Cross-Platform Build & Compatibility Notes

Build Commands

Prerequisites (all platforms)

• Node.js 18+
• Rust toolchain (rustup)
• npm dependencies: npm install

Linux

# System dependencies (Debian/Ubuntu)
sudo apt install libwebkit2gtk-4.1-dev libgtk-3-dev libayatana-appindicator3-dev librsvg2-dev

# System dependencies (Arch/Manjaro)
sudo pacman -S webkit2gtk-4.1 gtk3 libayatana-appindicator librsvg

# Dev mode
npm run tauri dev

# Production build (produces .deb and .rpm)
npm run tauri build

# Clean build (clears WebKitGTK cache too)
npm run tauri:fresh

macOS

# Xcode command line tools required
xcode-select --install

# Dev mode
npm run tauri dev

# Production build (produces .dmg and .app)
npm run tauri build

Windows

# Requires: Visual Studio Build Tools with C++ workload, WebView2 runtime
# WebView2 is pre-installed on Windows 10 (1803+) and Windows 11

# Dev mode
npm run tauri dev

# Production build (produces .msi and .exe installer)
npm run tauri build

Known Issues

Linux

• AppImage bundling fails: linuxdeploy fails during AppImage creation on some distributions. The .deb and .rpm packages build successfully. Workaround: install via .deb/.rpm or run the binary directly from src-tauri/target/release/drawfinity.
• WebKitGTK cache staleness: After code changes, the WebKitGTK webview may serve stale cached assets. Use npm run clean:cache or npm run tauri:fresh to clear the cache.
• Wayland: Tauri uses GTK which supports Wayland natively. No special configuration needed, though some window decorations may differ from X11.

macOS

• Bundle identifier: Changed from com.drawfinity.app to com.drawfinity.canvas to avoid conflicts with the .app bundle extension on macOS.
• Code signing: Production builds require code signing for distribution. For local testing, unsigned builds work fine.
• Apple Silicon: Tauri builds natively for the host architecture. Cross-compilation requires rustup target add aarch64-apple-darwin or x86_64-apple-darwin.

Windows

• WebView2: Required runtime. Pre-installed on modern Windows but may need manual install on older systems. The Tauri installer can bootstrap it.
• Long paths: Enable long path support if the project is deeply nested (git config --system core.longpaths true).

Tablet / Stylus Input Notes

• Wacom tablets: Pointer events with pressure data work through the browser's PointerEvent API, which WebKitGTK and WebView2 both support. The app reads event.pressure for pressure-sensitive brush strokes.
• Apple Pencil (iPad): Not applicable — Tauri targets desktop platforms only.
• Windows Ink: Supported through PointerEvent API in WebView2. Pressure and tilt data are available.
• Linux libinput: Wacom and other tablets report pressure through libinput → X11/Wayland → browser PointerEvent chain. Works out of the box on most distributions.

Test Checklist (per platform)

• [ ] App launches and displays canvas
• [ ] Drawing with mouse works (click and drag creates strokes)
• [ ] Pan (middle mouse / Space+drag) and zoom (scroll wheel) work
• [ ] Strokes persist across app restart (Tauri FS plugin save/load)
• [ ] Toolbar and keyboard shortcuts function (B=brush, E=eraser, Ctrl+Z=undo, Ctrl+Shift+Z=redo)
• [ ] WebSocket collaboration connects and syncs (when server is running)
• [ ] Pressure-sensitive input works with stylus/tablet (if available)
• [ ] Window resizes correctly and canvas fills the viewport
• [ ] Custom cursors display correctly for brush/eraser tools
• [ ] Dot grid background renders and scales with zoom

Build Artifacts

Platform	Format	Location
Linux	.deb	src-tauri/target/release/bundle/deb/
Linux	.rpm	src-tauri/target/release/bundle/rpm/
Linux	Binary	src-tauri/target/release/drawfinity
macOS	.dmg	src-tauri/target/release/bundle/dmg/
macOS	.app	src-tauri/target/release/bundle/macos/
Windows	.msi	src-tauri/target/release/bundle/msi/
Windows	.exe	src-tauri/target/release/bundle/nsis/