Build from source
pkg has so-called base binaries — Node.js executables with some patches applied. They're used as the starting point for every executable pkg creates. By default pkg downloads pre-compiled base binaries from pkg-fetch before packaging your application.
If you prefer to compile base binaries from source, pass --build:
pkg --build index.jsSlow
Compiling a full Node.js binary takes tens of minutes on a fast machine and can easily hit hours on slower hardware. Only use --build when you actually need a custom compile.
Prerequisites
Your machine needs everything Node.js requires to compile from source. The authoritative list is in nodejs/node/BUILDING.md. At a minimum:
- A C/C++ toolchain (gcc, clang, or MSVC)
- Python 3
- GNU make or Ninja
- Several GB of free disk and memory
When to build from source
- Targeting an architecture not in
pkg-fetchreleases and not inpkg-binaries - Applying your own patches on top of
pkg-fetch's patches - Debugging a
pkgissue that requires a custom Node.js build
Otherwise, stick with the default — downloaded binaries are faster, cached, and covered by CI.
Future direction
SEA mode removes the need for patched Node.js binaries entirely. See SEA vs Standard and the pkg-fetch elimination roadmap. If you're reaching for --build because pkg-fetch doesn't cover your target, SEA may solve it upstream.