Extract lantern-terminal-0.6.0-source.tar.gz and enter its top-level directory. Paths containing spaces are supported. The source archive contains C++ code, CMake configuration, shell/PowerShell scripts, terminal-parser and Lua runtime source, specifications, examples, tests and dependency/download manifests. Build outputs go to build/; release files go to dist/.
Requirements: C++17 compiler, CMake 3.22+, Ninja, Qt 6.8+ development files for Widgets/Network/SerialPort/PrintSupport/Core5Compat/Test, OpenSSH client tools and Python 3. Qt 6.10.2 was used for the supplied Linux build.
On a distribution that supplies a suitable Qt version:
sudo apt install build-essential cmake ninja-build qt6-base-dev qt6-serialport-dev qt6-5compat-dev libssh-dev libssl-dev freerdp3-dev openssh-client python3 libglib2.0-bin desktop-file-utils ./scripts/build-linux.sh ./build/linux/lantern-terminal
Alternatively ./scripts/build-linux.sh –install-deps installs those packages before building. This is opt-in and uses sudo. Older Ubuntu distributions may supply Qt below 6.8; install a Qt 6.8+ SDK and pass -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=/path/to/Qt/gcc_64 to the build script.
To make a Debian installer and a tar archive:
./scripts/package-linux.sh
The .deb declares its actual shared-library dependencies. It is intended for a compatible Linux distribution; it is not a universal Linux binary. Build from source on a different distribution. The tar archive uses the same runtime libraries and contains bin/ and share/ content.
Choose a compiler/build directory/job count if needed:
LANTERN_BUILD_DIR="$PWD/build/debug" LANTERN_BUILD_TYPE=Debug LANTERN_JOBS=4 ./scripts/build-linux.sh
The lantern-lua worker is built automatically with the application from vendored Lua 5.4.9 source. No Lua SDK, interpreter download or LuaSocket installation is needed. Both executables must remain together in the installed bin/ directory (Windows: application directory).
Install CMake, Ninja, Python 3, NSIS, and Qt 6.8.3 with its matching 64-bit MinGW 13.1 compiler and Qt SerialPort and Qt 5 Compatibility components. The application is built with C++17. Use the matching MinGW compiler rather than mixing MSVC with a MinGW Qt kit.
In PowerShell from the extracted source directory:
.\scripts\build-windows.ps1 -QtRoot C:\Qt\6.8.3\mingw_64 -CompilerBin C:\Qt\Tools\mingw1310_64\bin .\build\windows-native\lantern-terminal.exe .\scripts\package-windows.ps1 -QtRoot C:\Qt\6.8.3\mingw_64 -CompilerBin C:\Qt\Tools\mingw1310_64\bin
Add cmake, ninja, python and makensis to PATH. The packaging script uses Qt's deployment tool to collect required libraries/plugins, adds the application data and scripting interface, and creates an installer and portable ZIP. Runtime download versions and SHA256 values are pinned in scripts/runtime-downloads.json; packaging requires Internet access on the first run and uses a user cache thereafter.
sudo apt install mingw-w64 cmake ninja-build nsis python3-venv ./scripts/setup-windows-cross.sh ./scripts/build-windows-libssh.sh ./scripts/build-windows-freerdp.sh ./scripts/build-windows-cross.sh
build-windows-libssh.sh cross-builds zlib, OpenSSL and libssh (versions and SHA256 checksums pinned in scripts/dependencies.json) into the toolchain cache for the built-in SSH engine; it needs make and perl and takes several minutes the first time. Without it the Windows build still works but offers only the OpenSSH engine. LANTERN_LIBSSH_WINDOWS selects a different libssh kit. build-windows-freerdp.sh then cross-builds the FreeRDP 3 client libraries (pinned with their checksum) using that OpenSSL, for RDP sessions; without it the Windows build has no RDP. LANTERN_FREERDP_WINDOWS selects a different FreeRDP kit. On Linux, RDP uses the distribution's FreeRDP 3 (freerdp3-dev); CMake leaves RDP out with a warning if it is missing.
The setup script installs a pinned aqt helper into a user virtual environment and downloads the official Qt 6.8.3 MinGW Windows kit. The cross build uses the POSIX MinGW compiler variant and vendored Vulkan headers so Linux headers do not enter the Windows build. It does not alter the system compiler configuration.
An already-installed kit can be selected with LANTERN_QT_WINDOWS=/absolute/path/to/mingw_64. LANTERN_TOOLCHAIN_CACHE changes the cache root. Windows binaries must still be tested on Windows; successful cross-compilation or Wine smoke tests alone do not validate every Windows device/integration.
python3 scripts/package.py source python3 scripts/package.py checksums sha256sum -c dist/SHA256SUMS
Generated artifacts, caches, profiles, private keys and Python bytecode are excluded from the source archive. Public upstream dependencies retain their licences. Qt remains dynamically linked and replaceable.
ctest --test-dir build/linux --output-on-failure python3 tests/integration.py build/linux/lantern-terminal python3 tests/launch_checks.py build/linux/lantern-terminal
The RLogin, BBS-session and Zmodem tests (tests/rlogin.py, tests/bbs.py, tests/zmodem.py) run in ctest; the Zmodem test needs lrzsz (sz, rz) and is skipped by CMake when they are not installed. Also in ctest: tests/ssh_tools.py (SFTP Browser and Copy Public Key, needs sshd), tests/xfer.py (Xmodem, Ymodem and Kermit; needs lrzsz and gkermit), tests/rdp.py (needs Xvfb, xterm, freerdp-shadow-cli3 from freerdp3-shadow-x11 and winpr-hash; it runs on a private display) and tests/update.py. tests/windows_rdp.py and tests/windows_libssh.py run the packaged Windows build under Wine on private displays. The built-in VGA font in src/vgafont.h is generated: python3 scripts/make-vga-font.py > src/vgafont.h (needs the console-setup-linux fonts).
Integration tests create disposable profiles, loopback TCP/Telnet endpoints, a serial PTY, TFTP files and an SSH daemon with temporary keys. SSH tests need sshd and ssh-keygen; no production hosts, credentials, service configurations or SSH trust stores are modified. The test daemon listens only on loopback. Tests use a protected user cache so OpenSSH strict ownership checks remain enabled.
docs/TEST-RESULTS.md records the actual release checks and limitations.
The native core suite exercises a desktop launcher through gio (libglib2.0-bin); launch_checks.py also uses desktop-file-validate (desktop-file-utils). Appearance and workspace tests use disposable/offscreen UI instances. The SSH trace check runs OpenSSH configuration inspection without making a network connection.