Installation

This page shows how to install Vix.cpp and verify that it works on your machine.

For Getting Started, install the full SDK.

The full SDK includes the vix CLI, headers, and libraries needed to build Vix applications.

Install on Linux or macOS

Run:

curl -fsSL https://vixcpp.com/install.sh | bash

After installation, restart your terminal or reload your shell configuration.

Install on Windows

Open PowerShell and run:

irm https://vixcpp.com/install.ps1 | iex

Verify the installation

Check that the vix command is available:

vix --version

Expected output shape:

Vix.cpp CLI
version : 2.5.3
author  : Gaspard Kirira
source  : https://github.com/vixcpp/vix

The exact version may be different depending on the latest release.

Verify the SDK headers

For C++ applications using Vix, the SDK headers must be installed.

Check that vix.hpp exists:

find ~/.local/include -name vix.hpp 2>/dev/null

Expected output:

/home/your-user/.local/include/vix.hpp

If nothing appears, reinstall the full SDK.

SDK mode vs CLI-only mode

Vix has two installation modes.

Mode	What it installs	Use when
SDK mode	CLI, headers, and libraries	You want to build Vix applications
CLI-only mode	Only the vix binary	You only need the CLI

For this Getting Started guide, use the default SDK mode.

Do not use CLI-only mode if you want to compile code that includes:

#include <vix.hpp>

CLI-only mode

CLI-only mode installs only the command-line tool.

VIX_INSTALL_KIND=cli curl -fsSL https://vixcpp.com/install.sh | bash

This is not recommended for this guide because the next pages build real Vix applications.

Fix PATH issues

If your terminal says:

vix: command not found

Add ~/.local/bin to your PATH.

Bash

echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

Zsh

echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc

Then check again:

vix --version

Install build prerequisites

Vix uses the normal C++ toolchain underneath.

Make sure your system has a compiler, CMake, Ninja, and common development libraries.

Ubuntu or Debian

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y \
  build-essential cmake ninja-build pkg-config \
  libssl-dev libsqlite3-dev zlib1g-dev libbrotli-dev \
  nlohmann-json3-dev libspdlog-dev libfmt-dev

macOS

With Homebrew:

brew install cmake ninja pkg-config openssl@3 spdlog fmt nlohmann-json brotli

Windows

Install Visual Studio Build Tools with MSVC or clang-cl.

For extra dependencies, use vcpkg.

Check your toolchain

Run:

c++ --version
cmake --version
ninja --version

If one of these commands is missing, install the missing tool before continuing.

Quick test

Create a temporary folder:

mkdir -p ~/tmp/vix-install-test
cd ~/tmp/vix-install-test

Create main.cpp:

cat > main.cpp <<'CPP'
#include <iostream>

int main()
{
  std::cout << "Hello from Vix\n";
  return 0;
}
CPP

Run it:

vix run main.cpp

Expected output:

Hello from Vix

Common installation problems

vix: command not found

Your shell cannot find the Vix binary.

Fix:

echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

Then run:

vix --version

#include <vix.hpp> not found

The full SDK is not installed, or the headers are not visible.

Check:

find ~/.local/include -name vix.hpp 2>/dev/null

If nothing appears, reinstall Vix without CLI-only mode:

curl -fsSL https://vixcpp.com/install.sh | bash

CMake or Ninja is missing

Check:

cmake --version
ninja --version

On Ubuntu or Debian:

sudo apt install -y cmake ninja-build

Upgrade Vix later

To upgrade the CLI:

vix upgrade

To inspect your environment:

vix doctor

To inspect Vix paths and cache information:

vix info

What you should remember

Install the full SDK:

curl -fsSL https://vixcpp.com/install.sh | bash

Verify the CLI:

vix --version

Verify the SDK headers:

find ~/.local/include -name vix.hpp 2>/dev/null

For this guide, SDK mode is the correct installation mode.

Next step

Now set up your development environment.

Next: Set Up Your Environment