Install or upgrade

Install Stack

Stack can be installed on most Linux distributions, macOS and Windows.

Stack is open to supporting more operating systems. To request support for an operating system, please submit an issue at Stack's GitHub repository.

Releases on GitHub

Stack executables are also available on the releases page of Stack's GitHub repository.

https://get.haskellstack.org/stable URLs

URLs with the format https://get.haskellstack.org/stable/<PLATFORM>.<EXTENSION> point to the latest stable release. See the manual download links for examples.

LinuxmacOSWindows

For most Linux distributions, the easiest way to install Stack is to command:

curl -sSL https://get.haskellstack.org/ | sh

or:

wget -qO- https://get.haskellstack.org/ | sh

Note

The script at get.haskellstack.org will ask for root access using sudo. It needs such access in order to use your platform's package manager to install dependencies and to install to /usr/local/bin. If you prefer more control, follow the manual installation instructions for your platform below.

Manual download

Manual download for Linux distributions depends on your machine architecture, x86_64 or AArch64/ARM64.

x86_64

• Click to download an archive file with the latest release.

• Extract the archive and place the stack executable somewhere on your PATH (see the Path section below).

• Ensure you have the required system dependencies installed. These include GCC, GNU Make, xz, perl, libgmp, libffi, and zlib. We also recommend Git and GPG.

The installation of system dependencies will depend on the package manager for your Linux distribution. Notes are provided for Arch Linux, CentOS, Debian, Fedora, Gentoo and Ubuntu.

Arch LinuxCentOSDebianFedoraGentooUbuntu

sudo pacman -S make gcc ncurses git gnupg xz zlib gmp libffi zlib

sudo yum install perl make automake gcc gmp-devel libffi zlib zlib-devel xz tar git gnupg

sudo apt-get install g++ gcc libc6-dev libffi-dev libgmp-dev make xz-utils zlib1g-dev git gnupg netbase

sudo dnf install perl make automake gcc gmp-devel libffi zlib zlib-devel xz tar git gnupg

Ensure you have the ncurses package with USE=tinfo. Without it, Stack will not be able to install GHC.

sudo apt-get install g++ gcc libc6-dev libffi-dev libgmp-dev make xz-utils zlib1g-dev git gnupg netbase

Linux packages

Some Linux distributions have official or unofficial packages for Stack, including Arch Linux, Debian, Fedora, NixOS, openSUSE/SUSE Linux Enterprise, and Ubuntu.

Linux packages that lag behind Stack's current version

The Stack version available as a Linux package may lag behind Stack's current version. If so, using stack upgrade --binary-only is recommended after installing it. For Stack versions before 1.3.0 which do not support --binary-only, just stack upgrade may work too.

Arch LinuxDebianFedoraNixOSSUSEUbuntu

The Arch community package repository provides an official package. You can install it with the command:

sudo pacman -S stack

This version may slightly lag behind, but it should be updated within the day. The package is also always rebuilt and updated when one of its dependencies gets an update.

The Arch User Repository (AUR) also provides a package. However, its Stack version lags behind, so running stack upgrade --binary-only is recommended after installing it. For older Stack versions which do not support --binary-only, just stack upgrade may work too.

To use stack setup with versions of GHC before 7.10.3 or on a 32-bit system, you may need the AUR ncurses5-compat-libs package installed.

There are Debian packages for Stretch and up. However, the distribution's Stack version lags behind.

Fedora includes Stack, but its Stack version may lag behind.

Users who follow the nixos-unstable channel or the Nixpkgs master branch can install the latest Stack release into their profile with the command:

nix-env -f "<nixpkgs>" -iA stack

Alternatively, the package can be built from source as follows.

1. Clone the git repo, with the command:

   git clone https://github.com/commercialhaskell/stack.git
   

2. Create a shell.nix file with the command:

   cabal2nix --shell ./. --no-check --no-haddock > shell.nix
   

   Note that the tests fail on NixOS, so disable them with --no-check. Also, Haddock currently doesn't work for Stack, so --no-haddock disables it.

3. Install Stack to your user profile with the command:

   nix-env -i -f shell.nix
   

For more information on using Stack together with Nix, please see the NixOS manual section on Stack.

There is also an unofficial package for openSUSE or SUSE Linux Enterprise. Its Stack version may lag behind. To install it:

=== openSUSE Tumbleweed

~~~text
sudo zypper in stack
~~~

=== openSUSE Leap

~~~text
sudo zypper ar http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/devel:/languages:/haskell/openSUSE_Leap_42.1/devel:languages:haskell.repo
sudo zypper in stack
~~~

=== SUSE Linux Enterprise 12

~~~text
sudo zypper ar http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/devel:/languages:/haskell/SLE_12/devel:languages:haskell.repo
sude zypper in stack
~~~

There are Ubuntu packages for Ubuntu 18.04 and up. However, the distribution's Stack version lags behind.

It is possible to set up auto-completion of Stack commands. For further information, see the shell auto-completion documentation.

The easiest way to install Stack is to command:

curl -sSL https://get.haskellstack.org/ | sh

or:

wget -qO- https://get.haskellstack.org/ | sh

Note

The script at get.haskellstack.org will ask for root access using sudo. It needs such access in order to use your platform's package manager to install dependencies and to install to /usr/local/bin. If you prefer more control, follow the manual installation instructions below.

Info

We generally test on the current version of macOS and do our best to keep it compatible with the three most recent major versions. Stack may also work on older versions.

Manual download

• Click to download an archive file with the latest release for x86_64 architectures.

• Extract the archive and place stack somewhere on your PATH (see the Path section below).

• Now you can run Stack from the command line in a terminal.

Using Homebrew

Homebrew is a popular package manager for macOS. If you have its brew tool installed, you can just command:

brew install haskell-stack

• The Homebrew formula and bottles are unofficial and lag slightly behind new Stack releases, but tend to be updated within a day or two.

• Normally, Homebrew will install from a pre-built binary (aka "pour from a bottle"), but if it starts trying to build everything from source (which will take hours), see their FAQ on the topic.

Notes

After installation, running stack setup might fail with configure: error: cannot run C compiled programs. in which case you should command:

xcode-select --install

Starting with macOs 10.14 (Mojave) running xcode-select --install might not be enough. You will need to install additional headers with commands:

cd /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/Packages/
open macOS_SDK_headers_for_macOS_10.14.pkg

If you are on OS X 10.11 (El Capitan) and encounter either of these problems, see the linked FAQ entries:

• GHC 7.8.4 fails with /usr/bin/ar: permission denied
• DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH is ignored

If you are on macOS 10.12 (Sierra) and encounter GHC panic while building, see this issue

On Apple silicon chip (AArch64/ARM64) architectures, the installation of Stack or some packages (e.g. network) requiring C source compilation might fail with configure: error: C compiler cannot build executables. In that case you should pass -arch arm64 as part of the CFLAGS environment variable. This setting will be picked up by the C compiler of your choice.

# Assuming BASH below

# passing CFLAGS in-line with the command giving rise to the error
CFLAGS="-arch arm64 ${CFLAGS:-}" some_command_to_install_stack
CFLAGS="-arch arm64 ${CFLAGS:-}" stack [build|install]

# -- OR --

# ~/.bash_profile
# NOTE: only do this if you do not have to cross-compile, or remember to unset
# CFLAGS when needed
export CFLAGS="-arch arm64 ${CFLAGS:-}"

The setting instructs the C compiler to compile objects for ARM64. These can then be linked with libraries built for ARM64. Without the instruction, the C compiler, invoked by Cabal running in x86-64, would compile x86-64 objects and attempt to link them with existing ARM64 libraries, resulting in the error above.

It is possible to set up auto-completion of Stack commands. For further information, see the shell auto-completion documentation.

On 64-bit Windows, you can download and install the Windows installer.

Anti-virus software

Systems with antivirus software may need to add Stack to the list of 'trusted' applications.

You may see a "Windows Defender SmartScreen prevented an unrecognized app from starting" warning when you try to run the installer. If so, click on More info, and then click on the Run anyway button that appears.

We recommend installing to the default location with the installer, as that will make stack install and stack upgrade work correctly out of the box.

Manual download

• Click to download an archive file with the latest release.

• Unpack the archive and place stack.exe somewhere on your PATH (see the Path section below).

• Now you can run Stack from the command line in a terminal.

Info

Stack can also be installed using the separate GHCup installer for Haskell-related tools. Unlike Stack, other build tools do not automatically install GHC. GHCup can be used to install GHC for those other tools and Stack can be configured to use the version of GHC that GHCup has installed.

Path

You can install Stack by copying the executable file anywhere on your PATH. A good place to install is the same directory where Stack itself will install executables, which depends on the operating system:

Unix-likeWindows

Stack installs executables to:

$HOME/.local/bin

If you don't have that directory in your PATH, you may need to update your PATH. That can be done by editing the ~/.bashrc file.

Stack installs executables to:

%APPDATA%\local\bin

For example: C:\Users\<user-name>\AppData\Roaming\local\bin.

If you don't have that directory in your PATH, you may need to update your PATH. That can be done by searching for 'Edit Environment variables for your account' under Start.

If you don't have that directory in your PATH, you may need to update your PATH. On Unix-like operating systems, that can be done by editing the ~/.bashrc file.

China-based users

If you're attempting to install Stack from within China:

• As of 24 February 2020, the download link has limited connectivity from within mainland China. If this is the case, please proceed by manually downloading (ideally via a VPN) and installing Stack per the instructions found on this page pertinent to your operating system.

• After installation, your config.yaml file will need to be configured before Stack can download large files consistently from within China (without reliance on a VPN). Please add the following to the bottom of the config.yaml file:

###ADD THIS IF YOU LIVE IN CHINA
setup-info-locations:
- "http://mirrors.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cn/stackage/stack-setup.yaml"
urls:
  latest-snapshot: http://mirrors.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cn/stackage/snapshots.json

package-indices:
  - download-prefix: http://mirrors.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cn/hackage/
    hackage-security:
        keyids:
        - 0a5c7ea47cd1b15f01f5f51a33adda7e655bc0f0b0615baa8e271f4c3351e21d
        - 1ea9ba32c526d1cc91ab5e5bd364ec5e9e8cb67179a471872f6e26f0ae773d42
        - 280b10153a522681163658cb49f632cde3f38d768b736ddbc901d99a1a772833
        - 2a96b1889dc221c17296fcc2bb34b908ca9734376f0f361660200935916ef201
        - 2c6c3627bd6c982990239487f1abd02e08a02e6cf16edb105a8012d444d870c3
        - 51f0161b906011b52c6613376b1ae937670da69322113a246a09f807c62f6921
        - 772e9f4c7db33d251d5c6e357199c819e569d130857dc225549b40845ff0890d
        - aa315286e6ad281ad61182235533c41e806e5a787e0b6d1e7eef3f09d137d2e9
        - fe331502606802feac15e514d9b9ea83fee8b6ffef71335479a2e68d84adc6b0
        key-threshold: 3
        ignore-expiry: no

Using an HTTP proxy

To use Stack behind a HTTP proxy with IP address IP and port PORT, first set up an environment variable http_proxy and then run the Stack command. For example:

Unix-likeWindows

export http_proxy=IP:PORT
stack install

On most operating systems, it is not mandatory for programs to follow the "system-wide" HTTP proxy. Some programs, such as browsers, do honor this "system-wide" HTTP proxy setting, while other programs, including Bash, do not. That means configuring "http proxy setting" in your System Preferences (macOS) would not result in Stack traffic going through the proxy.

$Env:http_proxy=IP:PORT
stack install

It is not mandatory for programs to follow the "system-wide" HTTP proxy. Some programs, such as browsers, do honor this "system-wide" HTTP proxy setting, while other programs do not. That means configuring "http proxy setting" in your Control Panel would not result in Stack traffic going through the proxy.

Upgrade Stack

There are different approaches to upgrading Stack, which vary as between Unix-like operating systems (including macOS) and Windows.

Unix-likeWindows

There are essentially four different approaches:

1. Stack itself ships with an upgrade command, which downloads a stack executable or builds it from source and install it to the default install directory (eg stack path --local-bin; see the Path section above). You can use stack upgrade to get the latest official release, and stack upgrade --git to install from GitHub and live on the bleeding edge. Make sure the default install directory is on your PATH and takes precedence over the system installed stack, or copy stack from that directory to the system location afterward. For more information, see this discussion.

2. If you're using a package manager and are happy with sticking with the officially released binaries from the distribution (which may the lag behind latest version of Stack significantly), simply follow your normal package manager strategies for upgrading. For example:

   apt-get update
   apt-get upgrade
   

3. The get.haskellstack.org script supports the -f argument to over-write the current Stack executable. For example, command:

   curl -sSL https://get.haskellstack.org/ | sh -s - -f
   

   or:

   wget -qO- https://get.haskellstack.org/ | sh -s - -f
   

4. Manually follow the steps above to download the newest executable from the GitHub releases page and replace the old executable.

There are essentially two different approaches:

1. Stack itself ships with an upgrade command, which downloads a stack executable or builds it from source and install it to the default install directory (eg stack path --local-bin; see the Path section above). You can use stack upgrade to get the latest official release, and stack upgrade --git to install from GitHub and live on the bleeding edge. Make sure the default install directory is on your PATH and takes precedence over the system installed stack, or copy stack from that directory to the system location afterward. For more information, see this discussion.

2. Manually follow the steps above to download the newest executable from the GitHub releases page and replace the old executable.

Install earlier versions

To install a specific version of Stack, navigate to the desired version on the GitHub release page, and click the appropriate link under its "Assets" drop-down menu.

Alternatively, use the URL https://github.com/commercialhaskell/stack/releases/download/vVERSION/stack-VERSION-PLATFORM.EXTENSION. For example, the tarball for Stack version 2.1.0.1, osx-x86_64 is at https://github.com/commercialhaskell/stack/releases/download/v2.1.0.1/stack-2.1.0.1-osx-x86_64.tar.gz.

Here's a snippet for appveyor.yml files, borrowed from dhall's appveyor.yml. Change the values of PATH and VERSION as needed.

install:
  - set PATH=C:\Program Files\Git\mingw64\bin;%PATH%
  - curl --silent --show-error --output stack.zip --location "https://github.com/commercialhaskell/stack/releases/download/v%STACK_VERSION%/stack-%STACK_VERSION%-windows-x86_64.zip"
  - 7z x stack.zip stack.exe
  - stack setup > nul
  - git submodule update --init --recursive