Build Instructions
This document describes how you can clone and build your own CrypTool 2 (CT2). CT2 is a windows software, so you can only use (and should build) it on Windows. Windows versions we tested are Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, and Windows 11.
If you want to develop your own CT2 plugins and components, please read the Developer HowTo.
You need the following software:
- Visual Studio 2022 (Community Edition) or newer (https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/en/vs/community/)
- A git client (e.g. TortoiseGit https://tortoisegit.org/)
Please first install the git client as well as Visual Studio on your system.
The first step to create your own CT2 is to clone the git project. When you use TortoiseGit, it automatically added during its installation new entries to your Windows context menu. In this example instruction here, we clone the CT2 repository onto the Windows desktop. To do so, right click onto the desktop and select the "clone" entry from the context menu, as shown below:
Then, in the new appearing TortoiseGit window enter the CT2 GitHub repository URL
https://github.com/CrypToolProject/CrypTool-2
Then press ok:
Now, CT2 is being cloned from the repository. Depending on your local Internet connection, this can take some time. After the cloning process is finished, you should have the CT2 repository folder on your desktop.
First, double click in the cloned CT2 repository folder on the "CrypTool 2.sln" to open it with Visual Studio. When Visual Studio finished loading, you can build and run CT2:
First, click on the "Debug" text (red number 1) to change between "Debug" mode and "Release" mode. Keep in mind, that only debug mode allows easy debugging of CT2 while it is being executed, but it is slow. To get a good performance, change to "Release" mode.
Then, click on the "Build" entry in the menu (red number 2), which opens a new menu, and then choose the "Build Solution" entry (red number 3). Visual Studio will now build CT2 and all of its components. This may take some time depending on the power of your computer.
Finally, when the build has been finished, you can start your self-build CT2 using the green start icon (red number 4).