Installation Guide

Step-by-step instructions for installing Prism Launcher on Windows, Linux, and macOS

Installation Guide

Prism Launcher is available for Windows, Linux, and macOS. Choose your platform below for detailed installation instructions.

All official downloads are available at prismlauncher.org/download

System Requirements

Before installing, ensure your system meets these requirements:

• Operating System: Windows 7+, Linux (any modern distribution), or macOS 10.14+
• Memory: At least 4 GB RAM (8 GB recommended for modded Minecraft)
• Java: Java 8+ (the launcher can download Java automatically)
• Graphics: OpenGL 3.2+ compatible graphics card
• Storage: 500 MB for the launcher, plus space for Minecraft installations

Minecraft itself has varying Java requirements:

• Minecraft 1.17 and later require Java 17+
• Minecraft 1.16.5 and earlier work with Java 8+
• Prism Launcher can manage multiple Java installations

Installation by Platform

Windows

Windows Installation

1. Download the Installer

   Visit prismlauncher.org/download and download the Windows installer (.exe file).

2. Run the Installer

   Double-click the downloaded .exe file. You may see a Windows SmartScreen warning - click “More info” then “Run anyway” if prompted.

3. Follow the Installation Wizard

   • Choose your installation directory (default: C:\Program Files\PrismLauncher)
   • Select whether to create a desktop shortcut
   • Click “Install” to complete the installation
4. Launch Prism Launcher

   Use the desktop shortcut or Start menu entry to launch Prism Launcher for the first time.

Portable Installation

For a portable installation that can run from a USB drive:

1. Download the Windows (Portable) ZIP archive
2. Extract to your desired location
3. Run prismlauncher.exe directly

The portable version stores all data in its own directory, making it easy to move or backup.

Package Managers

Chocolatey

choco install prismlauncher

Linux

Linux Installation

Linux users have multiple installation options depending on their distribution.

Flatpak (Recommended)

Flatpak provides the most up-to-date version across all distributions:

Install from Flathub

flatpak install flathub org.prismlauncher.PrismLauncher

If you don’t have Flatpak installed, visit flatpak.org/setup for distribution-specific instructions.

Distribution Packages

Arch Linux

# Official repositories
sudo pacman -S prismlauncher

# Or from AUR (development version)
yay -S prismlauncher-git

AppImage

For a universal, portable option:

Download and Run

# Download the AppImage
wget https://prismlauncher.org/download/appimage

# Make it executable
chmod +x PrismLauncher-*.AppImage

# Run it
./PrismLauncher-*.AppImage

Building from Source

For advanced users who want to build from source:

1. Install Build Dependencies

   # Debian/Ubuntu
   sudo apt install build-essential cmake extra-cmake-modules \
     qt6-base-dev qt6-base-private-dev qt6-networkauth-dev \
     libqt6svg6-dev libgl1-mesa-dev zlib1g-dev libarchive-dev \
     libqrencode-dev libcmark-dev libtomlplusplus-dev
   
   # Fedora
   sudo dnf install cmake extra-cmake-modules gcc-c++ \
     qt6-qtbase-devel qt6-qtbase-private-devel qt6-qtnetworkauth-devel \
     qt6-qtsvg-devel mesa-libGL-devel zlib-devel libarchive-devel \
     qrencode-devel cmark-devel tomlplusplus-devel
   
   # Arch Linux
   sudo pacman -S base-devel cmake extra-cmake-modules \
     qt6-base qt6-networkauth qt6-svg mesa zlib libarchive \
     qrencode cmark tomlplusplus
   
2. Clone and Build

   # Clone the repository
   git clone --recursive https://github.com/PrismLauncher/PrismLauncher.git
   cd PrismLauncher
   
   # Create build directory
   cmake -S . -B build -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release \
     -DLauncher_BUILD_PLATFORM=linux
   
   # Build
   cmake --build build -j$(nproc)
   
   # Install (optional)
   sudo cmake --install build
   

When building for distribution, set Launcher_BUILD_PLATFORM to your distribution slug (e.g., archlinux, fedora, ubuntu).

macOS

macOS Installation

1. Download the DMG

   Visit prismlauncher.org/download and download the macOS DMG file.

   Choose the appropriate version:

   • Universal: Works on both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs
   • Intel: Optimized for Intel-based Macs
   • ARM64: Optimized for Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) Macs
2. Open the DMG

   Double-click the downloaded .dmg file to mount it.

3. Install the Application

   Drag the Prism Launcher icon to the Applications folder.

4. Launch Prism Launcher

   Open Prism Launcher from your Applications folder.

   On first launch, you may see a security warning because the app is downloaded from the internet:

   1. Right-click (or Control-click) on Prism Launcher
   2. Select “Open” from the menu
   3. Click “Open” in the security dialog

Homebrew

For users who prefer Homebrew:

Install via Homebrew

brew install --cask prismlauncher

macOS Bundle Configuration

The macOS app bundle is structured as follows (from CMakeLists.txt:356-362):

Prism Launcher.app/
├── Contents/
│   ├── MacOS/           # Binary and libraries
│   ├── Frameworks/      # Qt frameworks
│   ├── Resources/       # Icons and resources
│   └── Info.plist       # App metadata

macOS includes automatic update support via Sparkle framework, allowing in-app updates without manual downloads.

Development Builds

Development builds are not intended for most users. They may contain bugs, crashes, and instabilities. Use at your own risk!

Development builds provide access to the latest features before they reach stable releases:

• GitHub Actions: github.com/PrismLauncher/PrismLauncher/actions
• Nightly Builds: prismlauncher.org/nightly
• Flatpak Nightly: flatpak.prismlauncher.org

Installing Nightly Flatpak

flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists prismlauncher-nightly \
  https://flatpak.prismlauncher.org/prismlauncher-nightly.flatpakrepo

flatpak install prismlauncher-nightly org.prismlauncher.PrismLauncher

Build Requirements (Source)

For those building from source, here are the technical requirements from CMakeLists.txt:

# Minimum CMake version
cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.22)

# C++ and C standards
set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 20)
set(CMAKE_C_STANDARD 11)

# Qt version
find_package(Qt6 6.4 REQUIRED COMPONENTS 
    Core CoreTools Widgets Concurrent Network Test Xml NetworkAuth OpenGL)

# Additional dependencies
find_package(cmark REQUIRED)
find_package(tomlplusplus 3.2.0)
find_package(LibArchive)
find_package(ZLIB REQUIRED)

Build Options

Common CMake options when building:

# Enable Link Time Optimization
-DENABLE_LTO=ON

# Build tests
-DBUILD_TESTING=ON

# Set build platform
-DLauncher_BUILD_PLATFORM="yourplatform"

# Enable Java downloader (disabled by default on Linux)
-DLauncher_ENABLE_JAVA_DOWNLOADER=ON

Verification

After installation, verify Prism Launcher is working:

1. Launch the Application

   Open Prism Launcher using your preferred method.

2. Check the Version

   Navigate to Help → About to verify you have the correct version installed.

3. Complete Setup Wizard

   Follow the first-time setup wizard to configure language, Java, and memory settings.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Application won't start

• Windows: Ensure you have the Visual C++ Redistributable installed
• Linux: Verify all dependencies are installed (check distribution packages)
• macOS: Make sure you’ve allowed the app in Security & Privacy settings

Missing Java

Prism Launcher can automatically download Java for you:

1. Go to Settings → Java
2. Click Auto-detect or Download Java
3. Select the appropriate Java version for your Minecraft version

Permission errors on Linux

If using Flatpak, you may need to grant additional permissions:

flatpak override --user org.prismlauncher.PrismLauncher \
  --filesystem=xdg-data/PrismLauncher:create

Next Steps

Now that Prism Launcher is installed:

1. Quick Start Guide: Learn how to create your first instance
2. Configure Settings: Customize Java, memory allocation, and appearance
3. Add Accounts: Sign in with your Microsoft account
4. Join the Community: Get help and share your setups

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For additional help, visit:

• Documentation: prismlauncher.org/wiki
• Discord: prismlauncher.org/discord
• Bug Reports: github.com/PrismLauncher/PrismLauncher/issues