List of build automation software
Build automation involves scripting or automating the process of compiling computer source code into binary code. Below is a list of notable tools associated with automating build processes.
Make-based
- GNU make, a widely used make implementation with a large set of extensions
- make, a classic Unix build tool
- mk, developed originally for Version 10 Unix and Plan 9, and ported to Unix as part of plan9port
- MPW Make, developed for the classic Mac OS and similar to but not compatible with Unix make; the modern macOS comes with both GNU make and BSD make; available as part of Macintosh Programmer's Workshop as a free, unsupported download from Apple
- nmake
- PVCS-make, basically follows the concept of make but with a noticeable set of unique syntax features
Make-incompatible
- Apache Ant, popular for Java platform development and uses an XML file format
- Apache Buildr, open-source build system, Rake-based, gives the full power of scripting in Ruby with integral support for most abilities wanted in a build system
- Apache Maven, a Java platform tool for dependency management and automated software build
- ASDF LISP build system for building LISP projects
- A-A-P, a Python-based build tool
- Bazel, a portion of Blaze written in Java, using Starlark to build projects in Java, C, C++, Go, Python, Objective-C, and others
- BitBake, a Python-based tool with the special focus of distributions and packages for embedded Linux cross-compilation
- Boot, a Java build and dependency management tool written in Clojure
- boost.build For C++ projects, cross-platform, based on Perforce Jam
- Buck, a build system developed and used by Facebook, written in Java, using Starlark as Bazel
- Buildout, a Python-based build system for creating, assembling and deploying applications from multiple parts
- Cabal, a common architecture for building applications and libraries in the programming language Haskell
- FinalBuilder, for Windows software developers. FinalBuilder provides a graphical IDE to both create and run build projects in a single application. The final builder also includes the ability the execute the unit test, deploy web projects or install and test applications.
- Flowtracer
- Gradle, an open-source build and automation system with an Apache Groovy-based domain specific language, combining features of Apache Ant and Apache Maven with additional features like a reliable incremental build
- Grunt, a build tool for front-end web development
- Gulp, another build tool for front-end
- IncrediBuild
- Leiningen, a tool providing commonly performed tasks in Clojure projects, including build automation
- Mix, the Elixir build tool
- MSBuild, the Microsoft build engine
- NAnt, a tool similar to Ant for the.NET Framework
- Ninja, a small build system focused on speed by using build scripts generated by higher-level build systems
- Perforce Jam, a build tool by Perforce, inspired by Make
- Psake, domain-specific language and build-automation tool written in PowerShell
- Qt Build System
- Rake, a Ruby-based build tool
- sbt, a build tool built on a Scala-based DSL
- SCons, Python-based, with integrated functionality similar to autoconf/automake
- Stack, a tool to build Haskell projects, manage their dependencies, and for testing and benchmarking.
- Tweaker, allowing task definitions to be written in any languages while providing a consistent interface for them all
- Visual Build, a graphical user interface software for software builds
- Waf, a Python-based tool for configuring, compiling and installing applications. It is a replacement for other tools such as Autotools, Scons, CMake or Ant
- xmake, A cross-platform build utility based on Lua
Build script generation
- BuildAMation, a multi-platform tool, using a declarative syntax in C# scripts, that builds C/C++ code in a terminal using multiple threads, or generates project files for Microsoft Visual Studio, Xcode or MakeFiles.
- CMake generates files for various build tools, such as make, ninja, Apple's Xcode, and Microsoft Visual Studio. CMake is also directly used by some IDE as Qt Creator, KDevelop and GNOME Builder.
- GNU Build System , a collection of tools for portable builds. These in particular include Autoconf and Automake, cross-unix-platform tools that together generate appropriate localized makefiles.
- GYP - Created for Chromium; it is another tool that generates files for the native build environment
- imake
- Meson, a build system optimized for performance and usability is based on ninja on Linux, Visual Studio on Windows and Xcode on macOS. Meson is also directly used by GNOME Builder.
- OpenMake Software Meister
- Premake, a Lua-based tool for making makefiles, Visual Studio files, Xcode projects, and more
- qmake
- xmake
Continuous integration
- AnthillPro, build automation with pipeline support for deployment automation and testing. Cross-platform, cross-language
- Apache Continuum - discontinued
- Azure DevOps, can be Azure-hosted services or self-hosted server build capabilities
- Bamboo, continuous-integration software
- Bitbucket Pipelines and Deployments, continuous integration for Bitbucket hosted repositories
- Buildbot, a Python-based software development continuous-integration tool which automates the compile/test cycle
- CircleCI
- CruiseControl, for Java and.NET
- Go continuous delivery, open source, cross-platform
- GitLab, continuous integration and git server
- Hudson, an extensible continuous-integration engine
- Jenkins, an extensible continuous-integration engine, forked from Hudson
- Spinnaker, open source multi-cloud continuous delivery service from Netflix and Google
- TeamCity
- Travis CI, a hosted continuous-integration service
Configuration management
- Ansible
- CFEngine
- Chef
- LCFG
- OpenMake Software Release Engineer
- Otter
- Puppet
- Salt
- Rex
Meta-build
- Pkgsrc, package manager of NetBSD and other operating systems.
- Portage, package manager of the Gentoo Linux distribution
- Nix, functional package manager for Linux and macOS focusing on reproducible builds, used for the NixOS Linux distribution.
- Guix, functional package manager based on Nix, used for the GuixSD Linux distribution.
- Collective Knowledge, cross-platform package manager to rebuild software environment for research workflows
- Homebrew, package manager for macOS
Others
- checkinstall, checkinstall is a program that monitors an installation procedure and creates a standard package for your distribution.
- Open Build Service, a hosted service to help build packages for various Linux distributions
Licensing overview