Requirements

Software can be developed for the Librem 5 on a variety of systems and platforms. Typically, the developer will be using a desktop or laptop computer with sufficient resources to run a modern GNU/Linux distribution, such as PureOS or Debian, and the GNOME desktop environment or another environment with similar features. This provides access to the tools that are recommended for building applications for the Librem 5.

Applications can be tested on a development board such as the Librem 5 Development Kit or an emulator such as QEMU.

• If you are using the Librem 5 Development Kit then see the Development Kit Package section for an inventory of the package contents and a list of items that may be useful. Set up the development board as described on that page.
• If you are using QEMU then make sure you have enough RAM to be able to run the emulation comfortably with your development workstation. Follow the instructions on that page to set up an emulator with a test image.

Once you have set up the development board or emulator, consult the Workstation section of this chapter for information about the software you will need for application development.