how to compile imhex with minimum plugins?

[windukusuma2022-hub]

hi, how to compile with minimum feature, i only need hexeditor, diffing, noting else. just for edit laptop bios and pc

[gistrec]

ImHex's CMake build has two plugin-selection options:

• IMHEX_INCLUDE_PLUGINS — build only the listed bundled plugins
• IMHEX_EXCLUDE_PLUGINS — build all bundled plugins except the listed ones

For a small build with the built-in editor and the diff view, you can use:

cmake -B build -DIMHEX_INCLUDE_PLUGINS="builtin;fonts;ui;diffing"
cmake --build build

The quotes are important because CMake uses ; as the list separator, while shells may otherwise treat it as a command separator

builtin, fonts, and ui are required by ImHex's build system. diffing adds the binary diff view. With IMHEX_INCLUDE_PLUGINS set, the other bundled plugins are not added

If you prefer starting from the default plugin set and removing only specific plugins, use IMHEX_EXCLUDE_PLUGINS instead, for example:

cmake -B build -DIMHEX_EXCLUDE_PLUGINS="disassembler;yara_rules;visualizers;script_loader"
cmake --build build

So for your case, IMHEX_INCLUDE_PLUGINS="builtin;fonts;ui;diffing" is probably the closest minimal build

[windukusuma2022-hub]

thanks bro, with full feature need more than 20 seconds open imhex, now with your compile config it can run 1 second with my old laptop.

[paxcut]

Removing the plugins from the build does not remove the existing plugin files from the build folder which will still be loaded. You need to physically delete the plugin library files (with extension hexplug) from the folder where ImHex executable is located to make Imhex load faster.

[windukusuma2022-hub]

yes you are right, for size not make it tiny, but not run plugin function more than enough for me. i just need software run light and my processor isn't working hard.

[paxcut]

The problem is that if you don't delete the plugin files, then the plugin functions are still running AFAIK.

OK, I thought the issue was the time that it takes for ImHex to load all plugins. If that is not the problem and all you want is to make sure the plugin functions don't run then you probably will find it easier to just disable them. Click Extras > Settings (Ctrl ,) and open the plugins tab. There you can turn off each plugin without having to change the build so if you need to use some of them for some transient time you can do it more easily.

Also, if you don't already know about it, you may want to check Help > About and click on the plugins tab for a list of available plugins and to see what's enabled and what's disabled.