Install MSYS2 and Command Line Tools

SplashKit requires a few command line tools to be installed on your system before you proceed with the installation. Follow the steps below to install these tools, then you can continue with the SplashKit installation.

MSYS2 provides a Unix-like terminal environment for Windows, allowing you to run the build commands needed to create SplashKit programs.

Installation Steps

1. Download MSYS2

   Download the installer from the official MSYS2 website: www.msys2.org

2. Install MSYS2

   Double-click the downloaded executable file and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

   We recommend using the default installation path, though you may customize other options as needed.

3. Open the MINGW64 Terminal

   MSYS2 includes several terminal environments, and we recommend the MINGW64 environment for 64-bit systems (use MINGW32 for 32-bit). This terminal best supports the C# and C++ commands used with SplashKit.

   Choosing the Correct Terminal

   To open MINGW64, search for “mingw64” in the Windows Start menu and select the MSYS2 MINGW64 app.

   Pin MINGW64 to the Taskbar

   To make it easier to open each time, you can pin MINGW64 to the taskbar:

   • Open the MINGW64 terminal.

   • Right-click on the blue MSYS2 icon in the taskbar.

   • Select “Pin to taskbar.”

   

4. Install Command Line Tools

   To prepare for SplashKit, you’ll need to install essential tools using the pacman package manager within MINGW64.

   Copy and paste the following command into the MINGW64 terminal window to install git, clang, gcc, and gdb:

   pacman -S git mingw-w64-x86_64-clang mingw-w64-x86_64-gcc mingw-w64-x86_64-gdb --noconfirm --disable-download-timeout

   Pasting Commands in MINGW64 Terminal

   Ctrl + V won’t work to paste in MINGW64. Instead, right-click anywhere in the terminal window and select Paste.

You’re now ready to proceed with the SplashKit installation. Continue to Step 2 to complete your setup.