Build from Source Code

This page describes how to build the application from source code.

Get the Source Code

Download the source code from git repository

git clone https://github.com/hluk/CopyQ.git

or download the latest source code archive from:

Install Dependencies

The build requires:

Ubuntu

On Ubuntu you can install all build dependencies with:

sudo apt install \
  build-essential \
  cmake \
  extra-cmake-modules \
  git \
  libkf5notifications-dev \
  libqt5svg5 \
  libqt5svg5-dev \
  libqt5waylandclient5-dev \
  libqt5x11extras5-dev \
  libwayland-dev \
  libxfixes-dev \
  libxtst-dev \
  qtbase5-private-dev \
  qtdeclarative5-dev \
  qttools5-dev \
  qttools5-dev-tools \
  qtwayland5 \
  qtwayland5-dev-tools

Fedora / RHEL / Centos

On Fedora and derivatives you can install all build dependencies with Qt 5:

sudo yum install \
  cmake \
  extra-cmake-modules \
  gcc-c++ \
  git \
  kf5-knotifications-devel \
  libSM-devel \
  libXfixes-devel \
  libXtst-devel \
  qt5-qtbase-devel \
  qt5-qtbase-private-devel \
  qt5-qtdeclarative-devel \
  qt5-qtsvg-devel \
  qt5-qttools-devel \
  qt5-qtwayland-devel \
  qt5-qtx11extras-devel \
  wayland-devel

To build with Qt 6:

sudo yum install \
  cmake \
  extra-cmake-modules \
  gcc-c++ \
  git \
  kf6-knotifications-devel \
  kf6-kstatusnotifieritem-devel \
  libSM-devel \
  libXfixes-devel \
  libXtst-devel \
  qt6-qtbase-devel \
  qt6-qtbase-private-devel \
  qt6-qtdeclarative-devel \
  qt6-qtsvg-devel \
  qt6-qttools-devel \
  qt6-qtwayland-devel \
  wayland-devel

Build and Install

Build the source code with CMake and make or using an IDE of your choice (see next sections).

cd CopyQ
cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr/local .
make
make install

Qt Creator

Qt Creator is IDE focused on developing C++ and Qt applications.

Install Qt Creator from your package manager or by selecting it from Qt installation utility.

Set up Qt library, C++ compiler and CMake.

See also

Adding Kits

Open file CMakeLists.txt in repository clone to create new project.

Visual Studio

You need to install Qt for given version Visual Studio.

In Visual Studio 2017 open folder containing repository clone using “File - Open - Folder”.

In older versions, create solution manually by running cmake -G "Visual Studio 14 2015 Win64" . (select appropriate generator name) in repository clone folder.

Building and Packaging for OS X

On OS X, required Qt 5 libraries and utilities can be easily installed with Homebrew.

cd CopyQ
git -C "utils/github/homebrew" init .
git -C "utils/github/homebrew" add .
git -C "utils/github/homebrew" commit -m "Initial"

brew tap copyq/kde utils/github/homebrew/
# if the above "brew tap" command produces an error like
#     "Error: Tap copyq/kde remote mismatch"
# then run
#     brew untap --force copyq/kde
# and re-run the above "brew tap" command

brew install qt6 copyq/kde/kf6-knotifications copyq/kde/kf6-kstatusnotifieritem

Build with the following commands:

cmake -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH="$(brew --prefix qt5)" .
cmake --build .
cpack

This will produce a self-contained application bundle CopyQ.app which can then be copied or moved into /Applications.

NOTE: If no Items are shown when you start CopyQ and open “File - Preferences - Items”, then your CopyQ plugins were not installed. If you saw warning messages like this:

/<some_path>/install_name_tool: warning: changes being made to the file will invalidate the code signature in: /<some_path>/CopyQ/_CPack_Packages/Darwin/DragNDrop/copyq-6.2.0-Darwin/CopyQ.app/Contents/Plugins/<some_file>.dylib

when you ran the above “cpack” command, then you have likely encountered issue 1903.

In that case you may codesign the CopyQ app again using the following command, un-install the previous CopyQ app, and install the re-signed CopyQ.app:

codesign --force --deep --sign - $PWD/_CPack_Packages/Darwin/DragNDrop/copyq-*-Darwin/CopyQ.app