Installation Guide

HarbourBuilder runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. This guide covers installation for all platforms.

System Requirements

Platform	Minimum	Recommended	Compiler
Windows	Windows 10, 2 GB RAM	Windows 11, 4 GB RAM	MSVC 2022 or BCC 7.7
macOS	macOS 12+, 2 GB RAM	macOS 14+, 4 GB RAM	Xcode CLT (Clang)
Linux	GTK3, 2 GB RAM	GTK3, 4 GB RAM	GCC 11+

Windows Installation

Prerequisites

1. Harbour 3.2+ — Download from harbour.github.io or use pre-built binaries
2. C Compiler — Choose one:
   • MSVC (recommended): Visual Studio 2022 Community (free) or Build Tools
   • BCC: Embarcadero Borland C++ Compiler 7.7 (free)

Step-by-Step

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/HarbourBuilder.git
   cd HarbourBuilder

2. Set Harbour path (if not already in PATH):

   set HBDIR=C:\harbour

3. Run the build script:

   build_win.bat

   This compiles Harbour (if needed), Scintilla, and the IDE.
4. Run the IDE:

   bin\hbbuilder_win.exe

macOS Installation

Prerequisites

1. Xcode Command Line Tools:

   xcode-select --install

   This is the only prerequisite. Harbour and Scintilla are downloaded and built automatically.

Step-by-Step

1. Navigate to samples:

   cd HarbourBuilder/samples

2. Run the build script:

   ./build_mac.sh

   On first run, this script will:
   • Clone and compile Harbour to ~/harbour (if not found)
   • Build Scintilla 5.5.3 + Lexilla static libraries from source
   • Compile the HarbourBuilder IDE
3. Copy to bin/ and run:

   cp HbBuilder ../bin/
   ../bin/HbBuilder

Linux Installation

Prerequisites

1. Harbour 3.2+ — Install from package manager or build from source
2. GTK3 development libraries:

   sudo apt install libgtk-3-dev

3. GCC compiler:

   sudo apt install gcc g++

4. Scintilla — Built automatically by the build script

Step-by-Step (Ubuntu/Debian)

1. Install dependencies:

   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install libgtk-3-dev gcc g++ harbour

2. Navigate to samples:

   cd HarbourBuilder/samples

3. Run the build script:

   ./build_linux.sh

4. Run the IDE:

   ../bin/hbbuilder_linux

Scintilla Setup

Scintilla is the code editing component used by HarbourBuilder. Setup varies by platform:

Platform	Method	Files
Windows	Dynamic libraries	Scintilla.dll, Lexilla.dll in bin/
macOS	Static libraries	libscintilla.a, liblexilla.a (compiled from source)
Linux	Shared libraries	libscintilla.so, liblexilla.so

The build scripts handle Scintilla automatically — you don't need to build it manually unless you want a custom version.

Verifying Your Installation

After installation, verify everything works:

1. Launch the IDE: Should open without errors
2. Create a new project: File > New Project
3. Press F9: Should compile and run a simple form
4. Test the designer: Drag a button from the palette onto the form
5. Test the editor: Open the code tab, verify syntax highlighting works

Troubleshooting

Issue	Cause	Solution
"harbour: command not found"	Harbour not in PATH	Set HBDIR environment variable or add Harbour to PATH
"gtk/gtk.h: No such file"	GTK3 dev headers missing	Install libgtk-3-dev (Linux) or Xcode CLT (macOS)
"Scintilla not found"	Scintilla libraries not built	Run the platform build script (build_win.bat, build_mac.sh, build_linux.sh)
Build fails on Windows	Compiler not detected	Run build_win.bat or use Tools > Select Compiler
IDE won't start on macOS	Gatekeeper blocking	Right-click > Open, or remove quarantine: xattr -d com.apple.quarantine HbBuilder
Dark mode not working	OS theme not set	Ensure your OS is in dark mode; HarbourBuilder follows system theme

Next Steps

Once installed, continue with:

• Quick Start Guide — Create your first application
• Architecture Overview — Understand how HarbourBuilder works
• Hello World Tutorial — Step-by-step beginner's guide