Running or building idkr - idkr-client/idkr GitHub Wiki

Running/Building idkr from the source code

Pre-built releases are cool, but you may want to use the latest features/bugfixes.
This is a simple tutorial on how to get the idkr source code, install dependencies, and run or build the client.

Requirements

To run/build idkr, you'll need:

  • Node.js
    • To check if Node.js is installed, run node --version.
  • npm
    • Usually comes with Node.js. If it doesn't, install it manually.
    • To check if npm is installed, run npm --version.
  • node-gyp dependencies
    • If you are on Windows and installing Node.js with an installer, it may ask if you want to install "Tools for Native Modules". This is referring to node-gyp dependencies, so make sure to check the checkbox.
    • If you are on macOS or Linux, or on Windows but didn't check the checkbox mentioned above, follow these instructions.
  • git
    • Optional, but highly recommended for easier clone/pull operations.
    • To check if git is installed, run git --version.

This tutorial also assumes you have basic knowledge about computer terminologies like "directory". If you see words or commands you don't understand, you can always search online to learn about them.

Downloading The Source Code

Clone the idkr repository with git:

git clone --depth 1 --no-single-branch https://github.com/idkr-client/idkr.git

Note: --depth 1 --no-single-branch arguments are optional. However, it makes cloning faster by truncating commit logs. If you want the full commit log, omit these arguments.
Note: If you want to build/run Electron v9.x version, run git checkout electron-v9 before continuing.

Get inside the idkr directory you just cloned:

cd idkr

To update your local repository:

git fetch
git pull

If you don't want to use git or don't have it, Download ZIP and extract. You have to do this every time you want to update the client, so I recommend using git instead.

Run Or Build the Client

After downloading the client's source code, make sure to install it's needed dependencies in the source code directory by typing:

npm install

After installing the dependencies, you can run the client or build it.

If you want to run the client without building it:

npm start

If you want to build the client:

npm run dist

This will make a new directory called dist containing the executable binary files (.exe, .dmg or .AppImage). Executing these will install or run the client.
Note: If you are on 64-bit Linux, this command might fail, with the error log complaining about a missing file. In that case, try building with only the x64 target: npm run dist -- --linux AppImage:x64