CMake/Help/manual/cmake.1.rst

cmake(1)
********

Synopsis
========

::

  cmake [options] <path-to-source>
  cmake [options] <path-to-existing-build>

Description
===========

The "cmake" executable is the CMake command-line interface.  It may be
used to configure projects in scripts.  Project configuration settings
may be specified on the command line with the -D option.  The -i
option will cause cmake to interactively prompt for such settings.

CMake is a cross-platform build system generator.  Projects specify
their build process with platform-independent CMake listfiles included
in each directory of a source tree with the name CMakeLists.txt.
Users build a project by using CMake to generate a build system for a
native tool on their platform.

.. include:: OPTIONS_BUILD.txt

* ``-E``: CMake command mode.

  For true platform independence, CMake provides a list of commands
  that can be used on all systems.  Run with -E help for the usage
  information.  Commands available are: chdir, compare_files, copy,
  copy_directory, copy_if_different, echo, echo_append, environment,
  make_directory, md5sum, remove, remove_directory, rename, tar, time,
  touch, touch_nocreate.  In addition, some platform specific commands
  are available.  On Windows: comspec, delete_regv, write_regv.  On
  UNIX: create_symlink.

* ``-i``: Run in wizard mode.

  Wizard mode runs cmake interactively without a GUI.  The user is
  prompted to answer questions about the project configuration.  The
  answers are used to set cmake cache values.

* ``-L[A][H]``: List non-advanced cached variables.

  List cache variables will run CMake and list all the variables from
  the CMake cache that are not marked as INTERNAL or ADVANCED.  This
  will effectively display current CMake settings, which can then be
  changed with -D option.  Changing some of the variables may result
  in more variables being created.  If A is specified, then it will
  display also advanced variables.  If H is specified, it will also
  display help for each variable.

* ``--build <dir>``: Build a CMake-generated project binary tree.

  This abstracts a native build tool's command-line interface with the
  following options:

  ::

    <dir>          = Project binary directory to be built.
    --target <tgt> = Build <tgt> instead of default targets.
    --config <cfg> = For multi-configuration tools, choose <cfg>.
    --clean-first  = Build target 'clean' first, then build.
                     (To clean only, use --target 'clean'.)
    --use-stderr   = Don't merge stdout/stderr output and pass the
                     original stdout/stderr handles to the native
                     tool so it can use the capabilities of the
                     calling terminal (e.g. colored output).
    --             = Pass remaining options to the native tool.

  Run cmake --build with no options for quick help.

* ``-N``: View mode only.

  Only load the cache.  Do not actually run configure and generate
  steps.

* ``-P <file>``: Process script mode.

  Process the given cmake file as a script written in the CMake
  language.  No configure or generate step is performed and the cache
  is not modified.  If variables are defined using -D, this must be
  done before the -P argument.

* ``--find-package``: Run in pkg-config like mode.

  Search a package using find_package() and print the resulting flags
  to stdout.  This can be used to use cmake instead of pkg-config to
  find installed libraries in plain Makefile-based projects or in
  autoconf-based projects (via share/aclocal/cmake.m4).

* ``--graphviz=[file]``: Generate graphviz of dependencies, see CMakeGraphVizOptions.cmake for more.

  Generate a graphviz input file that will contain all the library and
  executable dependencies in the project.  See the documentation for
  CMakeGraphVizOptions.cmake for more details.

* ``--system-information [file]``: Dump information about this system.

  Dump a wide range of information about the current system.  If run
  from the top of a binary tree for a CMake project it will dump
  additional information such as the cache, log files etc.

* ``--debug-trycompile``: Do not delete the try_compile build tree. Only useful on one try_compile at a time.

  Do not delete the files and directories created for try_compile
  calls.  This is useful in debugging failed try_compiles.  It may
  however change the results of the try-compiles as old junk from a
  previous try-compile may cause a different test to either pass or
  fail incorrectly.  This option is best used for one try-compile at a
  time, and only when debugging.

* ``--debug-output``: Put cmake in a debug mode.

  Print extra stuff during the cmake run like stack traces with
  message(send_error ) calls.

* ``--trace``: Put cmake in trace mode.

  Print a trace of all calls made and from where with
  message(send_error ) calls.

* ``--warn-uninitialized``: Warn about uninitialized values.

  Print a warning when an uninitialized variable is used.

* ``--warn-unused-vars``: Warn about unused variables.

  Find variables that are declared or set, but not used.

* ``--no-warn-unused-cli``: Don't warn about command line options.

  Don't find variables that are declared on the command line, but not
  used.

* ``--check-system-vars``: Find problems with variable usage in system files.

  Normally, unused and uninitialized variables are searched for only
  in CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR and CMAKE_BINARY_DIR.  This flag tells CMake to
  warn about other files as well.

.. include:: OPTIONS_HELP.txt

See Also
========

.. include:: LINKS.txt