meson

Q: How do I install meson?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills --skill meson in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/meson/ (personal) or .claude/skills/meson/ (project).

by mohitmishra786DevOps & Cloud

Meson build system skill for C/C++ projects. Use when setting up a Meson project, configuring build options, managing dependencies with the wrap system, cross-compiling, or integrating Meson with CI. Activates on queries about meson setup, meson compile, meson wrap, meson test, cross-file, meson.build, or migrating from CMake/Autotools to Meson.

Installs: 563
Last 24h: —
Trending rank: —
Security: Not audited

Install

Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.

npx skills add https://github.com/mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills --skill meson

01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads meson automatically when relevant.
03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.

SKILL.md

The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.

Meson

Purpose

Guide agents through Meson project setup, build configuration, the wrap dependency system, and cross-compilation — covering the build system used by GLib, systemd, GStreamer, Mesa, and many major C/C++ projects.

Triggers

"How do I set up a Meson build?"
"How do I add a dependency in Meson?"
"How do I cross-compile with Meson?"
"Meson wrap isn't finding my dependency"
"How do I configure build options in Meson?"
"How do I migrate from CMake/Autotools to Meson?"

Workflow

1. Project setup

# Configure (source-dir, build-dir are positional)
meson setup builddir

# With options
meson setup builddir \
    --buildtype=release \
    --prefix=/usr/local \
    -Db_lto=true \
    -Db_sanitize=address

# Reconfigure (change options on existing builddir)
meson configure builddir -Dbuildtype=debug

# Show all available options
meson configure builddir

`--buildtype`	Equivalent flags
`debug` (default)	`-O0 -g`
`debugoptimized`	`-O2 -g`
`release`	`-O3 -DNDEBUG`
`minsize`	`-Os -DNDEBUG`
`plain`	No flags added

2. Build and test

# Build (from source directory)
meson compile -C builddir

# Or enter builddir and use ninja directly
cd builddir && ninja

# Run tests
meson test -C builddir
meson test -C builddir --verbose          # show test output
meson test -C builddir -t 5               # 5x timeout multiplier
meson test -C builddir --suite unit       # run only 'unit' suite

# Install
meson install -C builddir
# Dry run
meson install -C builddir --dry-run

3. meson.build structure

project('myapp', 'c', 'cpp',
  version : '1.0.0',
  default_options : [
    'c_std=c11',
    'cpp_std=c++17',
    'warning_level=2',
  ]
)

# Find system dependencies
glib_dep = dependency('glib-2.0', version : '>=2.68')
threads_dep = dependency('threads')

# Include directories
inc = include_directories('include')

# Library
mylib = static_library('mylib',
  sources : ['src/lib.c', 'src/util.c'],
  include_directories : inc,
)

# Executable
executable('myapp',
  sources : ['src/main.c'],
  include_directories : inc,
  link_with : mylib,
  dependencies : [glib_dep, threads_dep],
  install : true,
)

# Tests
test('basic', executable('test_basic',
  sources : ['tests/test_basic.c'],
  link_with : mylib,
))

4. Dependency management with wrap

# Search for a wrap
meson wrap search zlib

# Install a wrap (downloads .wrap file from wrapdb)
meson wrap install zlib
meson wrap install gtest

# List installed wraps
meson wrap list

# Update all wraps
meson wrap update

In meson.build:

# Use wrap as fallback if system lib not found
zlib_dep = dependency('zlib',
  fallback : ['zlib', 'zlib_dep'],  # [wrap_name, dep_variable]
)

# Force wrap (for reproducible builds)
zlib_dep = dependency('zlib',
  fallback : ['zlib', 'zlib_dep'],
  default_options : ['default_library=static'],
)

subprojects/zlib.wrap structure:

[wrap-file]
directory = zlib-1.3
source_url = https://zlib.net/zlib-1.3.tar.gz
source_hash = <sha256>

[provide]
zlib = zlib_dep

5. Build options

Define in meson_options.txt (or meson.options in Meson ≥1.1):

option('with_tests', type : 'boolean', value : true,
  description : 'Build unit tests')

option('backend', type : 'combo',
  choices : ['opengl', 'vulkan', 'software'],
  value : 'opengl',
  description : 'Rendering backend')

option('max_connections', type : 'integer',
  min : 1, max : 1024, value : 64)

Use in meson.build:

if get_option('with_tests')
  subdir('tests')
endif

6. Cross-compilation

Create a cross file (cross/arm-linux.ini):

[binaries]
c = 'arm-linux-gnueabihf-gcc'
cpp = 'arm-linux-gnueabihf-g++'
ar = 'arm-linux-gnueabihf-ar'
strip = 'arm-linux-gnueabihf-strip'
pkgconfig = 'arm-linux-gnueabihf-pkg-config'

[properties]
sys_root = '/path/to/sysroot'

[host_machine]
system = 'linux'
cpu_family = 'arm'
cpu = 'cortex-a9'
endian = 'little'

meson setup builddir-arm --cross-file cross/arm-linux.ini
meson compile -C builddir-arm

7. CMake migration cheatsheet

CMake	Meson equivalent
`add_executable`	`executable()`
`add_library`	`library()` / `static_library()` / `shared_library()`
`target_include_directories`	`include_directories` arg in target
`target_link_libraries`	`dependencies` / `link_with`
`find_package`	`dependency()`
`option()`	`option()` in `meson_options.txt`
`add_subdirectory`	`subdir()`
`install(TARGETS ...)`	`install : true` in target

For wrap patterns and subproject configuration, see references/meson-wrap.md.

Related skills

Use skills/build-systems/cmake when CMake is required or preferred
Use skills/build-systems/ninja — Meson uses Ninja as its backend
Use skills/compilers/cross-gcc for cross-compiler toolchain setup
Use skills/compilers/gcc or skills/compilers/clang for compiler flag context

FAQ

What does the meson skill do?

How do I install meson?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills --skill meson in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/meson/ (personal) or .claude/skills/meson/ (project).

Which AI agents can use meson?

Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.

Is meson safe to install?

No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.

Who maintains meson?

It is published by mohitmishra786 in mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills. It has 563 recorded installs.