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This guide covers building libmem from source on all supported platforms.

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Prerequisites

1

Install Windows SDK

Download and install the Windows SDK for your version:
2

Install Python 3

Download and install Python 3:
3

Install Visual Studio

Install Visual Studio 2022 or newer with:
  • C++ support
  • CMake tools
You can install only the Visual Studio Build Tools if you don’t want the full IDE.
4

Install Git Bash

Download and install Git Bash
5

Add to PATH (Optional)

Run a Visual Studio Developer Command Prompt (or x64 Native Tools Command Prompt for VS 2022 for 64-bit) as Administrator and run:
setx PATH "%PATH%;%ProgramFiles%\libmem\include;%ProgramFiles%\libmem\lib"
Watch for your PATH size limit when adding directories!

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Build and Install

Windows: Run the following commands in Git Bash.Linux/FreeBSD: Run the following commands in a terminal.
1

Clone the repository

Clone the libmem repository with all submodules:
git clone --recursive --depth 1 https://github.com/rdbo/libmem
The --recursive flag ensures all submodules (capstone, keystone, LIEF, etc.) are cloned. The --depth 1 flag creates a shallow clone to save bandwidth.
2

Navigate to the repository

cd libmem
3

Generate the CMake cache

Create a build directory and generate the build files:
mkdir build
cd build
cmake .. -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS=-fpermissive -DCMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS=1
CMake Options:
  • CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release - Build in release mode with optimizations
  • CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS=-fpermissive - Allow permissive C++ compilation
  • CMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS=1 - Export compile commands for IDE support
You can customize the build with these options:
# Build tests
cmake .. -DLIBMEM_BUILD_TESTS=ON

# Build static library instead of shared
cmake .. -DLIBMEM_BUILD_STATIC=ON

# Force a specific architecture
cmake .. -DLIBMEM_ARCH=x86_64

# Enable deep testing features
cmake .. -DLIBMEM_DEEP_TESTS=ON
4

Compile libmem

nmake
5

Install libmem

Run as Administrator (Windows) or root (Linux/FreeBSD)
Run in an Administrator Command Prompt:
nmake install
This installs libmem to C:\Program Files\libmem\ by default.

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Build Outputs

After building, you’ll find the following files in the build directory:
  • libmem.dll - Dynamic link library
  • libmem.lib - Import library for linking
  • libmem.exp - Export file

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Using the Built Library

After installation, follow the language-specific usage instructions:

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C/C++

Add the include directive to your source code: 
#include <libmem/libmem.h>   /* C/C++ */
#include <libmem/libmem.hpp> /* Modern C++ */
Link against the library: 
gcc myprogram.c -llibmem -o myprogram
g++ myprogram.cpp -llibmem -o myprogram

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Rust

Set the LIBMEM_DIR environment variable to point to your installation: 
export LIBMEM_DIR=/usr  # Linux/FreeBSD
set LIBMEM_DIR=C:\Program Files\libmem  # Windows
Then add to Cargo.toml: 
[dependencies]
libmem = { version = "5", features = [] }  # Disable auto-fetch

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Python

Set the LIBDIR environment variable: 
export LIBDIR=/usr  # Linux/FreeBSD
set LIBDIR=C:\Program Files\libmem  # Windows
Then install the Python package: 
pip install libmem

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Troubleshooting

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Windows

Make sure you’re running the command in a Visual Studio Developer Command Prompt, not a regular Command Prompt.
Ensure Python is in your PATH. Re-install Python and check the “Add Python to PATH” option.
Install the appropriate Windows SDK for your Windows version. CMake will report which components are missing.

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Linux/FreeBSD

Make sure to run sudo make install with root privileges.
Install the linux-headers or kernel-devel package for your distribution.
If you get errors about missing submodules, run:
git submodule update --init --recursive

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Testing the Build

You can build and run the tests to verify your installation: 
mkdir build
cd build
cmake .. -DLIBMEM_BUILD_TESTS=ON
make        # or nmake on Windows
./tests     # or tests.exe on Windows

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Next Steps

Now that you’ve built and installed libmem from source, head to the Quickstart guide to start using it in your projects.

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