Building Qt projects with Qmake
Building Site
Qt’s own build system Qmake is often overlooked for larger projects, but many experienced developers appreciate Qmake support for shadow builds and pre- or post-build dependencies.
Qmake, the build system originally developed by Trolltech for Qt applications, often goes unnoticed. Many developers are happy to use the combination of Qmake and the Qt library for small- to medium-sized projects. But as the projects grow, many Qt developers suddenly switch to the Qmake alternative Cmake, which originated as the build system for ITK (the Insight Segmentation and Registration Toolkit).
The reason most often heard for neglecting Qmake is that it is simply unsuitable for many tasks. In the KDE project, for example, Cmake is the tool of choice for compiling large amounts of source code. (Other build systems, such as Autotools, Ant, and the like play a very small role in Qt development because of the increased integration overhead.) As this article shows, however, Qmake can do so much more than most developers realize.
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
AUR Repository Still Under DDoS Attack
Arch User Repository continues to be under a DDoS attack that has been going on for two weeks.
-
RingReaper Malware Poses Danger to Linux Systems
A new kind of malware exploits modern Linux kernels for I/O operations.
-
Happy Birthday, Linux
On August 25, Linux officially turns 34.
-
VirtualBox 7.2 Has Arrived
With early support for Linux kernel 6.17 and other new additions, VirtualBox 7.2 is a must-update for users.
-
Linux Mint 22.2 Beta Available for Testing
Some interesting new additions and improvements are coming to Linux Mint. Check out the Linux Mint 22.2 Beta to give it a test run.
-
Debian 13.0 Officially Released
After two years of development, the latest iteration of Debian is now available with plenty of under-the-hood improvements.
-
Upcoming Changes for MXLinux
MXLinux 25 has plenty in store to please all types of users.
-
A New Linux AI Assistant in Town
Newelle, a Linux AI assistant, works with different LLMs and includes document parsing and profiles.
-
Linux Kernel 6.16 Released with Minor Fixes
The latest Linux kernel doesn't really include any big-ticket features, just a lot of lines of code.
-
EU Sovereign Tech Fund Gains Traction
OpenForum Europe recently released a report regarding a sovereign tech fund with backing from several significant entities.