# mxe/mxe

MXE (M cross environment)

Repository: https://github.com/mxe/mxe
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/mxe
Homepage: https://mxe.cc
Language: Makefile
License: NOASSERTION
License Family: other
Topics: mingw, mingw-w64, cross-compiler, mxe, makefile, cross-environment, gnumakefile
Last push: 2026-08-25T21:34:36+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 77/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 35, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 5277, "days_push": 8, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: no_releases, no_license
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1312, forks 549 (observed 2026-08-28T04:04:20.185151+00:00)

## What it is
MXE (M cross environment) is a GNU Makefile-based system that compiles a MinGW-w64 cross compiler on Unix systems and cross-compiles hundreds of free libraries (SDL, Qt, GTK, FFmpeg, Boost, etc.) for Windows targets. It supports static and shared builds for 32-bit and 64-bit Windows, verifies downloads by checksum, bundles ccache, and offers pre-compiled binaries for CI systems.

## Use cases
- cross-compile a C++ application from Linux to a standalone Windows executable
- build statically linked Windows binaries of Qt or GTK apps without a Windows machine
- set up a reproducible MinGW-w64 toolchain with all library dependencies via make
- produce Windows binaries in a Linux CI pipeline using prebuilt MXE packages
- build a subset of libraries with automatic dependency resolution
- keep package versions and checksums up to date automatically

## When to choose
- you develop on Unix but must ship native Windows (32/64-bit) executables
- you want static, self-contained Windows binaries with dependencies bundled
- you need a transparent, checksum-verified, make-driven cross-build environment
- you want CI-friendly precompiled cross toolchains

## When to avoid
- you target platforms other than Windows (MXE targets MinGW-w64 only)
- you prefer managing your own toolchain and dependencies manually
- you need a native Windows build environment rather than cross-compilation
- your project depends on packages not covered by MXE's build matrix

## Facets
- artifact type: cli-tool
- maturity: stable
- function: build-tool, compiler, package-manager, developer-tools
- domain: developer-tools, cross-platform, windows
- platform: windows, cli
- tags: mingw-w64, cross-compiler, gnu-make, ccache, static-linking, ci-binaries, build-tool, cross-compilation, automation, linux, macos

## Member repositories
- mxe/mxe (main) score 77

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:20.185151+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T08:33:16.571507+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/mxe/mxe (fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:20.185151+00:00, sha bf50ac9938fe)
  - homepage: https://mxe.cc (fetched 2026-08-29T12:07:38.690154+00:00, sha 511775a83538)
  - site_page: https://mxe.cc/build-matrix.html (fetched 2026-08-29T12:07:38.701478+00:00, sha 7aaea84d7941)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.