Frequently Asked Questions

Are there bugs?

Yes, most likely. The compiler builds its own ~150k lines of source and reproduces itself byte for byte. Differential fuzzers check its output against MSVC, gcc and clang, and against itself across targets and optimization levels. Please report bugs in the minc-dev repository on GitHub:
github.com/SpacesOfPlay/minc-dev/issues

Are you planning to support platform X?

Possibly. For specific requests, create a feature request at:
github.com/SpacesOfPlay/minc-dev/issues

Is minc open source?

No. minc is freeware: free for everyone to use, but the source code is not publicly available. A source code license is available on request: contact license@minc.dev.

Do I need a license? Is it free?

minc is freeware. It is free for everyone, including commercial use at any company size, and you own everything you build with it. Install it and start.

If minc is useful to you, you can pay what you want (€10 or more) or donate to support development. Payment is voluntary.

How good is minc's code optimizer?

On most well-formed code the generated binary runs about as fast as MSVC, gcc or clang at -O2; the benchmarks show the numbers. The optimizer makes predictable, structural transformations that reward well-written code. MSVC and clang do better where they fold large amounts of constant work or rewrite inefficient code into an efficient algorithm. Loops over f32 and f64 arrays vectorize to 128-bit SIMD. 256-bit AVX2 code comes from the explicit wide types such as f32x8 under --target windows-avx2 or linux-avx2. Please report large differences as bugs.

Does minc have a garbage collector?

No. Memory management is manual, similar to C. minc provides alloc, new and free as builtins, and defer for deterministic cleanup. minc run --track-alloc reports allocations still live when main returns.

Does minc have a package manager?

No. A module is a .mc file that import finds next to your source, in a lib/ folder of your project, or in the compiler's own lib/. External code lives in your project as source.

What about IDE support?

The VS Code extension provides syntax highlighting, F5 debugging, and a language server for go-to-definition, references, hover and live diagnostics. minc-lsp speaks the standard Language Server Protocol and minc-dbg --dap the Debug Adapter Protocol, so other editors can use both. Binaries carry DWARF, so gdb and lldb work too.

Does minc work with AI coding agents?

Yes. minc agent is a Model Context Protocol server that gives an agent compile, run, test, debug, profile and source queries. Point the agent at AGENTS.md before it writes minc. See agent mode.

How do I get help?

For bug reports and feature requests, use the GitHub issue tracker.