The CMake-based build system is currently in preview release. Documentation may have missing gaps, and you may enocunter bugs (please report these). The original (non-cmake) version of this doc is :doc:`here<windows-setup>`.
Unlike the conventional ESP-IDF make-based build environment, cmake does not require MSYS2 or another GNU-compatible environment (like Cygwin) for building. You can build with cmake from Windows Command Prompt, or from an IDE with cmake support.
The installer will automatically install the ESP32 Xtensa gcc toolchain, Ninja_ build tool, and mconf configuration tool. The installer can also download and run installers for CMake_ and Python_ 2.7 if these are not already installed on the computer.
By default, the installer updates the Windows ``Path`` environment variable so all of these tools can be run from anywhere. If you disable this option, you will need to configure the environment where you are using ESP-IDF (terminal or chosen IDE) with the correct paths.
The ESP-IDF tools does not include Git. By default, the getting started guide assumes you will be using Git on the command line. You can download and install a Git command line for Windows (along with the Git-Bash terminal) from https://gitforwindows.org/.
If you prefer to use a different graphical Git client, then you can install one of these instead - you will need to translate the Git commands in the getting started guide for use with your chosen Git client.
