https://github.com/daylinmorgan/forge
build nim binaries for all the platforms
https://github.com/daylinmorgan/forge
nim nimble zig
Last synced: 12 days ago
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build nim binaries for all the platforms
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/daylinmorgan/forge
- Owner: daylinmorgan
- License: mit
- Created: 2023-09-07T20:13:48.000Z (over 1 year ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2025-01-26T02:53:12.000Z (4 months ago)
- Last Synced: 2025-05-12T19:13:19.134Z (12 days ago)
- Topics: nim, nimble, zig
- Language: Nim
- Homepage:
- Size: 48.8 KB
- Stars: 12
- Watchers: 2
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- License: LICENSE
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
# forge
[![nimble][nimble-shield]][nimpkgs-link]
A basic toolchain to forge (cross-compile) your multi-platform `nim` binaries.
## Why?
`Nim` is a great language and the code is as portable as any other code written in C.
But who wants to manage C toolchains or CI/CD DSL's to cross-compile your code into easily sharable native executable binaries
## Installation
In order to use `forge` you must first install [`zig`](https://ziglang.org/) as all compilation
is done using a thin wrapper around `zig cc`.
> [!NOTE]
> Future versions may use an automated/isolated `zig` installation.
```sh
nimble install https://github.com/daylinmorgan/forge
```
## Usage
`Forge` provide two key methods to compile your `nim` source `forge cc` and `forge release`.
### `forge cc`
To compile a single binary for a platform you can use `forge cc`.
Example:
```sh
forge cc --target x86_64-linux-musl -- -d:release src/forge.nim -o:forge
```
### `forge release`
This command is useful for generating many compiled binaries like you may be accustomed to seeing from `go` or `rust` cli's.
`Forge release` will make attempts to infer many values based on the assumption that it's
likely run from the root directory of a `nim` project with a `.nimble`
You can either specify all commands on the CLI or use a config file.
Example:
```sh
forge release --target,=x86_64-linux-musl,x86_64-macos-none --bin src/forge.nim
```
Result:
```
dist
├── forge-v2023.1001-x86_64-linux-musl
│ └── forge
└── forge-v2023.1001-x86_64-macos-none
└── forge
```
The output directories used for each binary are determined
by a format string: `${name}-v${version}-${target}`.
You can modify this with additional info at runtime like using
date instead of version string: `--format "\${name}-$(date +'%Y%M%d')-\${target}"`.
You can also create a config file by default at `./.forge.cfg` that controls the behavior of `forge release`:
```dosini
# flags are specified at the top level
nimble # key without value for booleans
format = "${name}-${target}"
outdir = forge-dist
# use sections to list targets/bins with optional args
[target]
x86_64-linux-musl = "--debugInfo:on"
x86_64-linux-gnu
[bin]
src/forge
src/forgecc = "--opt:size" # use a custom flag for this binary
```
Example:
```sh
forge release --verbose --dryrun
```
Output:
```
forge release -V --dryrun
forge || config =
| nimble true
| outdir forge-dist
| format ${name}-${target}
| version 2023.1001
| targets:
| x86_64-linux-musl|--debugInfo:on
| x86_64-linux-gnu
| bins:
| src/forge
| src/forgecc|--opt:size
forge || dry run...see below for commands
forge || compiling 2 binaries for 2 targets
nimble c --cpu:amd64 --os:Linux --cc:clang --clang.exe='forgecc' --clang.linkerexe='forgecc' --passC:'-target x86_64-linux-musl' --passL:'-target x86_64-linux-musl' -d:release --outdir:'dist/forge-x86_64-linux-musl' --debugInfo:on src/forge
nimble c --cpu:amd64 --os:Linux --cc:clang --clang.exe='forgecc' --clang.linkerexe='forgecc' --passC:'-target x86_64-linux-musl' --passL:'-target x86_64-linux-musl' -d:release --outdir:'dist/forge-x86_64-linux-musl' --debugInfo:on --opt:size src/forgecc
nimble c --cpu:amd64 --os:Linux --cc:clang --clang.exe='forgecc' --clang.linkerexe='forgecc' --passC:'-target x86_64-linux-gnu' --passL:'-target x86_64-linux-gnu' -d:release --outdir:'dist/forge-x86_64-linux-gnu' src/forge
nimble c --cpu:amd64 --os:Linux --cc:clang --clang.exe='forgecc' --clang.linkerexe='forgecc' --passC:'-target x86_64-linux-gnu' --passL:'-target x86_64-linux-gnu' -d:release --outdir:'dist/forge-x86_64-linux-gnu' --opt:size src/forgecc
```
## Acknowledgements
Thanks to [Andrew Kelley](https://github.com/andrewrk) and the many `zig` [contributors](https://github.com/ziglang/zig/graphs/contributors).
[nimble-shield]: https://img.shields.io/github/v/tag/daylinmorgan/forge?filter=v*&logo=Nim&label=nimble&labelColor=black&color=%23f3d400
[nimpkgs-link]: https://nimpkgs.dayl.in/#/pkg/forge