Installing and Compiling FreeCad From Source

FreeCad is a powerful parametric modeler. However if you start to use the add-on's the standard .appimage may not work.  That pushes you into 'rolling-your-own' which can get challenging! But it doesn't have to be!

(Try To..) Avoid the Hard Mess

• Just understand that how this typically goes is A. You github the repo. B. You call 'cmake . ' and C. You get an error (over and over and over) because a missing library is not there (and it needs MANY!..)
• Hopefully these cut-n-paste commands will save you A LOT of time!
• aptitude / backports is pretty much required to get the variant versions of libraries.
• We spent about 5 hours collecting the libraries, debugging the cmake . repeatedly, and compiled this guide to hopefully save you that time so you can just focus on the build.
• This build was done on ParrotOS, your mileage may vary depending on your Linux variant.
• Have patience, and have fun! Eventually you can do it!

Prerequisites..

sudo apt update
sudo apt install build-essential cmake git ninja-build python3-dev python3-venv python3-pip libclang-dev llvm-dev

• Pyside-6 can will be needed and is a bit of a setup (this did not work too cleanly but is for reference..)

git clone https://code.qt.io/pyside/pyside-setup.git
cd pyside-setup
python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate
pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel
python setup.py install \
  --qtpaths=/opt/Qt/6.8.0/gcc_64/bin/qtpaths \
  --ignore-git \
  --debug \
  --build-tests \
  --parallel=8 \
  --verbose \
  --module-subset=Core,Gui,Widgets,UiTools,SvgWidgets

Part A. Simple Install (May not Work but Try it)

• Download your the latest version

git clone https://github.com/FreeCAD/FreeCAD.git
cd FreeCAD

From this point you will need to install a Qt5/6 Framework for the GUI:

• For QT5

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -f aptitude qtbase5-dev qttools5-dev libqt5opengl5-dev libqt5svg5-dev qtwebengine5-dev libqt5xmlpatterns5-dev libqt5x11extras5-dev 

• For QT6

sudo apt install qt6-base-dev qt6-svg-dev qt6-tools-dev qt6-webengine-dev

• Install libyaml / libicu / pybind11 / libxerces / libocct* / etc etc etc..

sudo apt update
sudo apt install libyaml-cpp-dev -y
sudo apt install libicu-dev -y
sudo apt install pybind11-dev -y
sudo apt install libxerces-c-dev -y
sudo apt install libocct-*-dev -y
sudo aptitude install libvtk9-dev -y
sudo aptitude install libmedc-dev
sudo aptitude install swig -y
sudo aptitude install libcoin-dev -y
sudo aptitude install qt6-base-dev qt6-base-private-dev
sudo apt install python3-pivy -y
sudo apt install libboost-regex-dev -y
sudo apt install libboost-thread-dev -y
sudo apt install python3-lark -y
sudo apt install libspnav-dev -y
sudo apt install python3-pyside2.qtcore python3-pyside2.qtgui python3-pyside2.qtwidgets python3-pyside2.qtsvg python3-pyside2.qtxml python3-pyside2.qtuitools -y
sudo apt install libpyside2* pyside2-tools -y
sudo apt install libcoin-doc -y
git submodule update --init

You may additionally be interested in adding opencv (another 290MB)

sudo apt install libopencv-dev -y

Part B. More Intensive Support Library Install

• If you get errors during this process you can try a more aggressive way, via adding the back-ports repositories:

echo "deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm-backports main contrib non-free non-free-firmware" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/bookworm-backports.list

• And then update repository:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install aptitude -y
sudo aptitude install -t bookworm-backports libheif-dev libhwloc-dev libwebp-dev

• Aptitude can lock to older and or synchronized libraries, so:

sudo apt install -t bookworm-backports qtbase5-dev qttools5-dev libqt5opengl5-dev libqt5svg5-dev qtwebengine5-dev libqt5xmlpatterns5-dev libqt5x11extras5-dev

Finish with one more:

sudo apt update

Install libyaml, libicu-dev, pybind11, libxerces, libocct*, and the big one libvtk9-dev which depending may pull about 490MB of libaries around it.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install libyaml-cpp-dev -y
sudo apt install libicu-dev -y
sudo apt install pybind11-dev -y
sudo apt install libxerces-c-dev -y
sudo apt install libocct-*-dev -y
sudo aptitude install libvtk9-dev -y
sudo aptitude install libmedc-dev
sudo aptitude install swig -y
sudo aptitude install libcoin-dev -y
sudo aptitude install qt6-base-dev qt6-base-private-dev
sudo apt install python3-pivy -y
sudo apt install libboost-regex-dev -y
sudo apt install libboost-thread-dev -y
sudo apt install python3-lark -y
sudo apt install libspnav-dev -y
sudo apt install python3-pyside2.qtcore python3-pyside2.qtgui python3-pyside2.qtwidgets python3-pyside2.qtsvg python3-pyside2.qtxml python3-pyside2.qtuitools -y
sudo apt install libpyside2* pyside2-tools -y
sudo apt install libcoin-doc -y
git submodule update --init

You can then add opencv

sudo apt install libopencv-dev -y

Compiling the Source

• One more time.

cmake .

If it gets corrupted you can flush the CMakeCache.txt and try with options:

rm CMakeCache.txt
cmake -DShiboken2_DIR=/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/cmake/Shiboken2 \
      -DPySide2_DIR=/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/cmake/PySide2 \
      -DSHIBOKEN_INCLUDE_DIR=/usr/include/shiboken2 \
      -DPYSIDE_INCLUDE_DIR=/usr/include/PySide2 \
      -DVTK_DIR=/usr/lib/cmake/vtk-9.1 \
      -DQt5_DIR=/path/to/Qt5/lib/cmake/Qt5 ..

• If it still is fighting you - just wipe the directory and repeat (remember you have installed all the support libaries at this point - so it just continues..)

git clone https://github.com/FreeCAD/FreeCAD.git
cd FreeCAD
git submodule update --init 

Finally the big. last. command.

make -j$(nproc)

At this point the amazing eye-candy rolls will begin

Or alternately, after running cmake, it should give you a command as:

cmake --build {FreeCAD_Directory}/FreeCAD

Comments - After more inspection this guide was not fully complete - as compiling without Qt6 (from its source - and it's own process) is a pre-requisite.

This guide is still being worked on - and it is considered an entire program may be required.