{"id":159678,"date":"2025-03-27T12:35:19","date_gmt":"2025-03-27T12:35:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/apple-2\/exporting-your-godot-project-to-windows-and-linux\/"},"modified":"2025-03-27T12:35:19","modified_gmt":"2025-03-27T12:35:19","slug":"exporting-your-godot-project-to-windows-and-linux","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=159678","title":{"rendered":"Exporting Your Godot Project to Windows and Linux"},"content":{"rendered":"


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When it comes to desktop gaming, Windows dominates the market. According to the Steam hardware survey<\/a>, nearly 97% of users are on Windows. Linux takes second place with around 2% of users, with the majority using a Steam Deck. This market distribution highlights the importance of creating exports for both Windows and Linux to reach the widest possible audience.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re interested in targeting the Steam Deck specifically, check out the tutorial on targeting the Steam Deck with Godot<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\nNote<\/em>: This tutorial assumes you\u2019re familiar with the basics of Godot. If you\u2019re new to Godot or need a refresher, check out the Getting Started<\/a> tutorial.\n<\/div>\n

Getting Started<\/h2>\n

For this tutorial, you can either use your own project or download the sample project to follow along.<\/p>\n

If you want to use the sample project, download the starter materials zip from the link at the top or bottom of this tutorial and extract it. Next, open Godot and import the starter project. The project is a small 2D shoot-em-up game called Aerixa<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\"Aerixa\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Go ahead and run the project if you want to have a look at it.<\/p>\n

What is Exporting?<\/h2>\n

In Godot, exporting a project is the process of packaging your project along with a binary that contains the Godot engine code. The binary is compiled differently for each target platform, allowing your project to run on systems that don\u2019t have Godot installed. <\/p>\n

Every supported platform has its own export template<\/em>, which is a collection of files Godot uses to package and debug your exported project. They\u2019re essential because they contain the Godot engine code compiled for each target platform, allowing your project to run on systems that don\u2019t have Godot installed.<\/p>\n

With the binaries in hand, you can then distribute your project on platforms like Steam, itch.io, the App Store and Google Play.<\/p>\n

Getting the Export Templates<\/h2>\n

If this is the first time you\u2019re exporting for the version of Godot you\u2019re using, you\u2019ll need to download and install the export templates.
You can check if you have the templates installed by selecting Editor \u25b8 Manage Export Templates<\/em> in the top menu.<\/p>\n

\"Select<\/a><\/p>\n

This will open the Export Template Manager<\/em>, a small tool to manage your export templates. <\/p>\n

\"Export<\/a><\/p>\n

At the top left, you can see the version of Godot you\u2019re using; 4.3.stable<\/em> in my case.
In case you don\u2019t have the export templates installed yet, you\u2019ll see a red text appear next the version as is the case in the screenshot above. To install the missing templates, click the Download and Install<\/em> button at the top right.
Doing so will download the templates for the version of Godot you\u2019re using and install them locally.<\/p>\n

\"Downloading<\/a><\/p>\n

Once the download finishes, you can see where Godot installed your new export templates.<\/p>\n

\"Path<\/a><\/p>\n

\nNote<\/em>: If you have export templates installed in the Other Installed Versions<\/em> section for a version of Godot you\u2019re not planning on using anymore, click the trashcan icon next to the version name to delete them and recover some disk space.\n<\/p>\n

With the templates installed, you can now export your project!
I recommend going through the all sections below even if you\u2019re only interested in exporting for Windows as they contain general information about the export process that I\u2019ll reference to later.<\/p>\n

Adding an Export Preset<\/h2>\n

Exporting projects is straightforward, but understanding the details of the process helps you make informed decisions about your export settings.<\/p>\n

To start off, open the Export<\/em> window by selecting Project \u25b8 Export<\/em> in the top menu.<\/p>\n

\"Project<\/a><\/p>\n

The Export<\/em> window will be almost empty at this point.<\/p>\n

\"Empty<\/a><\/p>\n

To add a Linux export, click the Add\u2026<\/em> button at the top and choose Linux<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\"Add<\/a><\/p>\n

This will add a new Linux<\/em> entry in the Presets<\/em> list and enables the options on the right side of the window.<\/p>\n

\"Added<\/a><\/p>\n

Export Settings<\/h2>\n

Time to take a closer look at the various settings Godot presents you with for exports. <\/p>\n

Shared Options<\/h3>\n

First up are the shared options at the top, this includes the Name<\/em> and Export Path<\/em> fields. These are the same for all platforms.<\/p>\n

\"Top<\/a><\/p>\n

From top to bottom, the options are as follows:<\/p>\n