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What is EasyBuild?

EasyBuild is a software build and installation framework that allows you to manage (scientific) software on High Performance Computing (HPC) systems in an efficient way. It is motivated by the need for a tool that combines the following features:

  • a flexible framework for building/installing (scientific) software
  • fully automates software builds
  • divert from the standard configure / make / make install with custom procedures
  • allows for easily reproducing previous builds
  • keep the software build recipes/specifications simple and human-readable
  • supports co-existence of versions/builds via dedicated installation prefix and module files
  • enables sharing with the HPC community (win-win situation)
  • automagic dependency resolution
  • retain logs for traceability of the build processes

Some key features of EasyBuild:

  • build & install (scientific) software fully autonomously

  • also interactive installers, code patching, generating module file, ...

  • easily configurable: configuration files / environment variables / command line options

  • including aspects like module naming scheme

  • thorough logging and archiving (see Log files)

  • entire build process is logged thoroughly, logs are stored in install directory;

  • easyconfig file used for build is archived (install directory + file/svn/git repo)

  • automatic dependency resolution (see --robot)

  • build entire software stack with a single command, using --robot

  • building software in parallel

  • robust and thoroughly tested code base, fully unit-tested before each release
  • thriving, growing community

Take a look at our HUST'14 workshop paper Modern Scientific Software Management Using EasyBuild and Lmod (PDF), and use that as a reference in case you present academic work mentioning EasyBuild.


Last update: December 1, 2022