Build Tools or Visual Studio Community
  • Windows 10/11

Installing Node.js with Node Version Manager (nvm-windows)​

We recommend using Node Version Manager for Windows to easily switch between Node.js versions.

1. Install nvm-windows​

  1. Download nvm-windows:

    • Go to nvm-windows releases
    • Download the latest nvm-setup.exe file
    • Run the installer as Administrator

  2. Verify installation:

    nvm version

2. Install Node.js v22​

nvm install 22.18.0
nvm use 22.18.0

3. Verify Node.js installation​

node --version
npm --version

4. Install yarn​

npm install -g yarn
yarn --version

Installing Rust​

1. Download Rust installer​

  1. Visit the official Rust website:

  2. Run the installer:

    • Execute the downloaded rustup-init.exe file
    • Follow the installation prompts
    • Choose option 1 for default installation

2. Verify Rust installation​

Open a new Command Prompt or PowerShell window and run:

rustc --version
cargo --version

3. Switch to nightly version​

rustup toolchain install nightly
rustup default nightly

4. Verify nightly installation​

rustc --version
cargo --version

5. Update Rust (if needed)​

rustup update

Building drop-app​

Now that you have all prerequisites installed, you can build drop-app:

git clone https://github.com/Drop-OSS/drop-app.git
cd drop-app
git checkout develop
yarn
yarn tauri build

Important: Make sure to use the develop branch for the latest features and fixes.

If the command is successful, you can find the generated assets in: src-tauri/target/release/bundle. You can find the Windows installer in the msi folder.

If the yarn tauri build command fails, you can try adding --verbose to get the error details.

Development Mode​

For live development with real-time updates, use the development mode:

yarn tauri dev

This will start the application in development mode with hot reloading, allowing you to see changes immediately as you modify the code. The app will automatically restart when you save changes to your rust files.

Troubleshooting​

Common Issues​

If you encounter build errors, try the following:

  1. Ensure Rust is properly installed:

    rustc --version
    cargo --version

  2. Install Visual Studio Build Tools:

    • Download and install Visual Studio Build Tools
    • Make sure to include the "C++ build tools" workload
    • Restart your terminal after installation

  3. Verify Node.js version:

    node --version
    nvm list
    nvm use 22.18.0

  4. Set up environment variables:

    • Ensure PATH includes Rust and Node.js
    • Set RUST_BACKTRACE=1 for detailed error messages
    • Restart your terminal after installing Rust

  5. Clean and rebuild:

    yarn clean
    yarn
    yarn tauri build

Windows-Specific Issues​

  1. PowerShell execution policy: If you get execution policy errors, run PowerShell as Administrator and execute:

    Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned

  2. Long path issues:

    • Enable long path support in Windows Registry
    • Or clone the repository to a shorter path (e.g., C:\drop-app)

  3. Antivirus interference:

    • Temporarily disable antivirus during build
    • Add the project directory to antivirus exclusions

Note: This page provides Windows-specific build instructions for drop-app. For general building information, see the Building Drop OSS page.