---
title: Installing Rust SDK
slug: v4-5/rust/installation
docTags: 
createdAt: 2023-08-03T04:09:31.282Z
---

# Prerequisites

- Install latest version of [Rust](https://www.rust-lang.org/tools/install)

# Setup

Create a new project with `cargo init --bin` and add the following to your `Cargo.toml` file.

\[dependencies.dittolive-ditto]

version = 

:::BlockQuote
\[dependencies.dittolive-ditto]
version = 
:::

:::CodeblockTabs
Bash

```none
cargo build
```
:::

# Usage

See the [example code in GitHub](https://github.com/getditto/samples/tree/main/rs).

# Suggested App Filesystem Structure

Rust doesn't prescribe any particular structure for your project's layout on the end user's device filesystem. The following is one recommendation

- `AppRoot/AppExecutable` - The path of your app's executable. Everything else should be relative to this. The binary component of Ditto may optionally be statically linked into this executable (default).
- `AppRoot/libdittoffi.dll` -  The path to the binary ditto library if using the shared library version. Configure your app's linker to search for the library here (e.g. `@executable_path/../libdittoffi.dylib`). You will need to copy this shared library from `target/<profile>/build/dittolive-ditto-sys<hash>/out` when distributing your app.
- `AppRoot/ditto_data/` - Base directory for all locally stored Ditto data.

# Cross Compiling with the Ditto Rust SDK

The rust compiler is natively capable of cross-compiling for a wide range of targets. You will need to configure a local `.cargo/config.toml` file in the root of your project directory to provide the necessary `rustc`, linker, and potentially C compiler arguments. For most targets you will need to provide an alternative sysroot for your target (not host) platform, often exposing a POSIX C library, header files, binutils, and a linker.

# Common Issues

:::BlockQuote
"error: could not find native static library `dittoffi`, perhaps an -L flag is missing". What should I do?
:::

## Diagnosis

The Ditto SDK build.rs script failed to download an appropriate ditto binary for your target platform.  Look at the build script's log at `target/<profile>/build/dittolive-ditto-sys-<hash>/stderr` for any errors.

Check your internet connection is live and Ditto version number is correct. Inspect the downloaded library in the cargo build cache (default is `target/<profile>/build/dittolive-ditto-sys-<hash>/out/libdittoffi.{a,dylib,so,dll}`) using your platforms utilties such as `file`, `otool`, `readelf` or similar. Try updating to the latest release of `dittolive-ditto`. You can also manually download the binary yourself.

## Solutions

1. Try updating to a more recent version of `dittolive-ditto` .
2. Manually download the library yourself and verify it completes successfully.
3. Force the build script to look for the library in a specific directory by exporting `DITTOFFI_SEARCH_PATH` during compilation and execution.