# How to Build Meetily with GPU Support: CUDA, Vulkan, and Metal Configuration

> Learn to build Meetily with GPU acceleration including CUDA Vulkan and Metal. Configure device specific backends using CMake flags for enhanced performance. See BUILDING md for details.

- Repository: [Zackriya Solutions/meetily](https://github.com/Zackriya-Solutions/meetily)
- Tags: how-to-guide
- Published: 2026-07-09

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**Build Meetily with GPU acceleration by referencing [`docs/BUILDING.md`](https://github.com/Zackriya-Solutions/meetily/blob/main/docs/BUILDING.md) and enabling device-specific backends via CMake configuration flags during the build process.**

Meetily is an open-source meeting platform that supports hardware-accelerated video processing through multiple GPU backends. The build configuration for CUDA, Vulkan, and Metal support is documented in the repository's [`docs/BUILDING.md`](https://github.com/Zackriya-Solutions/meetily/blob/main/docs/BUILDING.md) file located at the project root.

## Locating the Build Documentation

The authoritative source for GPU build instructions is **[`docs/BUILDING.md`](https://github.com/Zackriya-Solutions/meetily/blob/main/docs/BUILDING.md)**. This file contains platform-specific guidance, dependency requirements, and compiler flags necessary for enabling hardware acceleration. When working with the repository from `github.com/Zackriya-Solutions/meetily`, consult this documentation file before initiating the build configuration.

## Prerequisites for GPU Builds

Building Meetily with GPU support requires specific SDKs and drivers installed on your development system:

- **NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit** – Required for CUDA acceleration on Linux and Windows platforms
- **Vulkan SDK** – Required for cross-platform GPU compute and rendering pipelines  
- **Xcode Command Line Tools** – Required for Metal support on macOS

Specific version requirements and compatibility matrices are defined in [`docs/BUILDING.md`](https://github.com/Zackriya-Solutions/meetily/blob/main/docs/BUILDING.md).

## Configuring GPU Backends

Meetily uses **CMake** as its build system. GPU features are enabled through configuration-time options that detect available SDKs and set appropriate compiler flags.

Typical configuration patterns include:

```bash

# Configure with CUDA support

cmake -B build -DMEETILY_ENABLE_CUDA=ON

# Configure with Vulkan support

cmake -B build -DMEETILY_ENABLE_VULKAN=ON

# Configure with Metal support (macOS only)

cmake -B build -DMEETILY_ENABLE_METAL=ON

```

**Note:** Exact flag names, default values, and dependency chains are specified in [`docs/BUILDING.md`](https://github.com/Zackriya-Solutions/meetily/blob/main/docs/BUILDING.md).

## Platform-Specific Build Instructions

### Linux with CUDA

Install the NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit matching your driver version. The build system typically detects CUDA via environment variables or standard installation paths. Refer to [`docs/BUILDING.md`](https://github.com/Zackriya-Solutions/meetily/blob/main/docs/BUILDING.md) for specific `CMAKE_CUDA_COMPILER` settings if automatic detection fails.

### Windows with Vulkan

Ensure the Vulkan SDK environment variables (`VULKAN_SDK`) are properly set before running CMake. The loader and validation layers must be accessible in the system PATH or specified via CMake hints.

### macOS with Metal  

Metal builds require the `Metal` and `MetalKit` frameworks available through Xcode. The build configuration in [`docs/BUILDING.md`](https://github.com/Zackriya-Solutions/meetily/blob/main/docs/BUILDING.md) specifies the minimum macOS version required for Metal compute shaders.

## Verifying GPU Feature Detection

If GPU backends fail to configure:

1. Verify SDK installation paths are exported in `PATH` or `CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH`
2. Confirm graphics drivers meet the minimum API version requirements
3. Check CMake error logs for missing headers or library linking failures
4. Review [`docs/BUILDING.md`](https://github.com/Zackriya-Solutions/meetily/blob/main/docs/BUILDING.md) for platform-specific troubleshooting steps

## Summary

- **Primary documentation**: GPU build instructions are maintained in [`docs/BUILDING.md`](https://github.com/Zackriya-Solutions/meetily/blob/main/docs/BUILDING.md) at the repository root
- **Build system**: CMake-based configuration with optional GPU backend flags
- **Supported backends**: CUDA (NVIDIA), Vulkan (cross-platform), and Metal (Apple Silicon/Intel)
- **Configuration method**: Pass backend-specific enable flags during the CMake configuration phase

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Where are the official build instructions for Meetily?

The official build instructions are located in **[`docs/BUILDING.md`](https://github.com/Zackriya-Solutions/meetily/blob/main/docs/BUILDING.md)** in the repository root. This file contains the definitive reference for configuring GPU features including CUDA, Vulkan, and Metal acceleration.

### What build system does Meetily use?

Meetily uses **CMake** as its build system. GPU features are controlled through CMake cache variables defined in [`docs/BUILDING.md`](https://github.com/Zackriya-Solutions/meetily/blob/main/docs/BUILDING.md), allowing developers to enable or disable specific backends during the configuration phase.

### Can I build Meetily without GPU support?

Yes. GPU features are typically optional in the build configuration. The base build can complete without installing CUDA, Vulkan, or Metal SDKs, though video processing performance will be limited to CPU-only operations.

### How do I verify GPU acceleration is working after building?

After building with GPU flags enabled, verify functionality by checking the application initialization logs for successful backend loading. Specific verification commands and runtime diagnostics are documented in [`docs/BUILDING.md`](https://github.com/Zackriya-Solutions/meetily/blob/main/docs/BUILDING.md) for each supported platform.