Where Does Zig Store Cache and Packages?
Zig global cache plus build cache inside projects on Windows, macOS and Linux.
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Zig keeps a global cache for packages plus per project zig-cache and zig-out folders. Global location follows ZIG_CACHE_DIR or the OS cache home.
Caches are disposable. Source plus build.zig are the truth. Delete caches to fix weird build states; the compiler refetches pinned deps.
Where Zig stores this, by platform
%LOCALAPPDATA%\zig\
Global cache home (override with ZIG_CACHE_DIR). Project cache is [ProjectDir]\.zig-cache with output in zig-out. Run zig env to confirm.
~/Library/Caches/zig/
Default global cache on Mac. Project folders stay beside build.zig. Keep build.zig plus sources in git; ignore zig-cache and zig-out.
~/.cache/zig/
Follows XDG cache home (or ZIG_CACHE_DIR). Same project layout. Exclude zig-cache and zig-out from version control.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Zig package cache?
Under the global cache dir above in p subfolders, keyed by hash. Deleting it forces refetch of build.zig.zon deps on next build.
Which Zig folders belong in git?
Commit build.zig, build.zig.zon and sources. Ignore .zig-cache and zig-out. A fresh clone plus build reproduces outputs.
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