# install

Specify rules to run at install time.

## Synopsis

    install(TARGETS <target>... [...])
    install({FILES | PROGRAMS} <file>... DESTINATION <dir> [...])
    install(DIRECTORY <dir>... DESTINATION <dir> [...])
    install(SCRIPT <file> [...])
    install(CODE <code> [...])
    install(EXPORT <export-name> DESTINATION <dir> [...])

## Introduction

This command generates installation rules for a project. Rules specified by calls to this command within a source directory are executed in order during installation. The order across directories is not defined.

There are multiple signatures for this command. Some of them define installation options for files and targets. Options common to multiple signatures are covered here but they are valid only for signatures that specify them. The common options are:

`DESTINATION`
  Specify the directory on disk to which a file will be installed. If a full path (with a leading slash or drive letter) is given it is used directly. If a relative path is given it is interpreted relative to the value of the `CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX` variable. The prefix can be relocated at install time using the `DESTDIR` mechanism explained in the `CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX` variable documentation.
`PERMISSIONS`
  Specify permissions for installed files. Valid permissions are `OWNER_READ`, `OWNER_WRITE`, `OWNER_EXECUTE`, `GROUP_READ`, `GROUP_WRITE`, `GROUP_EXECUTE`, `WORLD_READ`, `WORLD_WRITE`, `WORLD_EXECUTE`, `SETUID`, and `SETGID`. Permissions that do not make sense on certain platforms are ignored on those platforms.
`CONFIGURATIONS`

  Specify a list of build configurations for which the install rule applies (Debug, Release, etc.). Note that the values specified for this option only apply to options listed AFTER the `CONFIGURATIONS` option. For example, to set separate install paths for the Debug and Release configurations, do the following:

      install(TARGETS target
              CONFIGURATIONS Debug
              RUNTIME DESTINATION Debug/bin)
      install(TARGETS target
              CONFIGURATIONS Release
              RUNTIME DESTINATION Release/bin)

  Note that `CONFIGURATIONS` appears BEFORE `RUNTIME DESTINATION`.

`COMPONENT`
  Specify an installation component name with which the install rule is associated, such as “runtime” or “development”. During component-specific installation only install rules associated with the given component name will be executed. During a full installation all components are installed unless marked with `EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL`. If `COMPONENT` is not provided a default component “Unspecified” is created. The default component name may be controlled with the `CMAKE_INSTALL_DEFAULT_COMPONENT_NAME` variable.
`EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL`
  Specify that the file is excluded from a full installation and only installed as part of a component-specific installation
`RENAME`
  Specify a name for an installed file that may be different from the original file. Renaming is allowed only when a single file is installed by the command.
`OPTIONAL`
  Specify that it is not an error if the file to be installed does not exist.

Command signatures that install files may print messages during installation. Use the `CMAKE_INSTALL_MESSAGE` variable to control which messages are printed.

Many of the `install()` variants implicitly create the directories containing the installed files. If `CMAKE_INSTALL_DEFAULT_DIRECTORY_PERMISSIONS` is set, these directories will be created with the permissions specified. Otherwise, they will be created according to the uname rules on Unix-like platforms. Windows platforms are unaffected.

## Installing Targets

    install(TARGETS targets... [EXPORT <export-name>]
            [[ARCHIVE|LIBRARY|RUNTIME|OBJECTS|FRAMEWORK|BUNDLE|
              PRIVATE_HEADER|PUBLIC_HEADER|RESOURCE]
             [DESTINATION <dir>]
             [PERMISSIONS permissions...]
             [CONFIGURATIONS [Debug|Release|...]]
             [COMPONENT <component>]
             [NAMELINK_COMPONENT <component>]
             [OPTIONAL] [EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL]
             [NAMELINK_ONLY|NAMELINK_SKIP]
            ] [...]
            [INCLUDES DESTINATION [<dir> ...]]
            )

The `TARGETS` form specifies rules for installing targets from a project. There are several kinds of target files that may be installed:

`ARCHIVE`
  Static libraries are treated as `ARCHIVE` targets, except those marked with the `FRAMEWORK` property on macOS (see `FRAMEWORK` below.) For DLL platforms (all Windows-based systems including Cygwin), the DLL import library is treated as an `ARCHIVE` target.
`LIBRARY`
  Module libraries are always treated as `LIBRARY` targets. For non- DLL platforms shared libraries are treated as `LIBRARY` targets, except those marked with the `FRAMEWORK` property on macOS (see `FRAMEWORK` below.)
`RUNTIME`
  Executables are treated as `RUNTIME` objects, except those marked with the `MACOSX_BUNDLE` property on macOS (see `BUNDLE` below.) For DLL platforms (all Windows-based systems including Cygwin), the DLL part of a shared library is treated as a `RUNTIME` target.
`OBJECTS`
  Object libraries (a simple group of object files) are always treated as `OBJECTS` targets.
`FRAMEWORK`
  Both static and shared libraries marked with the `FRAMEWORK` property are treated as `FRAMEWORK` targets on macOS.
`BUNDLE`
  Executables marked with the `MACOSX_BUNDLE` property are treated as `BUNDLE` targets on macOS.
`PUBLIC_HEADER`
  Any `PUBLIC_HEADER` files associated with a library are installed in the destination specified by the `PUBLIC_HEADER` argument on non-Apple platforms. Rules defined by this argument are ignored for `FRAMEWORK` libraries on Apple platforms because the associated files are installed into the appropriate locations inside the framework folder. See `PUBLIC_HEADER` for details.
`PRIVATE_HEADER`
  Similar to `PUBLIC_HEADER`, but for `PRIVATE_HEADER` files. See `PRIVATE_HEADER` for details.
`RESOURCE`
  Similar to `PUBLIC_HEADER` and `PRIVATE_HEADER`, but for `RESOURCE` files. See `RESOURCE` for details.

For each of these arguments given, the arguments following them only apply to the target or file type specified in the argument. If none is given, the installation properties apply to all target types. If only one is given then only targets of that type will be installed (which can be used to install just a DLL or just an import library.)

In addition to the common options listed above, each target can accept the following additional arguments:

`NAMELINK_COMPONENT`

  On some platforms a versioned shared library has a symbolic link such as:

      lib<name>.so -> lib<name>.so.1

  where `lib<name>.so.1` is the soname of the library and `lib<name>.so` is a “namelink” allowing linkers to find the library when given `-l<name>`. The `NAMELINK_COMPONENT` option is similar to the `COMPONENT` option, but it changes the installation component of a shared library namelink if one is generated. If not specified, this defaults to the value of `COMPONENT`. It is an error to use this parameter outside of a `LIBRARY` block.

  Consider the following example:

      install(TARGETS mylib
              LIBRARY
                DESTINATION lib
                COMPONENT Libraries
                NAMELINK_COMPONENT Development
              PUBLIC_HEADER
                DESTINATION include
                COMPONENT Development
             )

  In this scenario, if you choose to install only the `Development` component, both the headers and namelink will be installed without the library. (If you don’t also install the `Libraries` component, the namelink will be a dangling symlink, and projects that link to the library will have build errors.) If you install only the `Libraries` component, only the library will be installed, without the headers and namelink.

  This option is typically used for package managers that have separate runtime and development packages. For example, on Debian systems, the library is expected to be in the runtime package, and the headers and namelink are expected to be in the development package.

  See the `VERSION` and `SOVERSION` target properties for details on creating versioned shared libraries.

`NAMELINK_ONLY`

  This option causes the installation of only the namelink when a library target is installed. On platforms where versioned shared libraries do not have namelinks or when a library is not versioned, the `NAMELINK_ONLY` option installs nothing. It is an error to use this parameter outside of a `LIBRARY` block.

  When `NAMELINK_ONLY` is given, either `NAMELINK_COMPONENT` or `COMPONENT` may be used to specify the installation component of the namelink, but `COMPONENT` should generally be preferred.

`NAMELINK_SKIP`

  Similar to `NAMELINK_ONLY`, but it has the opposite effect: it causes the installation of library files other than the namelink when a library target is installed. When neither `NAMELINK_ONLY` or `NAMELINK_SKIP` are given, both portions are installed. On platforms where versioned shared libraries do not have symlinks or when a library is not versioned, `NAMELINK_SKIP` installs the library. It is an error to use this parameter outside of a `LIBRARY` block.

  If `NAMELINK_SKIP` is specified, `NAMELINK_COMPONENT` has no effect. It is not recommended to use `NAMELINK_SKIP` in conjunction with `NAMELINK_COMPONENT`.

The `install(TARGETS)` command can also accept the following options at the top level:

`EXPORT`
  This option associates the installed target files with an export called `<export-name>`. It must appear before any target options. To actually install the export file itself, call `install(EXPORT)`, documented below.
`INCLUDES DESTINATION`
  This option specifies a list of directories which will be added to the `INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES` target property of the `<targets>` when exported by the `install(EXPORT)` command. If a relative path is specified, it is treated as relative to the `$<INSTALL_PREFIX>`.

One or more groups of properties may be specified in a single call to the `TARGETS` form of this command. A target may be installed more than once to different locations. Consider hypothetical targets `myExe`, `mySharedLib`, and `myStaticLib`. The code:

    install(TARGETS myExe mySharedLib myStaticLib
            RUNTIME DESTINATION bin
            LIBRARY DESTINATION lib
            ARCHIVE DESTINATION lib/static)
    install(TARGETS mySharedLib DESTINATION /some/full/path)

will install `myExe` to `<prefix>/bin` and `myStaticLib` to `<prefix>/lib/static`. On non-DLL platforms `mySharedLib` will be installed to `<prefix>/lib` and `/some/full/path`. On DLL platforms the `mySharedLib` DLL will be installed to `<prefix>/bin` and `/some/full/path` and its import library will be installed to `<prefix>/lib/static` and `/some/full/path`.

Interface Libraries may be listed among the targets to install. They install no artifacts but will be included in an associated `EXPORT`. If Object Libraries are listed but given no destination for their object files, they will be exported as Interface Libraries. This is sufficient to satisfy transitive usage requirements of other targets that link to the object libraries in their implementation.

Installing a target with the `EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL` target property set to `TRUE` has undefined behavior.

`install(TARGETS)` can install targets that were created in other directories. When using such cross-directory install rules, running `make install` (or similar) from a subdirectory will not guarantee that targets from other directories are up-to-date. You can use `target_link_libraries()` or `add_dependencies()` to ensure that such out-of-directory targets are built before the subdirectory-specific install rules are run.

The install destination given to the target install `DESTINATION` may use “generator expressions” with the syntax `$<...>`. See the `cmake-generator-expressions(7)` manual for available expressions.

## Installing Files

    install(<FILES|PROGRAMS> files... DESTINATION <dir>
            [PERMISSIONS permissions...]
            [CONFIGURATIONS [Debug|Release|...]]
            [COMPONENT <component>]
            [RENAME <name>] [OPTIONAL] [EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL])

The `FILES` form specifies rules for installing files for a project. File names given as relative paths are interpreted with respect to the current source directory. Files installed by this form are by default given permissions `OWNER_WRITE`, `OWNER_READ`, `GROUP_READ`, and `WORLD_READ` if no `PERMISSIONS` argument is given.

The `PROGRAMS` form is identical to the `FILES` form except that the default permissions for the installed file also include `OWNER_EXECUTE`, `GROUP_EXECUTE`, and `WORLD_EXECUTE`. This form is intended to install programs that are not targets, such as shell scripts. Use the `TARGETS` form to install targets built within the project.

The list of `files...` given to `FILES` or `PROGRAMS` may use “generator expressions” with the syntax `$<...>`. See the `cmake-generator-expressions(7)` manual for available expressions. However, if any item begins in a generator expression it must evaluate to a full path.

The install destination given to the files install `DESTINATION` may use “generator expressions” with the syntax `$<...>`. See the `cmake-generator-expressions(7)` manual for available expressions.

## Installing Directories

    install(DIRECTORY dirs... DESTINATION <dir>
            [FILE_PERMISSIONS permissions...]
            [DIRECTORY_PERMISSIONS permissions...]
            [USE_SOURCE_PERMISSIONS] [OPTIONAL] [MESSAGE_NEVER]
            [CONFIGURATIONS [Debug|Release|...]]
            [COMPONENT <component>] [EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL]
            [FILES_MATCHING]
            [[PATTERN <pattern> | REGEX <regex>]
             [EXCLUDE] [PERMISSIONS permissions...]] [...])

The `DIRECTORY` form installs contents of one or more directories to a given destination. The directory structure is copied verbatim to the destination. The last component of each directory name is appended to the destination directory but a trailing slash may be used to avoid this because it leaves the last component empty. Directory names given as relative paths are interpreted with respect to the current source directory. If no input directory names are given the destination directory will be created but nothing will be installed into it. The `FILE_PERMISSIONS` and `DIRECTORY_PERMISSIONS` options specify permissions given to files and directories in the destination. If `USE_SOURCE_PERMISSIONS` is specified and `FILE_PERMISSIONS` is not, file permissions will be copied from the source directory structure. If no permissions are specified files will be given the default permissions specified in the `FILES` form of the command, and the directories will be given the default permissions specified in the `PROGRAMS` form of the command.

The `MESSAGE_NEVER` option disables file installation status output.

Installation of directories may be controlled with fine granularity using the `PATTERN` or `REGEX` options. These “match” options specify a globbing pattern or regular expression to match directories or files encountered within input directories. They may be used to apply certain options (see below) to a subset of the files and directories encountered. The full path to each input file or directory (with forward slashes) is matched against the expression. A `PATTERN` will match only complete file names: the portion of the full path matching the pattern must occur at the end of the file name and be preceded by a slash. A `REGEX` will match any portion of the full path but it may use `/` and `$` to simulate the `PATTERN` behavior. By default all files and directories are installed whether or not they are matched. The `FILES_MATCHING` option may be given before the first match option to disable installation of files (but not directories) not matched by any expression. For example, the code

    install(DIRECTORY src/ DESTINATION include/myproj
            FILES_MATCHING PATTERN "*.h")

will extract and install header files from a source tree.

Some options may follow a `PATTERN` or `REGEX` expression and are applied only to files or directories matching them. The `EXCLUDE` option will skip the matched file or directory. The `PERMISSIONS` option overrides the permissions setting for the matched file or directory. For example the code

    install(DIRECTORY icons scripts/ DESTINATION share/myproj
            PATTERN "CVS" EXCLUDE
            PATTERN "scripts/*"
            PERMISSIONS OWNER_EXECUTE OWNER_WRITE OWNER_READ
                        GROUP_EXECUTE GROUP_READ)

will install the `icons` directory to `share/myproj/icons` and the `scripts` directory to `share/myproj`. The icons will get default file permissions, the scripts will be given specific permissions, and any `CVS` directories will be excluded.

The list of `dirs...` given to `DIRECTORY` and the install destination given to the directory install `DESTINATION` may use “generator expressions” with the syntax `$<...>`. See the `cmake-generator-expressions(7)` manual for available expressions.

## Custom Installation Logic

    install([[SCRIPT <file>] [CODE <code>]]
            [COMPONENT <component>] [EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL] [...])

The `SCRIPT` form will invoke the given CMake script files during installation. If the script file name is a relative path it will be interpreted with respect to the current source directory. The `CODE` form will invoke the given CMake code during installation. Code is specified as a single argument inside a double-quoted string. For example, the code

    install(CODE "MESSAGE(\"Sample install message.\")")

will print a message during installation.

## Installing Exports

    install(EXPORT <export-name> DESTINATION <dir>
            [NAMESPACE <namespace>] [[FILE <name>.cmake]|
            [PERMISSIONS permissions...]
            [CONFIGURATIONS [Debug|Release|...]]
            [EXPORT_LINK_INTERFACE_LIBRARIES]
            [COMPONENT <component>]
            [EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL])
    install(EXPORT_ANDROID_MK <export-name> DESTINATION <dir> [...])

The `EXPORT` form generates and installs a CMake file containing code to import targets from the installation tree into another project. Target installations are associated with the export `<export-name>` using the `EXPORT` option of the `install(TARGETS)` signature documented above. The `NAMESPACE` option will prepend `<namespace>` to the target names as they are written to the import file. By default the generated file will be called `<export-name>.cmake` but the `FILE` option may be used to specify a different name. The value given to the `FILE` option must be a file name with the `.cmake` extension. If a `CONFIGURATIONS` option is given then the file will only be installed when one of the named configurations is installed. Additionally, the generated import file will reference only the matching target configurations. The `EXPORT_LINK_INTERFACE_LIBRARIES` keyword, if present, causes the contents of the properties matching `(IMPORTED_)?LINK_INTERFACE_LIBRARIES(_<CONFIG>)?` to be exported, when policy `CMP0022` is `NEW`.

When a `COMPONENT` option is given, the listed `<component>` implicitly depends on all components mentioned in the export set. The exported `<name>.cmake` file will require each of the exported components to be present in order for dependent projects to build properly. For example, a project may define components `Runtime` and `Development`, with shared libraries going into the `Runtime` component and static libraries and headers going into the `Development` component. The export set would also typically be part of the `Development` component, but it would export targets from both the `Runtime` and `Development` components. Therefore, the `Runtime` component would need to be installed if the `Development` component was installed, but not vice versa. If the `Development` component was installed without the `Runtime` component, dependent projects that try to link against it would have build errors. Package managers, such as APT and RPM, typically handle this by listing the `Runtime` component as a dependency of the `Development` component in the package metadata, ensuring that the library is always installed if the headers and CMake export file are present.

In addition to cmake language files, the `EXPORT_ANDROID_MK` mode maybe used to specify an export to the android ndk build system. This mode accepts the same options as the normal export mode. The Android NDK supports the use of prebuilt libraries, both static and shared. This allows cmake to build the libraries of a project and make them available to an ndk build system complete with transitive dependencies, include flags and defines required to use the libraries.

The `EXPORT` form is useful to help outside projects use targets built and installed by the current project. For example, the code

    install(TARGETS myexe EXPORT myproj DESTINATION bin)
    install(EXPORT myproj NAMESPACE mp_ DESTINATION lib/myproj)
    install(EXPORT_ANDROID_MK myexp DESTINATION share/ndk-modules)

will install the executable myexe to `<prefix>/bin` and code to import it in the file `<prefix>/lib/myproj/myproj.cmake` and `<prefix>/share/ndk-modules/Android.mk`. An outside project may load this file with the include command and reference the `myexe` executable from the installation tree using the imported target name `mp_myexe` as if the target were built in its own tree.

Note

This command supercedes the `install_targets()` command and the `PRE_INSTALL_SCRIPT` and `POST_INSTALL_SCRIPT` target properties. It also replaces the `FILES` forms of the `install_files()` and `install_programs()` commands. The processing order of these install rules relative to those generated by `install_targets()`, `install_files()`, and `install_programs()` commands is not defined.

## Generated Installation Script

The `install()` command generates a file, `cmake_install.cmake`, inside the build directory, which is used internally by the generated install target and by CPack. You can also invoke this script manually with `cmake -P`. This script accepts several variables:

`COMPONENT`
  Set this variable to install only a single CPack component as opposed to all of them. For example, if you only want to install the `Development` component, run `cmake -DCOMPONENT=Development -P cmake_install.cmake`.
`BUILD_TYPE`
  Set this variable to change the build type if you are using a multi-config generator. For example, to install with the `Debug` configuration, run `cmake -DBUILD_TYPE=Debug -P cmake_install.cmake`.
`DESTDIR`
  This is an environment variable rather than a CMake variable. It allows you to change the installation prefix on UNIX systems. See `DESTDIR` for details.