This guide follows the official Ladybird build instructions:

https://github.com/LadybirdBrowser/ladybird/blob/master/Documentation/BuildInstructionsLadybird.md

⚠️ IMPORTANT NOTICE
Ladybird is not yet in public alpha.
This build is for testing and exploration only.
Do not report random or non-reproducible issues to developers.

1 — Install Dependencies

Ubuntu / Debian

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y git cmake ninja-build build-essential python3 pkg-config zip unzip nasm \
qt6-base-dev qt6-base-dev-tools qt6-wayland \
libx11-dev libxrandr-dev libxi-dev libxcursor-dev libxinerama-dev \
libgl1-mesa-dev libglu1-mesa-dev

Void Linux (glibc)

sudo xbps-install -S git cmake ninja python3 pkg-config zip unzip nasm \
qt6-base-devel qt6-wayland-devel \
libX11-devel libXrandr-devel libXi-devel libXcursor-devel libXinerama-devel \
MesaLib-devel glu-devel

2 — Clone Repository and install

git clone https://github.com/LadybirdBrowser/ladybird.git
cd ladybird
./Meta/ladybird.py run ladybird

The first build may take 30–60 minutes depending on your CPU and RAM.The browser window will appear at he end of the process

3 —Start Ladybird

cd ladybird
chmod +x Meta/ladybird.py
./Meta/ladybird.py run ladybird

4 — Common Build Warnings

PulseAudio Warning

No PulseAudio development files found

This is not a fatal error.
Audio will simply be disabled.

Low RAM / OOM Kill

If the build stops suddenly, enable temporary swap or zram.

6 — Notes

• YouTube is not supported yet
• Some websites may crash
• Toolbar customization is not implemented
• Audio backend is optional

This is expected. Ladybird is under heavy development.

7 — Clean Rebuild (Optional)

rm -rf Build

Then repeat the build step.

Final Words

You are now running a next-generation independent browser engine.
Not ready for daily use — but already real.