(1) To build HarfBuzz on Linux, you must first install the development packages for FreeType, Cairo, and GLib. The exact commands required for this step will vary depending on the Linux distribution you use.

For example, on an Ubuntu or Debian system, you would run:

sudo apt install gcc g++ libfreetype6-dev libglib2.0-dev libcairo2-dev

On Fedora, RHEL, CentOS, or other Red-Hat–based systems, you would run:

sudo yum install gcc gcc-c++ freetype-devel glib2-devel cairo-devel

(2) The next step depends on whether you are building from the source in a downloaded release tarball or from the source directly from the git repository.

(2)(a) If you downloaded the HarfBuzz source code in a tarball, you can now extract the source.

From a shell in the top-level directory of the extracted source code, you can run meson build followed by meson compile -C build as with any other standard package.

This should leave you with a shared library in the src/ directory, and a few utility programs including hb-view and hb-shape under the util/ directory.

(2)(b) If you are building from the source in the HarfBuzz git repository, rather than installing from a downloaded tarball release, then you must install two more auxiliary tools before you can build for the first time: pkg-config.

On Ubuntu or Debian, run:

sudo apt-get install meson pkg-config gtk-doc-tools

On Fedora, RHEL, CentOS, run:

sudo yum install meson pkgconfig gtk-doc

With pkg-config installed, you can now run meson build then meson compile -C build to build HarfBuzz.

Install meson and run (from the console) meson build (by default bundled dependencies are not built, --wrap-mode=default overrides this), then meson compile -C build to build HarfBuzz.

There are two ways to build HarfBuzz on Mac systems: MacPorts and Homebrew. The process is similar to the process used on a Linux system.

(1) You must first install the development packages for FreeType, Cairo, and GLib. If you are using MacPorts, you should run:

sudo port install freetype glib2 cairo

If you are using Homebrew, you should run:

brew install freetype glib cairo

(2) The next step depends on whether you are building from the source in a downloaded release tarball or from the source directly from the git repository.

(2)(a) If you are installing HarfBuzz from a downloaded tarball release, extract the tarball and open a Terminal in the extracted source-code directory. Run:

meson build

followed by:

meson compile -C build

to build HarfBuzz.

(2)(b) Alternatively, if you are building HarfBuzz from the source in the HarfBuzz git repository, then you must install several built-time dependencies before proceeding.

If you are using MacPorts, you should run:

sudo port install meson pkgconfig gtk-doc

to install the build dependencies.

If you are using Homebrew, you should run:

brew install meson pkgconfig gtk-doc

Finally, you can run:

meson build

(3) You can now build HarfBuzz (on either a MacPorts or a Homebrew system) by running:

meson build

followed by:

meson compile -C build

This should leave you with a shared library in the src/ directory, and a few utility programs including hb-view and hb-shape under the util/ directory.

The instructions in the "Building HarfBuzz" section will build the source code under its default configuration. If needed, the following additional configuration options are available.