Building from Source

Build Cromite from source using Docker or manual setup

Building from Source

This guide covers how to build Cromite from the Chromium source code. You can use either a pre-built Docker image for a streamlined experience or manually set up your build environment.

Prerequisites

Before building Cromite, familiarize yourself with the official Chromium build documentation to understand the basic Chromium build process.

Build Configuration Files

Cromite uses several key files to configure the build:

RELEASE

Contains the Chromium version tag (currently 145.0.7632.120)

Location: build/RELEASE

cromite.gn_args

GN build arguments that configure Cromite’s features

Location: build/cromite.gn_args

cromite_patches_list.txt

Lists all 332 patches applied to Chromium

Location: build/cromite_patches_list.txt

build_cromite.yaml

GitHub Actions workflow for automated builds

Location: .github/workflows/build_cromite.yaml

Building with Docker (Recommended)

The easiest way to build Cromite is using the pre-built Docker images. Each release includes a corresponding Docker image.

1. Set Build Variables

   Define your build environment variables:

   SHA=fac696b3a422f196f698e6543913946ddaba1ef3
   VERSION=145.0.7632.120
   CHVERSION=uazo/cromite-build:$VERSION-$SHA
   CONTAINER=dev1
   BDEBUG=false
   

   The Docker image format is: uazo/cromite-build:(VERSION)-(COMMIT)

   All available images are listed at Docker Hub

2. Create and Start Container

   Create a Docker container with the build environment:

   docker create --name $CONTAINER \
       -e "WORKSPACE=/home/lg/working_dir" \
       -e "TARGET_ISDEBUG=$BDEBUG" \
       --entrypoint "tail" $CHVERSION "-f" "/dev/null"
   
   docker start $CONTAINER
   docker exec -ti $CONTAINER bash
   
3. Configure Build Environment

   Inside the container, set up the PATH and navigate to the source directory:

   PATH=$WORKSPACE/chromium/src/third_party/llvm-build/Release+Asserts/bin:$WORKSPACE/depot_tools/:/usr/local/go/bin:$WORKSPACE/mtool/bin:$PATH
   export HOME=/home/lg/working_dir
   cd $HOME/chromium/src/
   
4. Build Cromite

   The container is now ready to build. Run your build commands based on the target platform (see platform-specific sections below).

Key GN Build Arguments

Cromite uses custom GN arguments to configure the build. Here are the key settings from cromite.gn_args:

Core Build Settings

is_official_build=true
is_debug=false
is_component_build=false
symbol_level=1
treat_warnings_as_errors=true
use_official_google_api_keys=false

Privacy & Security

disable_fieldtrial_testing_config=true
enable_reporting=false
enable_bound_session_credentials=false
enable_request_header_integrity=false
safe_browsing_use_unrar=false

Media Codecs

proprietary_codecs=true
ffmpeg_branding="Chrome"
enable_av1_decoder=true
enable_dav1d_decoder=true
enable_platform_aac_audio=true
enable_platform_h264_video=true
enable_platform_hevc=true
media_use_openh264=false

Disabled Features

enable_mdns=false
enable_remoting=false
enable_vr=false
enable_arcore=false
enable_openxr=false
enable_glic=false  # Disable Gemini integration
build_contextual_search=false

Platform-Specific Builds

Android

Building for Android

Android builds support multiple architectures: arm64-v8a, arm32-v7a, and x86_64.

Android-Specific GN Args

target_os = "android"
android_channel = "stable"
chrome_public_manifest_package = "org.cromite.cromite"
system_webview_package_name = "org.cromite.webview"

# PGO optimization
chrome_pgo_phase = 2

# High-end device optimization
is_high_end_android = true

# Hardware codec support
enable_platform_aac_audio = true
enable_platform_h264_video = true
enable_platform_hevc = true

The Docker commands shown above are valid for Android and Linux builds.

Build Outputs

Successful Android builds produce:

• arm64_ChromePublic.apk
• arm_ChromePublic.apk
• x64_ChromePublic.apk
• SystemWebView.apk (separate build)

Linux

Building for Linux

Linux builds target x86_64 architecture.

Linux-Specific GN Args

target_os = "linux"
target_cpu = "x64"
symbol_level = 0

# Enable PDF and plugin support
enable_pdf = true
pdf_is_complete_lib = true
enable_plugins = true

# Use system root for dependencies
use_sysroot = true

# PGO optimization
chrome_pgo_phase = 2

Build Output

• chrome-lin64.tar.gz

Windows

Building for Windows (Cross-Compilation)

Windows builds are created using cross-compilation from Linux.

Windows-Specific GN Args

target_os = "win"
target_cpu = "x64"
symbol_level = 0
use_large_pdbs = true

# Enable PDF and plugin support
enable_pdf = true
pdf_is_complete_lib = true
enable_plugins = true

# PGO optimization
chrome_pgo_phase = 2

# Disable CFI for Windows
is_cfi = false
use_cfi_cast = false

# Windows-specific codec support
enable_platform_ac3_eac3_audio = true

You need to configure the cross-build mode from Linux. Use the Windows SDK preparation script to set up the environment.

Build Output

• chrome-win.zip

Applying Patches

Cromite applies 332 patches to Chromium. These patches must be applied in the order specified in cromite_patches_list.txt.

# Apply patches using git am
cd chromium/src/
while read patch; do
  git am < "../../cromite/build/patches/$patch"
done < ../../cromite/build/cromite_patches_list.txt

See the Patch System documentation for detailed information about Cromite’s patches.

Debug Builds

To create a debug build, set the debug environment variable:

BDEBUG=true
TARGET_ISDEBUG=true

Debug builds use different GN arguments:

is_debug = true
is_official_build = false
dcheck_always_on = true
symbol_level = 1
strip_debug_info = false
generate_linker_map = false
android_static_analysis = "off"
v8_enable_debugging_features = false

Build Automation

Cromite uses GitHub Actions for automated builds. The workflow file at .github/workflows/build_cromite.yaml shows the complete build process:

• Builds Docker containers for dependencies (uazo/build-deps)
• Pulls Chromium source (uazo/chromium)
• Applies Cromite patches (uazo/cromite)
• Creates final build image (uazo/cromite-build)
• Compiles for all platforms (Android arm/arm64/x64, Windows, Linux)

You can reference the GitHub Actions workflow to see the exact build commands used for releases.

Troubleshooting

Build fails with clang errors

Ensure you’re using the correct LLVM/Clang version bundled with Chromium:

PATH=$WORKSPACE/chromium/src/third_party/llvm-build/Release+Asserts/bin:$PATH

Out of memory during build

Chromium builds require significant RAM (16GB+ recommended). Consider:

• Reducing parallel jobs: ninja -j 4
• Using swap space
• Building with is_component_build=true for development

Windows cross-compilation fails

Make sure you’ve run the Windows SDK preparation script:

./tools/images/win-sdk/prepare.sh

Next Steps

Patch System

Learn about Cromite’s 332 patches to Chromium

Docker Setup

Deep dive into Docker development environment

Contributing

Contribute patches and features to Cromite

GitHub Workflow

View the complete build automation workflow