Xmake Xpack

XPack: Package Configuration & CLI

xpack is xmake's built-in packaging plugin. Declare a package in xmake.lua, then run xmake pack to produce distributable archives or installers. Unlike xmake install (which installs to a prefix), xpack emits a file you can ship.

Supported formats: zip, targz, tar.gz, srczip, srctargz, nsis (Win installer), wix (MSI), deb, rpm, srpm, pacman, runself (self-extracting), zst.

1. Minimal example

-- xmake.lua
includes("@builtin/xpack")

target("myapp")
    set_kind("binary")
    set_version("1.0.0")
    add_files("src/*.cpp")

xpack("myapp")
    set_formats("zip", "targz", "nsis", "deb")
    set_homepage("https://example.com")
    set_license("Apache-2.0")
    set_description("A short one-line description")
    add_targets("myapp")

Build the package:

xmake f -m release
xmake
xmake pack

Output lands under build/xpack//.

includes("@builtin/xpack") is required — xpack is a plugin, not a built-in API.

2. Metadata (all optional but recommended)

xpack("myapp")
    set_version("1.0.0")                            -- or inherits from add_targets
    set_title("My Application")                     -- short UI label
    set_description("Detailed one-paragraph summary.")
    set_homepage("https://example.com")
    set_author("Ruki ")
    set_maintainer("Ops Team ")
    set_copyright("Copyright (c) 2025, Example Corp")
    set_license("Apache-2.0")                       -- SPDX identifier
    set_licensefile("LICENSE.md")                   -- include the license text
    set_company("Example Corp")

Version lookup order: xpack:set_version > inherited from first add_targets > project-level set_version.

3. Format selection

set_formats("zip", "targz")                         -- generic archives
set_formats("nsis")                                 -- Windows installer
set_formats("wix")                                  -- Windows MSI
set_formats("deb", "rpm")                           -- Linux packages
set_formats("pacman")                               -- Arch
set_formats("runself")                              -- self-extracting .run
set_formats("srczip", "srctargz")                   -- source-only

Or pick the format at xmake pack time:

xmake pack -f zip
xmake pack -f nsis
xmake pack -f deb myapp
xmake pack -f "zip,targz,deb" myapp                 # multiple at once

The CLI -f overrides what set_formats declares.

4. Install layout

xpack("myapp")
    add_targets("myapp")                            -- main binaries/libs
    set_prefixdir("myapp-$(version)")               -- top-level dir inside archive
    set_bindir("bin")                               -- where binaries go
    set_libdir("lib")                               -- where libraries go
    set_includedir("include")                       -- where headers go

Add extra content:

    add_sourcefiles("README.md", "docs/*.md")       -- include in source pkgs
    add_installfiles("assets/icon.png", {prefixdir = "share/myapp"})
    add_installfiles("config/*.json", {prefixdir = "etc/myapp"})

add_installfiles is the general-purpose "ship this file at this path" — use it for anything that isn't a target output.

5. Components (optional install groups)

Split a package into optional components users can pick:

xpack("myapp")
    set_formats("nsis")
    add_components("app", "docs", "examples")

xpack_component("app")
    set_title("Main application")
    set_default(true)
    add_targets("myapp")

xpack_component("docs")
    set_title("Documentation")
    set_default(false)
    add_installfiles("docs/**", {prefixdir = "share/doc"})

xpack_component("examples")
    set_title("Example code")
    set_default(false)
    add_installfiles("examples/**", {prefixdir = "share/myapp/examples"})

Components map to NSIS/WiX/deb-dpkg component selectors in the installer UI.

6. Custom install/uninstall commands

For installers that need to run scripts (register services, update PATH, create symlinks):

xpack("myapp")
    on_installcmd(function (package, batchcmds)
        batchcmds:mkdir(package:installdir("etc"))
        batchcmds:cp("config/*.json", package:installdir("etc"))
        if is_plat("linux") then
            batchcmds:runv("systemctl", {"daemon-reload"})
        end
    end)

    on_uninstallcmd(function (package, batchcmds)
        batchcmds:rm(package:installdir("etc"))
    end)

Hooks available: before_installcmd / on_installcmd / after_installcmd, same for uninstall, build, package. Use batchcmds:* for commands that should end up in the installer script (portable across formats), or plain os.* for configure-time work.

7. Format-specific knobs

NSIS

set_formats("nsis")
set_nsis_displayicon("res/icon.ico")
-- also set_prefixdir, add_components, etc.

RPM / deb

add_buildrequires("gcc-c++", "cmake")               -- build-time deps

Version / maintainer / description are picked up from the xpack metadata automatically.

WiX (MSI)

Same API surface as NSIS; WiX uses set_title, set_company, set_nsis_displayicon (re-used as MSI icon).

8. CLI reference

xmake pack                           # pack all xpack() entries in default format
xmake pack -f zip                    # force format
xmake pack -f "zip,deb" myapp        # multiple formats, one package
xmake pack myapp                     # one package only
xmake pack --autobuild=y             # rebuild targets before packing (default)
xmake pack --autobuild=n             # assume targets already built
xmake pack -o /tmp/out               # output directory
xmake pack -vD                       # verbose + diagnosis

Output locations:

• Default: build/xpack//---.
• With -o: under the specified directory.

9. Typical workflows

Ship a cross-platform zip + installer

xpack("myapp")
    set_version("1.0.0")
    set_formats("zip", "nsis", "deb", "targz")
    set_homepage("https://example.com")
    set_license("MIT")
    add_targets("myapp")
    set_prefixdir("myapp-$(version)")

xmake f -p windows -m release && xmake && xmake pack -f "zip,nsis"
xmake f -p linux   -m release && xmake && xmake pack -f "targz,deb"

Source tarball for distribution

xpack("myapp-src")
    set_formats("srczip", "srctargz")
    add_sourcefiles("(src/**)", "(include/**)", "xmake.lua", "README.md", "LICENSE")

xmake pack myapp-src

Reproduce a Linux-distribution package

xpack("myapp")
    set_formats("deb")
    set_maintainer("Ops Team ")
    add_buildrequires("libssl-dev")
    add_targets("myapp")

xmake pack -f deb

Pitfalls

• Forgetting includes("@builtin/xpack"). xpack(...) is undefined without it — "attempt to call a nil value".
• xmake pack before xmake. With --autobuild=y (default) this is fine, but if you disable autobuild make sure targets are built first.
• Version mismatch. If xpack:set_version and target:set_version disagree, the xpack value wins. Keep them in sync or drop one.
• NSIS / WiX on non-Windows. Cross-packing needs the appropriate tooling installed — NSIS works from Linux/macOS with makensis, WiX generally doesn't. Install the binaries or package on the native OS.
• add_installfiles paths. Globs (assets/**) are relative to the project root, not the target. Paths inside the archive are set by prefixdir.
• Components ignored on basic archives. zip/targz flatten components into a single archive. Components are only honored by NSIS/WiX/deb/rpm.

When to branch out

• Packaging library code for reuse by other xmake projects → xmake-private-packages
• Plain install via xmake install (no archive) → xmake-commands
• Running xpack from CI with binary artifacts → xmake-build-optimization

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: xmake-io
• Source: xmake-io/xmake-skills
• License: Apache-2.0

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.