---
name: "ninja"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "ninja-build"
version: "1.12.1-1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/ninja"
---

# ninja(1)

small build system closest in spirit to Make

## NAME

ninja - small build system closest in spirit to Make

## DESCRIPTION

usage: ninja \[options\] \[targets...\]

if targets are unspecified, builds the 'default' target (see manual).

### options:

- **--version**

  print ninja version ("1.12.1")

- **-v**, **--verbose**

  show all command lines while building

- **--quiet**

  don't show progress status, just command output

- **-C** DIR

  change to DIR before doing anything else

- **-f** FILE

  specify input build file \[default=build.ninja\]

- **-j** N

  run N jobs in parallel (0 means infinity) \[default=#CPUs\]

- **-k** N

  keep going until N jobs fail (0 means infinity) \[default=1\]

- **-l** N

  do not start new jobs if the load average is greater than N

- **-n**

  dry run (don't run commands but act like they succeeded)

- **-d** MODE

  enable debugging (use '-d list' to list modes)

- **-t** TOOL

  run a subtool (use '-t list' to list subtools)

-

  terminates toplevel options; further flags are passed to the tool

- **-w** FLAG

  adjust warnings (use '-w list' to list warnings)

## AUTHOR

This manual page was written by Gary Kramlich \<grim@reaperworld.com\> for the Debian GNU/Linux system (but may be used by others).