Build from source

Yano X has no published release, so the install path is a source build. That sounds heavier than it is: from a clean clone it is one command, because the build resolves the matching Yano host distribution for you.

Two different build tracks

This page is the user track: build the distribution, run it, move on. If you are changing Yano X itself — or changing Yano and Yano X together — read Developing Yano X instead. Mixing the two is the most common source of confusion, because the contributor track needs Maven Local and several -P flags that you do not.

Prerequisites

Requirement	Notes
Java 25	Required. Check with java -version.
Git	To clone the repository.
~2 GB disk	The base Yano JVM ZIP alone is around 280 MB, plus Gradle caches.
bash, curl, jq, python3, openssl	Used by the cluster launcher and the tutorials.
Docker Desktop	Only for the full evidence/connector demo.

Gradle itself does not need to be installed — the repository ships a wrapper.

Build

git clone https://github.com/bloxbean/yano-x.git
cd yano-x
./gradlew clean build -PskipSigning=true

That is the whole thing. No -PyanoVersion, no -PuseMavenLocal, no -PyanoJvmDist.

Why it works with no flags

gradle.properties pins the exact Yano host line Yano X is built against:

Value	Current
Yano X version	0.1.0-SNAPSHOT
Yano host version	0.1.0-pre13
Maven group	com.bloxbean.cardano
Java	25
Base Yano JVM ZIP	yano-0.1.0-pre13.zip

Because that yanoVersion is a released, non-SNAPSHOT version, the distribution tasks resolve and cache the matching ordinary Yano JVM ZIP from the corresponding bloxbean/yano GitHub release automatically. The URL convention is:

https://github.com/bloxbean/yano/releases/download/v<version>/yano-<version>.zip

You only need -PyanoJvmDist to override that release asset with a local or staged ZIP.

-PskipSigning=true skips artifact signing, which is only relevant when publishing.

What you get

Two reproducible archives under distribution/jvm/build/distributions:

Archive	Contents
yano-x-jvm-<version>.zip	The standard Yano JVM distribution, the default and optional Yano X plugin layout, and identity manifests for both projects. This is what you run.
yano-x-plugin-pack-<version>.zip	The plugin bundles only, with a checksummed manifest — for adding Yano X to a Yano distribution you already operate.

Both include the repository LICENSE and a normalized CycloneDX 1.6 SBOM under sbom/. The combined JVM archive also preserves the host’s license as LICENSE.yano and its SBOM as sbom/yano.cdx.json.

Inside the JVM archive, everything sits under a single yano-x-jvm-<version>/ directory (a -SNAPSHOT suffix is stripped from that directory name, so a 0.1.0-SNAPSHOT build unpacks to yano-x-jvm-0.1.0/):

yano-x-jvm-<version>/
├── yano.sh                       # the public CLI and node launcher
├── yano.jar
├── config/                       # chain definitions and network genesis
│   └── schema/                   # blueprint, catalog, and lock schemas
├── plugins/                      # the default, conflict-free bundle selection
├── optional-plugins/             # alternatives you opt into explicitly
├── tools/
│   ├── yano-plugins/             # plugin catalog validator (from the Yano host)
│   └── yano-appchain/            # the offline engine behind `yano.sh appchain`
├── studio/                       # App-Chain Studio, the blueprint builder
├── skills/configure-yano-appchain/   # the first-party AI agent skill
├── appchain-cluster/             # the single-host cluster launcher scripts
├── examples/evidence/            # the evidence demo harness and runner
├── docs/                         # the repository documentation set
├── sbom/
└── LICENSE, LICENSE.yano

Two of those are easy to miss: studio/ is the same blueprint builder hosted on this site, and skills/configure-yano-appchain/ is a version-matched agent skill — see Using Yano X with AI agents.

Unpack and check

unzip distribution/jvm/build/distributions/yano-x-jvm-*.zip -d ~/yano-x
cd ~/yano-x/yano-x-jvm-*

./yano.sh appchain help
./yano.sh appchain recipes
./yano.sh appchain capabilities

recipes and capabilities print what this exact build can do. They are the authoritative answer for your version — the recipe catalog and capability catalog on this site are generated from the same source files, but the binary in your hands always wins.

You are ready for the Quickstart.

The default plugin selection

plugins/ is an activatable selection, not an indiscriminate copy. All runtime bundles are published and versioned independently; the default distribution activates every one that can coexist.

The standard eUTxO runtime and the eUTxO ZK runtime both intentionally provide the app-state-machine/eutxo-ledger contribution, so exactly one of them may be installed. Copying both into plugins/ is a hard catalog error.

To switch to the ZK implementation, remove the standard eUTxO ledger bundle, copy the ZK runtime bundle from optional-plugins/ into plugins/ on every member, and validate the result:

tools/yano-plugins/bin/yano-plugins validate plugins/*.jar

Building against a different Yano version

If you need a Yano line other than the pinned one — a newer pre-release, or a staged build — pass it explicitly:

# A different released Yano version: the ZIP still resolves from its release.
./gradlew clean build -PyanoVersion=<released-yano-version> -PskipSigning=true

# A staged Maven repository plus an exact ZIP.
./gradlew clean build \
  -PyanoVersion=<staged-yano-version> \
  -PyanoRepository=/absolute/path/to/yano-staging \
  -PyanoJvmDist=/absolute/path/to/yano-<build-identity>.zip \
  -PskipSigning=true

The Maven version and the JVM ZIP identity must match exactly. verifyYanoInputs rejects a base ZIP whose root directory, JAR implementation version, or distribution manifest disagrees with yanoVersion. Snapshot and locally staged versions never fall back to a GitHub release asset and must supply yanoJvmDist.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Cause and fix
Unsupported class file major version or a Java-version error	Yano X requires Java 25. Point JAVA_HOME at a 25 JDK.
The build tries to reach Maven Local and fails	mavenLocal() is disabled unless -PuseMavenLocal=true. That flag belongs to the contributor track; you should not need it.
A missing release asset for yanoVersion	You are on a SNAPSHOT or staged Yano version. Supply -PyanoJvmDist with the exact matching ZIP.
verifyJvmOnlyBuild fails	Something introduced a native-image build or distribution task. Yano X is JVM-only by decision.
A native distribution is rejected by appchain doctor	Yano X plugins target the JVM host. Use the yano-x-jvm archive.

For the full matrix of build tasks and verification gates, see Build and test and Build distributions.