Guide: Compile snes9x-gtk from Source & Create .deb Package (Ubuntu/Debian)

[monway]

This post is meant with the utmost respect to the developers of Snes9x. All credit and rights go to the Snes9x team. I take no ownership of this software , I'm simply a user who successfully built and packaged it for native Ubuntu use.

I'm not a developer or expert. I used ChatGPT to guide me through this process, and it worked extremely well. My goal is to help others enjoy a native `.deb` install of Snes9x-GTK on Debian-based systems (Ubuntu, Mint, etc.), complete with icons, launcher, and system integration — all without relying on Snap or Flatpak.

Feel free to correct or improve this process. I encourage community input and respectfully defer to the developers on whether this could evolve into an official `.deb` release.

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What This Guide Does
- Compiles the latest GTK build of snes9x from source (v1.63)
- Installs cleanly to `/usr`
- Integrates into the desktop environment (icons, launcher)
- Packages as a `.deb` using `dpkg-deb`
- Allows for clean uninstall with `dpkg -r`

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🛠 Prerequisites

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sudo apt update && sudo apt install   git cmake ninja-build build-essential   libgtk-3-dev libpulse-dev libasound2-dev   libao-dev libxv-dev libxi-dev libpng-dev   libzstd-dev checkinstall

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Clone the Repo w/ Submodules

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git clone --recurse-submodules https://github.com/snes9xgit/snes9x.git
cd snes9x/gtk

If you already cloned it but forgot `--recurse-submodules`:

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git submodule update --init --recursive

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Configure the Build

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cmake -G Ninja   -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr   -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release   -S . -B build

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Build It

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cd build
ninja

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Stage Install to Package Directory

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DESTDIR=~/snes9x-pkgroot ninja install

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Create .deb Package Manually

Make the directory layout:

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mkdir -p ~/snes9x-deb/DEBIAN
mkdir -p ~/snes9x-deb/usr
cp -r ~/snes9x-pkgroot/usr ~/snes9x-deb/

Create the `control` file:

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cat > ~/snes9x-deb/DEBIAN/control <<EOF
Package: snes9x-gtk
Version: 1.63
Section: games
Priority: optional
Architecture: amd64
Maintainer: (Unofficial) Community Build
Description: GTK frontend for SNES9X emulator — clean native build with full desktop integration.
EOF

Build the package:

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dpkg-deb --build ~/snes9x-deb ~/Desktop/snes9x-gtk_1.63-1_amd64.deb

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Install the .deb

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sudo dpkg -i ~/Desktop/snes9x-gtk_1.63-1_amd64.deb

If dependencies are missing:

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sudo apt --fix-broken install

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Confirmed Working
- Verified on Ubuntu MATE (custom build)
- Icons all appear (16x16 to 256x256)
- Menu launcher works
- Emulator launches fast and clean
- Runs games smoothly

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Optional Uninstall

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sudo dpkg -r snes9x-gtk

Again, I give full credit to the Snes9x team. I share this only to help others enjoy the software on native Debian-based systems. This method uses no Snap/Flatpak, just traditional Linux packaging and source building.

Thanks to the devs for making one of the best emulators of all time.

– Monway