This page is about compiling the sources included in [stable](https://xonotic.org/download) and [beta](https://beta.xonotic.org/autobuild) releases, and is also applicable when updating by rsync.
For development purposes (git builds), please see [Repository_Access](Repository_Access).
-The release Makefile aims to provide a convenient way to compile for alternative CPU architectures, or to get a build fully optimised for a recent x86 CPU (the official binaries are generic x86_64). To this end the Makefile defaults to enabling all optimisations that can be used on your current CPU without causing bugs, and to using all available CPU threads.
+The release Makefile aims to provide a convenient way to compile for alternative CPU architectures, or to get a build fully optimised for a recent x86 CPU (the official binaries are generic x86_64). It would also allow you to run Xonotic on an OS too old to be supported by official binaries.
-The builds will be dynamically linked except for d0_blind_id which is statically linked to ensure reliable player ID support and because distributions don't ship this.
+To this end the Makefile defaults to enabling all optimisations that can be used on your current CPU without causing bugs, and to using all available CPU threads.
-**Invoking `make` or `make help` will print the supported targets and config.**
+The builds will be dynamically linked except for d0_blind_id which is statically linked to ensure reliable player ID support and because OS distributions don't ship this.
+
+**Invoking `make` or `make help` will print the supported targets and current config.**
**Most people reading this will want `make update-beta && make client`.**