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# Getting Started with Ghidra
The information provided in this document is effective as of Ghidra 11.4 and is subject to change
with future releases.
## Table of Contents
1. [Platforms Supported](#platforms-supported)
2. [Minimum Requirements](#minimum-requirements)
* [Hardware](#hardware)
* [Software](#software)
3. [Installing Ghidra](#installing-ghidra)
* [Installation Notes](#installation-notes)
* [Java Notes](#java-notes)
4. [Ghidra Installation Directory Layout](#ghidra-installation-directory-layout)
5. [Building Native Components](#building-native-components)
6. [Running Ghidra](#running-ghidra)
* [GUI Mode](#gui-mode)
* [Ghidra Server](#ghidra-server)
* [Headless (Batch) Mode](#headless-batch-mode)
* [Single Jar Mode](#single-jar-mode)
* [PyGhidra Mode](#pyghidra-mode)
7. [Extensions](#extensions)
* [Ghidra Extension Notes](#ghidra-extension-notes)
8. [Ghidra Development](#ghidra-development)
9. [Upgrade Instructions](#upgrade-instructions)
* [General Upgrade Instructions](#general-upgrade-instructions)
* [Server Upgrade Instructions](#server-upgrade-instructions)
10. [Troubleshooting and Help](#troubleshooting-and-help)
* [Launching Ghidra](#launching-ghidra)
* [Using Ghidra](#using-ghidra)
11. [Known Issues](#known-issues)
* [All Platforms](#all-platforms)
* [Windows](#windows)
* [Linux](#linux)
* [macOS](#macos)
## Platforms Supported
* Windows 10 or later
* Linux
* macOS 10.13 or later
__NOTE:__ All 32-bit OS installations are now deprecated. Please contact the Ghidra team if you have
a specific need.
## Minimum Requirements
### Hardware
* 4 GB RAM
* 1 GB storage (for installed Ghidra binaries)
* Dual monitors strongly suggested
### Software
* Java 21 64-bit Runtime and Development Kit (JDK) (see [Java Notes](#java-notes))
* Free long term support (LTS) versions of JDK 21 are provided by:
* [Adoptium Temurin](https://adoptium.net/temurin/releases)
* [Amazon Corretto](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/corretto/latest/corretto-21-ug/downloads-list.html)
* Python3 (3.9 to 3.13)
* Python 3.7 to 3.13 for [Debugger support](#debugger-notes)
* Python 3.9 to 3.13 for [PyGhidra support](#pyghidra-mode)
* This is available from [Python.org](https://python.org) or most operating system's app stores or
software repositories. For Linux it is recommended that the system's package repository be used
to install a suitable version of Python.
## Installing Ghidra
To install Ghidra, simply extract the Ghidra distribution file to the desired filesystem destination
using any unzip program (built-in OS utilities, 7-Zip, WinZip, WinRAR, etc).
### Installation Notes
* Ghidra does not use a traditional installer program. Instead, the Ghidra distribution file is
simply extracted in-place on the filesystem. This approach has advantages and disadvantages. On
the up side, administrative privilege is not required to install Ghidra for personal use. Also,
because installing Ghidra does not update any OS configurations such as the registry on Windows,
removing Ghidra is as simple as deleting the Ghidra installation directory. On the down side,
Ghidra will not automatically create a shortcut on the desktop or appear in application start
menus.
* When launching Ghidra for the first time on macOS, the macOS Gatekeeper feature may attempt to
quarantine the pre-built unsigned Ghidra native components. Two techniques can be used to prevent
this from happening:
* Prior to extracting the Ghidra distribution file, running
`xattr -d com.apple.quarantine ghidra_<version>_<date>.zip` from a terminal.
* Prior to first launch, following the instructions in the
[Building Native Components](#building-native-components) section.
* Administrative privilege may be required to extract Ghidra to certain filesystem destinations
(such as `C:\`), as well as install the Ghidra Server as a service.
* Ghidra relies on using directories outside of its installation directory to manage both temporary
and longer-living cache files. Ghidra attempts to use standard OS directories that are designed
for these purposes in order to avoid several issues, such as storing large amounts of data to a
roaming profile. If it is suspected that the default location of these directories is causing a
problem, they can be changed by modifying the relevant properties in the
`support/launch.properties` file.
### Java Notes
* Ghidra requires a [supported](#minimum-requirements) version of a Java Runtime and Development Kit
on the PATH, or specified by the JAVA_HOME environment variable. If JAVA_HOME is specified
it will take precedence over the PATH. If the version of Java found does not satisfy the
[minimum version](#minimum-requirements) required, it will use that version of Java
(if 1.8 or later) to assist in locating a supported version on your system. If one cannot
be automatically located the user will be prompted to enter a path to the Java home directory
to use (the Java home directory is the parent directory of Java's `bin` directory). This
minimizes the impact Ghidra has on pre-existing configurations of Java that other software may
rely on.
* Depending on your operating system, it may be possible to find and install a
[supported](#minimum-requirements) version of a Java Runtime and Development Kit through
your package manager, without the need to set the Path environment variables as described
below.
* If Ghidra failed to run because _no versions_ of Java were on the PATH, a
[supported](#minimum-requirements) JDK should be installed via a Linux package manager
(aptitude, yum, etc), Windows installer program (*.exe, *.msi), macOS Installer package
(*.pkg), or manually extracted and added to the PATH. The following steps outline how to
manually extract and add a JDK distribution to the operating system's PATH.
* __Windows:__ Extract the JDK distribution (.zip file) to your desired location and add the
JDK's `bin` directory to your PATH:
1. Extract the JDK:
1. Right-click on the zip file and click `Extract All...`
2. Click `Extract`
2. Open Environment Variables window:
1. Right-click on Windows start button, and click `System`
2. Click `Advanced system settings`
3. Click `Environment variables...`
3. Add the JDK bin directory to the PATH variable:
1. Under `System variables`, highlight `Path` and click `Edit...`
2. At the end of the `Variable value` field, add a semicolon followed by
`<path of extracted JDK dir>\bin`, or use the `New` button in the
`Edit environment variable` window to add a new entry to the `Path`.
3. Click `OK`
4. Click `OK`
5. Click `OK`
4. Restart any open Command Prompt windows for changes to take effect
* __Linux and macOS (OS X):__ Extract the JDK distribution (.tar.gz file) to your desired
location, and add the JDK's bin directory to your PATH:
1. Extract the JDK:
```bash
tar xvf <JDK distribution .tar.gz>
```
2. Open `~/.bashrc` with an editor of your choice. For example:
```bash
vi ~/.bashrc
```
3. At the very end of the file, add the JDK bin directory to the PATH variable:
```bash
export PATH=<path of extracted JDK dir>/bin:$PATH
```
4. Save file
5. Restart any open terminal windows for changes to take effect
* In some cases, you may want Ghidra to launch with a specific version of Java instead of the
version that Ghidra automatically locates. To force Ghidra to launch with a specific version of
Java, set the `JAVA_HOME_OVERRIDE` property in the `support/launch.properties` file. If this
property is set to an incompatible version of Java, Ghidra will revert to automatically locating a
compatible version. Note that _some_ Java must still be on the PATH or specified by JAVA_HOME
environment variable in order for Ghidra to use the `JAVA_HOME_OVERRIDE` property.
### Debugger Notes
The Debugger now uses Python to connect to the host platform's native debuggers. This requires
a [supported](#minimum-requirements) version of Python and some additional packages. These packages
are included in the distribution, but you may still install them from PyPI if you prefer:
* psutil
* protobuf==3.20.3
* Pybag>=2.2.12 (for WinDbg support)
Different native debuggers have varying requirements, so you do not necessarily have to install all
of the above packages. Each connector will inform you of its specific requirements and where they
must be installed. In some cases, you may need to install packages on the target system.
## Ghidra Installation Directory Layout
When Ghidra is installed, the runnable software gets extracted to a new directory we will refer
to as `<GhidraInstallDir>`. Below is a description of the top-level directories and files that can
be found in `<GhidraInstallDir>` once extraction of the distribution file is complete.
* __Ghidra:__ Base directory for Ghidra distribution. Contains files needed to run Ghidra.
* __Extensions:__ Optional components that can extend Ghidra's functionality and integrate Ghidra
with other tools. See the [Extensions](#extensions) section for more information.
* __GPL:__ Standalone GPL support programs.
* __server:__ Contains files related to [Ghidra Server](#ghidra-server) installation and
administration.
* __support:__ Contains files useful for debugging Ghidra, running Ghidra in advanced modes, and
controlling how Ghidra launches.
* __docs:__ Contains documentation for Ghidra, such as release notes, API files, tutorials, etc.
* __ghidraRun(.bat):__ Script used to launch Ghidra.
* __LICENSE:__ Ghidra license information.
* __licenses:__ Contains licenses used by Ghidra.
* __bom.json:__ Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) in CycloneDX JSON format.
## Building Native Components
Ghidra requires several native binaries to be present in order to successfully run. An official
public Ghidra release includes native binaries for the following platforms:
* Windows 10 or later, x86 64-bit
* Windows 10 or later, ARM 64-bit (using x86 emulation)
* Linux x86 64-bit
* macOS x86 64-bit (may be omitted for some non-public builds)
* macOS ARM 64-bit (may be omitted for some non-public builds)
Ghidra supports running on the following additional platforms with user-built native binaries:
* Linux ARM 64-bit
* FreeBSD x86 64-bit (no debugger support)
* FreeBSD ARM 64-bit (no debugger support)
For supported systems where native binaries have not been supplied, or those that are supplied fail
to run properly, it may be necessary to build the native Ghidra binaries. In order to build native
binaries for your platform, you will need the following installed on your system:
* A [supported](#minimum-requirements) version of a Java Development Kit
* [Gradle 8.5+](https://gradle.org/releases) (or supplied Gradle wrapper with Internet connection)
* Software C/C++ build tools and library packages
* __macOS:__ _Xcode_ or the abbreviated _Command Line Tools for Xcode_. Assuming you are connected
to the Internet, _Xcode_ (which includes the command tools) may be installed directly from the
App Store while _Command Line Tools for Xcode_ may be installed using the command:
`xcode-select --install`.
* __Linux/FreeBSD:__ the 64-bit versions of the following packages should installed:
* gcc/g++ or clang
* make
* __Windows:__
[Microsoft Visual Studio](https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/vs/community) 2017 or later, or
[Microsoft C++ Build Tools](https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/visual-cpp-build-tools)
with the following components installed:
* MSVC
* Windows SDK
* C++ ATL
To build the native binaries for your current platform, execute the following commands:
```bash
cd <GhidraInstallDir>/support/gradle/
gradle buildNatives
```
If you are connected to the Internet and do not have Gradle installed, execute:
```bash
cd <GhidraInstallDir>/support/gradle/
./gradlew(.bat) buildNatives
```
When the commands successfully complete, Ghidra will contain newly built native binaries in
the relevant modules' `build/os/<platform>/` subdirectories, which Ghidra will prefer to any
existing pre-built native binaries in the `os/<platform>/` subdirectories.
## Running Ghidra
### GUI Mode
1. Navigate to `<GhidraInstallDir>`
2. Run `ghidraRun.bat` (Windows) or `ghidraRun` (Linux or macOS)
If Ghidra failed to launch, see the [Troubleshooting](#troubleshooting-and-help) section.
### Ghidra Server
Ghidra can support multiple users working together on a single project. Individual Ghidra users
launch and work on their own local copies of a particular Ghidra project but check changes into a
common repository containing all commits to that repository. For detailed information on
installing/configuring the Ghidra Server see the `<GhidraInstallDir>/server/svrREADME.html` file.
### Headless (Batch) Mode
Ghidra is traditionally run in GUI mode. However, it is also capable of running in headless batch
mode using the command line. For more information, see the
`<GhidraInstallDir>/support/analyzeHeadlessREADME.html` file.
### Single Jar Mode
Normally, Ghidra is installed as an entire directory structure that allows modular inclusion or
removal of feature sets and also provides many files that can be extended or configured. However,
there are times when it would be useful to have all or some subset of Ghidra compressed into a
single jar file at the expense of configuration options. This makes Ghidra easier to run from the
command line for headless operation or to use as a library of reverse engineering capabilities for
another Java application.
A single `ghidra.jar` file can be created using the `<GhidraInstallDir>/support/buildGhidraJar`
script.
### PyGhidra Mode
Ghidra has integrated the popular Pyhidra extension to enable native CPython 3 support out of
the box. To enable this support, Ghidra must be launched from a Python environment using special
launch scripts.
1. Navigate to `<GhidraInstallDir>/support/`
2. Run `pyghidraRun.bat` (Windows) or `pyghidraRun` (Linux or macOS).
If the `pyghidra` Python module has not yet been installed, the script will offer to
install it for you, along with its dependencies. If you prefer to install it manually, execute:
```bash
python3 -m pip install --no-index -f <GhidraInstallDir>/Ghidra/Features/PyGhidra/pypkg/dist pyghidra
```
__NOTE:__ You may also install and run PyGhidra from within a
[virtual environment](https://docs.python.org/3/tutorial/venv.html) if you desire.
If Ghidra failed to launch, see the [Troubleshooting](#troubleshooting-and-help) section.
Once PyGhidra has been installed, you are free to use it like any other Python module. You may
import it from other Python scripts, or launch PyGhidra using the `pyghidra` or `pyghidraw`
commands. For more information on using PyGhidra, see
[`<GhidraInstallDir>/Ghidra/Features/PyGhidra/README.html`](
../Ghidra/Features/PyGhidra/src/main/py/README.md).
## Extensions
Extensions are optional components that can:
* Extend Ghidra's functionality with experimental or user-contributed Ghidra plugins or analyzers.
* Integrate other tools with Ghidra, such as Eclipse or IDAPro.
Ghidra comes with the following extensions available for use (and by default uninstalled), which
can be found in the `<GhidraInstallDir>/Extensions` directory:
* __Eclipse:__ The `GhidraDev` and `GhidraSleighEditor` Eclipse plugins for a pre-existing Eclipse
installation. For information on installing and using the `GhidraDev` Eclipse plugin, see
[`<GhidraInstallDir>/Extensions/Eclipse/GhidraDev/README.html`](
../GhidraBuild/EclipsePlugins/GhidraDev/GhidraDevPlugin/README.md).
* __Ghidra:__ Ghidra extensions (formerly known as contribs). See
[Ghidra Extension Notes](#ghidra-extension-notes) for more information.
* __IDAPro:__ IDAPro plugins/loaders for transferring items with Ghidra.
### Ghidra Extension Notes
* Ghidra extensions are designed to be installed and uninstalled from the Ghidra front-end GUI:
1. Click `File -> Install Extensions`
2. Check boxes to install extensions; uncheck boxes to uninstall extensions
3. Restart Ghidra for the changes to take effect
* Extensions installed from the Ghidra front-end GUI get installed at `<UserSettings>/Extensions`,
where `<UserSettings>` can be looked up in the Ghidra front-end GUI under
`Help -> Runtime Information -> Application Layout -> Settings Directory`.
* It is possible to install Ghidra extensions directly into the Ghidra installation directory. This
may be required if a system administrator is managing extensions for multiple users that all use a
shared installation of Ghidra. It may also be more convenient to manage extensions this way if a
Ghidra installation is only ever used headlessly. To install an extension in these cases, simply
extract the desired Ghidra extension archive file(s) to the `<GhidraInstallDir>/Ghidra/Extensions`
directory. For example, on Linux or macOS:
1. Set current directory to the Ghidra installed-extensions directory:
```bash
cd <GhidraInstallDir>/Ghidra/Extensions
```
2. Extract desired extension archive file(s) to the current directory:
```bash
unzip ../../Extensions/Ghidra/<extension>.zip
```
3. The extension(s) will be installed the next time Ghidra is started.
To uninstall extensions, simply delete the extracted extension directories from
`<GhidraInstallDir>/Ghidra/Extensions`. The extension(s) will be uninstalled the next time
Ghidra is started.
__NOTE:__ It may not be possible to uninstall an extension in this manner if there is an
instance of Ghidra running that holds a file lock on the extension directory that is trying to
be deleted.
## Ghidra Development
Users can extend the functionality of Ghidra through the development of custom Ghidra scripts,
plugins, analyzers, etc.
Ghidra supports development in Eclipse by providing a custom Eclipse plugin called
`GhidraDev`, which can be found in the `<GhidraInstallDir>/Extensions/Eclipse` directory. For more
information on installing and using the GhidraDev Eclipse plugin, see
[`<GhidraInstallDir>/Extensions/Eclipse/GhidraDev/README.html`](
../GhidraBuild/EclipsePlugins/GhidraDev/GhidraDevPlugin/README.md).
__NOTE:__ Eclipse is not provided with Ghidra. The `GhidraDev` Eclipse plugin is designed to
be installed in a pre-existing Eclipse installation.
Ghidra scripting API javadocs can be found at `<GhidraInstallDir>/docs/GhidraAPI_javadoc.zip`.
## Upgrade Instructions
### General Upgrade Instructions
1. __!!!Important!!!__ BACKUP YOUR OLD PROJECTS FIRST!!
* Backup by manually copying the `.rep` directory and `.gpr` file from any Ghidra project
directories to a safe location on your file system.
2. New installations of Ghidra will, by default, use the saved profile from a user's most recent
version of Ghidra. This allows any saved tool configurations to be automatically ported to new
projects. However, this may also prevent new tool options and features from automatically being
configured in some cases. To open new tools containing the latest configurations, users should,
from the Project Manager Window, choose `Tools -> Default Tools...`
3. When you open a program that was created using a previous version of Ghidra, you will be prompted
to upgrade the program before it can be opened. The upgrade will not overwrite your old file
until you save it. If you save it (to its original file), you will no longer be able to open it
using an older version of Ghidra. You could, however, choose to perform a `Save As` instead,
creating a new file and leaving the old version unchanged. Be very careful about upgrading shared
program files since everyone accessing the file must also upgrade their Ghidra installation.
### Server Upgrade Instructions
Please refer to the `<GhidraInstallDir>/server/svrREADME.html` file for details on upgrading your
Ghidra Server.
## Troubleshooting and Help
### Launching Ghidra
When launching Ghidra with the provided scripts in `<GhidraInstallDir>` and
`<GhidraInstallDir>/support`, you may encounter the following error messages:
* __Problem:__ _The 'java' command could not be found in your PATH or with JAVA_HOME._
* __Solution:__ A Java runtime (java/java.exe) is required to be on the system PATH or the Java
installation directory specified by the JAVA_HOME environment variable. Please see the
[requirements](#minimum-requirements) section for what version of Java must be pre-installed
for Ghidra to launch.
* __Problem:__ _Failed to find a supported JDK._
* __Solution:__ The Ghidra launch script uses the Java runtime on the system PATH or specified
by the JAVA_HOME environment variable to find a supported version of a Java Development Kit
(JDK) that Ghidra needs to complete its launch. Please see the
[requirements](#minimum-requirements) section for what version of JDK must be pre-installed
for Ghidra to launch.
* __Problem:__ _Exited with error. Run in foreground (fg) mode for more details._
* __Solution:__ Ghidra failed to launch in the background and the error message describing the
cause of the failure is being suppressed. Rerun Ghidra in the foreground by setting the
`LAUNCH_MODE` variable in the launch script you ran to `fg`. Alternatively, you can use the
`<GhidraInstallDir>/support/ghidraDebug` script to run Ghidra in debug mode, which will also
allow you to see the error message as well as additional debug output.
__NOTE:__ By default, running Ghidra in debug mode listens on `127.0.0.1:18001`.
### Using Ghidra
There are several ways you can get help with using Ghidra:
* Tutorials and other documentation can be found in `<GhidraInstallDir>/docs`.
* When Ghidra is running, extensive context sensitive help is available on many topics. To access
Help on a topic, place your mouse on a window, menu or component and press `F1`. Help for that
window/menu/component will be displayed.
* When Ghidra is running, indexed help can be found under `Help -> Topics...`
## Known Issues
### All Platforms
* Displaying the correct processor manual page for an instruction requires the installation of
Adobe Reader 8.0.x or later. Adobe broke the goto page in Reader version 7.x. If a newer version
of Reader is not installed, then the manual for the processor will display at the top of the
manual. Using an Adobe Reader version later than 8.0.x works for most platforms, but some
platforms and version of the reader still have issues.
* Some actions may block the GUI update thread if they are long running.
* Project archives only store private and checked out files within the archive. Project archives do
not support server-based repositories.
* When using a Ghidra server, all clients and the server must have a valid Domain Name Server
(DNS) defined which has been properly configured on the network for both forward and reverse
lookups.
* Image base may not be changed to an address which falls within an existing memory block.
* Language versioning and migration does not handle complex changes in the use of the context
register.
* Ghidra will not launch when its path contains a `!` character. This is to avoid issues that
Java's internal libraries have parsing these paths (`!` is used as a jar-separator by Java).
### Windows
* Older versions of 7-Zip may not be able to unpack the Ghidra distribution file if it contains any
files with a 0-byte length. Upgrade to a newer version of 7-Zip to fix this problem.
* Ghidra will fail to launch when its path contains a `^` character.
### Linux
* Ghidra may not display correctly when run from a Linux remote desktop session that uses 32-bit
color depth. Setting the remote desktop application's color depth to 24-bit has been known to
improve this issue.
* Some users have reported Ghidra GUI rendering issues on multi-monitor thin client setups. These
problems are attributed to reported bugs in Java, which will hopefully be fixed in the future.
Disabling the 2nd or 3rd monitor may be necessary to work around the issue.
* GUI icons may not render correctly in some configurations of Linux. Setting
`VMARGS=-Dsun.java2d.opengl` to `true` in `<GhidraInstallDir>/support/launch.properties` may fix
this issue.
### macOS
* Building new Ghidra module extensions on macOS (OS X) using a network drive (including a
network-mapped home directory) throws a Java exception. This issue is known to the Java/macOS
community but a fix has not yet been released. See
[`<GhidraInstallDir>/Extensions/Eclipse/GhidraDev/README.html`](
../GhidraBuild/EclipsePlugins/GhidraDev/GhidraDevPlugin/README.md) for more information on
building Ghidra module extensions from Eclipse.