- 1.0) About
- 1.1) Download Simutrans
- 1.2) Helpful links
- 2.0) Compiling Simutrans
- 2.1) Getting the Source Code
- 2.2) Getting the libraries
- 2.3) Compiling
- 2.3.1) Compiling with make
- 2.3.2) Compiling with MSVC
- 2.3.3) Compiling with CMake
- 2.4) Cross-Compiling
- 3.0) Contribute
- 3.1) Coding
- 3.2) Getting the libraries
- 3.3) Painting
- 3.4) Reporting-bugs
- 4.0) License
- 5.0) Credits
Simutrans is a freeware and open-source transportation simulator. Your goal is to establish a successful transport company. Transport passengers, mail and goods by rail, road, ship, and even air. Interconnect districts, cities, public buildings, industries and tourist attractions by building a transport network you always dreamed of.
You can download Simutrans from:
There is a "nightly" version available, but most most people should use the last "stable" release.
This is a short guide on compiling simutrans. If you want more detailed information, read the Compiling Simutrans wiki page.
If you are on Windows, download either Microsoft Visual Studio or MSYS2. MSVC is easy for debugging, MSYS2 is easy to set up (but it has to be done on the command line).
You can download the latest version with a SVN client:
svn checkout svn://servers.simutrans.org/simutrans/trunk
If you prefer to use git, there is a mirror of the svn repository available at github:
git clone http://github.com/aburch/simutrans.git
Note that the svn repository is the main repository, and the git repository is just a mirror. If you use git instead of svn, you will need to set the game version manually for network play.
This is a list of libraries used by Simutrans. Not all of them are necessary, some are optional, so pick them according to your needs. Read below about how to install them.
| Library | Website | Necessary? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| zlib | https://zlib.net/ | Necessary | Basic compression support |
| bzip2 | https://www.bzip.org/downloads.html | Necessary | Alternative compression. You can pick this or zstd |
| libpng | http://www.libpng.org/pub/png/ | Necessary | Image manipulation |
| libSDL2 | http://www.libsdl.org/ | Necessary* | *On Linux & Mac. Optional but recommended for Windows. Graphics back-end |
| libzstd | https://github.com/facebook/zstd | Optional | Alternative compression (larger save files than bzip2, but faster) |
| libfreetype | http://www.freetype.org/ | Optional | TrueType font support |
| libminiupnpc | http://miniupnp.free.fr/ | Optional | Easy Server option |
| libfluidsynth | https://www.fluidsynth.org/ | Optional | MIDI playback recommended on Linux & temporarily on Mac |
| libSDL2_mixer | http://www.libsdl.org/ | Optional | Alternative MIDI playback and sound system |
You will also need pkgconfig (Unix) or vcpkg (Microsoft Visual C++)
- MSVC: Copy install-building-libs-{architecture}.bat to the vcpkg folder and run it.
- MSYS2/Ubuntu/Debian: Run setup-development.sh to get the libraries and set up the environment.
- Linux: Use pkgs.org to search for development libraries available in your package manager.
- Mac: Install libraries via Homebrew.
Go to the source code directory of simutrans (simutrans/trunk if you downloaded from svn). You have three build systems to choose from: make, MSVC, and CMake. We recommend make or MSVC for debug builds.
Compiling will give you only the executable, you still need a Simutrans installation to run the program. You can start simutrans with -use_workdir to point it to an existing installation.
The executable will be built in build/default.
(Linux) autoconf
(MacOS) autoreconf -ivf
./configure
make -j 4
(MacOS) make OSX/getversion
Simutrans solution is a single solution file simutrans.sln with 4 projects:
- Simutrans-Main: The project that holds the shared, non back-end specific, files. All the followings use Main to build the specific back-end executables.
- Simutrans SDL2: Preferred back-end for Simutrans.
- Simutrans GDI: Windows-only back-end.
- Simutrans Server: Server back-end with no graphical interface.
The executable will be built in build/simutrans.
mkdir build && cd build
cmake -G "Insert Correct Makefiles Generator" ..
cmake --build . -j 4
See here for a list of generators.
mkdir build && cd build
cmake.exe .. -G "Visual Studio 16 2019" -A x64 -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=[vcpkg-root]/scripts/buildsystems/vcpkg.cmake
cmake --build . --config Release
If you want to cross-compile Simutrans from Linux for Windows, see the Cross-Compiling Simutrans wiki page.
You cand find general information about contributing to Simutrans in the Development Index of the wiki.
- If you want to contribute, read the coding guidelines in simutrans/documentation/coding_styles.txt
- You definitely should check out the Technical Documentation Sub-Forum as well.
- Do not open Pull Requests in GitHub. Use the Patches & Projects Sub-Forum instead.
Simutrans is constantly updating and adding texts so we are always in need for translators:
- To help with translation use the SimuTranslator web tool.
- To request a translator account use the Translation Sub-Forum.
Simutrans is always looking for artists! If you want to paint graphics for Simutrans, check:
- The "Creating images" section of the Development Index.
- The General Resources and Tools Sub-Forum.
For bug reports use the Bug Reports Sub-Forum.
Simutrans is licensed under the Artistic License version 1.0. The Artistic License 1.0 is an OSI-approved license which allows for use, distribution, modification, and distribution of modified versions, under the terms of the Artistic License 1.0. For the complete license text see LICENSE.txt.
Simutrans paksets (which are necessary to run the game) have their own license, but no one is included alongside this code.
Simutrans was originally written by Hansjörg Malthaner "Hajo" from 1997 until he retired from development around 2004. Since then a team of contributors (The Simutrans Team) lead by Markus Pristovsek "Prissi" develop Simutrans.
A list of early contributors can be found in simutrans/thanks.txt