ChucK : Build/Install Instructions

version: 1.3.x.x (chimera)

home: http://chuck.cs.princeton.edu/

Installing the Executable

If you are using the executable, you only need to put chuck (osx) or chuck.exe (win32) in your path...

In MacOS X: in Terminal, go to the bin/ directory and type:

 %> sudo cp chuck /usr/bin/
    (enter your password when prompted)

 %> sudo chmod 755 /usr/bin/chuck

(Now you should be able to run chuck from any directory using Terminal. Skip to step 7 below and try it out!)

On Windows: put bin\chuck.exe in c:\windows\system32\. To run under windows: use start->run: cmd (or use cygwin)

At this point, you should be able to invoke 'chuck' from either Terminal (in OSX) or 'cmd' under windowsm, from any directory:

%> chuck

(this is the correct output, since we didn't specify the files to run)
  • Have a question? Post to the mailing lists or email us...
  • Graphical editors and environments for chuck coming soon!
  • If you are using the executable, you can skip to step 7 below...

Building ChucK from source

To build chuck from the source (from scratch):
  1. Follow instructions for your platform on the download page.
    Note that you can also download the executable for Windows and OS X (10.3 and up - 10.2 and earlier need build.). If you get the executable, then you can ignore the rest of this page.

  2. If you are building in Windows with Visual C++ 6.0, open src/chuck_win32.dsw, choose build -> set active config -> release, hit F7 to build.


  3. unzip/tar the source (replace chuck-x.x.x.x.tgz with the actual file name):

    %> tar xvzf chuck-x.x.x.x.tgz


    %> cd chuck-x.x.x.x/src/

  5. If you type 'make' here, you should get the following message:

    %> make
    [chuck build]: please use one of the following configurations:
       make linux-alsa, make linux-jack, make linux-oss,
       make osx-ppc, make osx-intel, make win32

    Now, type the command corresponding to your platform...

    for example, for MacOS X (PowerPC):

    %> make osx-ppc

    If all goes well, you should end up with a 'chuck' file in the current directory.

  6. If you like to install chuck (cp into /usr/bin by default). if you don't like the destination, simply edit the makefile under 'install', or skip this step altogether. (we recommend putting it somewhere in your path, it makes on-the-fly programming easier)

    # (optional: edit the makefile first)
    %> make install

    If you haven't gotten any egregous error messages up to this point, then you should be done!

  7. For a quick sanity check, execute the following (use './chuck' if chuck is not in your path), and see if you get the same output:

    %> chuck
    [chuck]: no input files...

    To test out the audio/vm, go to the examples/ directory and run (assuming 'chuck' is in your path). To stop, pressed ctrl-c:

    # (run otf_05.ck - the .ck is optional...)
    %> chuck otf_05.ck
    # (run any number of files in parallel...)
    %> chuck otf_01 otf_06
    # (or...)
    %> chuck otf_01 otf_02 otf_05
    # (or run all whose name starts with 'otf'...)
    %> chuck otf*
    # (and fire up the mand-o-matic, in stk/ directory...)
    %> chuck stk/mand-o-matic.ck


  8. You are ready to ChucK. If this is your first time programming in ChucK, you may want to look at the documentation, or take the ChucK Tutorial. ThanK you very much. Go forth and ChucK - email us for support or to make a suggestion or to call us idiots.
- Ge + Perry

chuck | soundlab | cs | music | ccrma