makedepends

Makedepends is a variable used in PKGBUILD scripts to declare the build-time dependencies of a package. Packages listed in makedepends are required to compile and assemble the software, but they are not required to run the software after installation.

In a PKGBUILD, makedepends is an array of package names, for example makedepends=(cmake pkgconfig). When building with makepkg, the build environment installs these packages so the build and packaging steps can proceed. They are not automatically installed as runtime dependencies of the resulting package; the end user who installs the package will not receive makedepends as part of the runtime footprint unless they are also listed in runtime depends.

Makedepe nds is distinct from depends, checkdepends, and optdepends. depends lists runtime requirements needed to run the software. checkdepends lists packages required to run the package’s test suite during build. optdepends lists optional, extra features that users may choose to install. Using makedepends helps keep runtime dependencies minimal and focused on what is actually needed after installation.

Common examples include build systems, compilers, and helper tools such as cmake, meson, ninja, pkgconfig, or autoconf. The key practice is to include only what is strictly necessary to build the package; unnecessary items should not be placed in makedepends.

In summary, makedepends documents and provides the build-time requirements for a PKGBUILD, ensuring a proper build environment without bloating the final installed package.