---
layout: documentation
title: Compiling Bazel from Source
---
# Compiling Bazel from Source (bootstrapping)
You can build Bazel from source without using an existing Bazel binary by
doing the following:
1. Ensure that JDK 8, Python, Bash, zip, and the usual C++ build toolchain
are installed on your system.
* On systems based on Debian packages (Debian, Ubuntu): you can install
OpenJDK 8 and Python by running the following command in a terminal:
```sh
sudo apt-get install build-essential openjdk-8-jdk python zip
```
* On Windows: you need additional software and the right OS version.
See the [Windows page](windows.html).
2. Download and unpack Bazel's distribution archive.
Download `bazel--dist.zip` from the [release
page](https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazel/releases).
**Note:** There is a **single, architecture-independent** distribution
archive. There are no architecture-specific or OS-specific distribution
archives.
We recommend to also
verify the signature made by our [release
key](https://bazel.build/bazel-release.pub.gpg) 48457EE0.
The distribution archive contains generated files in addition to the
versioned sources, so this step _cannot_ be short cut by checking out the
source tree.
3. Build Bazel using `./compile.sh`.
* On Unix-like systems (e.g. Ubuntu, macOS), do the following steps in a
shell session:
1. `cd` into the directory where you unpacked the distribution archive
2. run `bash ./compile.sh`
* On Windows, do following steps in the MSYS2 shell:
1. `cd` into the directory where you unpacked the distribution archive
2. run `./compile.sh`
Once you have a Bazel binary, you no longer need to use the MSYS2 shell.
You can run Bazel from the Command Prompt (`cmd.exe`) or PowerShell.
The output will be `output/bazel` on Unix-like systems (e.g. Ubuntu, macOS)
and `output/bazel.exe` on Windows. This is a self-contained Bazel binary.
You can copy it to a directory on the `PATH` (such as `/usr/local/bin` on
Linux) or use it in-place.