Getting Prowl up and running requires only a few steps: install the .NET 9 SDK, clone the repository, pull down the external submodules, and open the solution in your IDE. There are no official binary releases yet, so you will always build from source. The process is the same on all three supported platforms (Windows, Linux, macOS), with only the submodule initialization script differing per OS.Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/ProwlEngine/Prowl/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
Prerequisites
Before you begin, make sure the following tools are installed:.NET 9 SDK
Required to build and run Prowl. Download the SDK (not just the runtime) from the official Microsoft page.
IDE / Editor
Any of the following work: Visual Studio 2022 v17.8+, VS Code with the C# Dev Kit extension, or JetBrains Rider.
Make sure you install the .NET 9 SDK specifically. Earlier SDK versions are not supported because Prowl uses .NET 9 language features and runtime APIs.
Installation Steps
Clone the Repository
Open a terminal and clone the Prowl repository from GitHub. The
--recurse-submodules flag is optional here because the submodule script in the next step will handle initialization.Initialize External Submodules
Prowl depends on two external submodules located in the
External/ directory:- Prowl.Veldrid — the cross-platform graphics abstraction layer
- Prowl.DotRecast — the navmesh and AI pathfinding library
- Windows
- Linux / macOS
If you skip this step the solution will fail to build because the
External/Prowl.Veldrid and External/Prowl.DotRecast project references will be missing.Open the Solution
Open
Prowl.sln in your IDE of choice. The solution contains several projects; the entry point for the editor is Prowl.Editor.- Visual Studio 2022
- VS Code
- JetBrains Rider
Double-click
Prowl.sln in Explorer or use File → Open → Project/Solution inside Visual Studio.Once the solution loads, right-click Prowl.Editor in Solution Explorer and choose Set as Startup Project.Build and Run
Build the solution and run Prowl.Editor in either Debug or Release configuration.The editor window opens at 1920×1080 in a maximized state. The title bar shows the active graphics backend — for example, Prowl Editor - OpenGL on Windows and Linux, or Prowl Editor - Metal on macOS.
- Debug
- Release
Recommended for development. Enables full debugging support, assertions, and detailed error messages.
Graphics Backend Selection
Prowl automatically selects the best available graphics backend for your platform at startup. You do not need to configure this manually.| Platform | Primary | Fallbacks |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | OpenGL | Vulkan → DirectX 11 → OpenGL ES |
| Linux / FreeBSD | OpenGL | Vulkan → OpenGL ES |
| macOS | Metal | OpenGL → OpenGL ES |
Troubleshooting
Build errors about missing projects
Run the submodule initialization script (
UpdateSubmodules.bat / UpdateSubmodules.sh). The External/ folder must be populated before building.'dotnet' is not recognized
The .NET 9 SDK is not on your system
PATH. Re-run the SDK installer and make sure the option to add dotnet to PATH is selected, then restart your terminal.Editor opens but shows a black screen
This can happen if no project is loaded. The Projects window should appear on startup — create or open a project from there. See the Project Setup guide.
VS Code debugger can't find the launch configuration
Make sure the C# Dev Kit extension is installed and that you have
Program.cs open as the active file when selecting Start Debugging from the Run menu.Next Steps
Project Setup
Create your first project, understand the folder layout, and add a C# script.
Editor Overview
Learn how the editor windows, docking system, and play controls work.