Source

Two approaches are available for building CoolerControl from source:

• Method 1: Full Source Build - Build and install everything from the git repository. Best for clean installs where official packages aren't available or you want full control.
• Method 2: Package Install with Source Override - Install official packages first to get all services and runtime dependencies set up, then replace specific components with locally-built artifacts. Recommended for development and testing — much less setup required.

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Method 1: Full Source Build

If you want to only build some components, consult each subproject's readme:

coolercontrol-liqctldcoolercontroldcoolercontrol

Daemon Requirements

• git
• make
• cargo/rust >= 1.85.0
• nodejs >= 22.0.0
• npm (often part of nodejs)
• libdrm-dev (optional)
• protoc (protobuf-compiler)
• python >= 3.9 and liquidctl (optional)

Arch Linux

Installing from source on Arch Linux requires additional steps that the official AUR source packages already handle for you. It's recommended to use method #2 below.

Desktop Application Requirements

To build the standalone Qt GUI application, you'll also need the development dependencies listed here.

Clone

git clone https://gitlab.com/coolercontrol/coolercontrol.git

Build and Install

cd coolercontrol
make install-source -j"$(nproc)"
# and watch it go.

That should install all the necessary files onto your system.

Then start the daemon:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now coolercontrold

You should then be able to start the GUI like normal.

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Method 2: Package Install with Source Override

This method uses official packages to set up all services, systemd units, and runtime dependencies, then replaces specific components with locally-built artifacts from git. It's the easiest way to test a branch or custom build without reproducing the full build environment.

Step 1: Install Official Packages

Install CoolerControl using your distro's package manager or the official repositories:

• Install for your Distro

Verify the installation is working before continuing.

Step 2: Stop Services

sudo systemctl stop coolercontrold

Step 3: Clone and Checkout

git clone https://gitlab.com/coolercontrol/coolercontrol.git
cd coolercontrol
# optionally: git checkout my-branch

Step 4: Build and Install the Components You Need

The daemon needs the Web UI assets built beforehand and the desktop application often has changes connected to the daemon's API. The recommended approach:

make dev-build
make dev-install

That will do an incremental build for all assets and install the produced binaries over the top of the package installed ones.

Step 5: Restart Services

sudo systemctl start coolercontrold