Get frei0r

frei0r is distributed as source code, release archives and packages maintained by operating-system communities. After installing it, open a compatible application or framework to use the plugins.

Releases

The project publishes source archives and platform artifacts on GitHub Releases.

Windows: release entries include Win64 plugin archives when the release build succeeds.
macOS: release entries include macOS plugin archives; Homebrew is usually the simpler installation route.
GNU/Linux: distributions package frei0r, and releases include build artifacts intended primarily for packaging and testing.

Release assets are produced automatically. Check the selected release entry for the exact files it contains rather than relying on a fixed filename.

Package managers

Package versions can lag behind upstream releases. The Repology overview compares packages across many distributions.

GNU/Linux

Search your distribution for frei0r or frei0r-plugins. Install both the runtime plugins and development headers when compiling a host or a new plugin.

macOS

Install the Homebrew formula:

brew install frei0r

BSD

FreeBSD port
NetBSD pkgsrc
OpenBSD users can search the ports/packages collection for frei0r-plugins.

Build from source

You need a C compiler, a C++11 compiler, CMake, and Ninja or Make. Clone the repository and use an out-of-tree build:

git clone https://github.com/dyne/frei0r.git
cd frei0r
cmake -S . -B build -G Ninja
cmake --build build

Install using CMake's install step, with administrator privileges only when the chosen prefix requires them:

cmake --install build

The authoritative maintained instructions are in BUILD.md.

Optional plugin dependencies

The build detects optional libraries that enable additional effects:

Library	Used by
OpenCV	Face-detection and related filters
Cairo	Cairo-based filters and mixers
Gavl	Filters such as `scale0tilt` and `vectorscope`

Disable unavailable groups explicitly when making a minimal build:

cmake -S . -B build -G Ninja \
  -DWITHOUT_OPENCV=ON \
  -DWITHOUT_CAIRO=ON \
  -DWITHOUT_GAVL=ON
cmake --build build

Applications using MLT may need face-recognition plugins disabled to avoid protobuf conflicts:

cmake -S . -B build -DWITHOUT_FACERECOGNITION=ON
cmake --build build

Test a source build

The repository includes runtime tools that load and exercise built plugins:

ctest --test-dir build --output-on-failure
cmake --build build --target frei0r-meta
cmake --build build --target generate-metadata

The test utilities and generated plugin metadata are written under the repository's build tree.

Get frei0r ​

Releases ​

Package managers ​

GNU/Linux ​

macOS ​

BSD ​

Build from source ​

Optional plugin dependencies ​

Test a source build ​

What to do next ​