prebuilts

Prebuilts are binary artifacts produced by a software project or vendor and distributed for reuse instead of being built from source by the end user. They include prebuilt libraries (dynamic or static), prebuilt runtimes and frameworks, prebuilt toolchains and SDKs, and prebuilt system images or firmware. Prebuilts are commonly used to speed up development and deployment, reduce build times, guarantee a known set of components, and simplify setup for developers or users who do not want or cannot compile from source.

How they are delivered and used varies by ecosystem. Prebuilts are distributed through package repositories, download archives, or binary caches, and are integrated by build systems or installers that declare version and provenance. In larger projects, prebuilts may be supplied as part of a release or provided as a separate binary package. Developers may link against prebuilt libraries or include prebuilt runtimes in applications, while platform vendors may ship prebuilt images or toolchains to streamline cross-platform development.

Benefits of using prebuilts include faster build and installation times, easier onboarding for new developers, and improved reproducibility when versions are clearly specified. They also reduce the need to maintain complex toolchains on every developer machine.

Drawbacks and risks include potential outdated components, limited visibility into how prebuilts were built, and licensing or security concerns associated with binary artifacts. Compatibility issues can arise if dependent code expects different build options or ABI versions. To manage these risks, projects typically verify checksums and signatures, track licenses, pin versions, and maintain provenance metadata, sometimes re-building from source periodically to mitigate drift.