conan

Install dependencies from conanfile

$ conan install [.]

$ conan install [.] --profile=[release]

$ conan create [.]

$ conan search "[boost/*]"

$ conan list "*"

$ conan remote add [name] [url]

$ conan upload [package/version] -r [remote]

$ conan inspect [package/version]

conan command [options] [arguments]

conan is a modern, decentralized package manager designed specifically for C and C++ projects, addressing the historically fragmented dependency management landscape in these languages. Unlike language-specific package managers that assume a single build system, Conan integrates with CMake, MSBuild, Meson, Autotools, and custom build systems, making it genuinely cross-platform across Windows, Linux, macOS, and embedded systems.
The tool operates on a binary package model where packages can be precompiled for specific configurations (compiler, OS, architecture, build type) and cached for reuse, dramatically speeding up build times compared to source-only approaches. Conan profiles define these build configurations, and the package manager performs sophisticated dependency resolution that accounts for binary compatibility across the entire dependency graph.
Conan uses a decentralized repository model similar to Git, where teams can host private Conan servers (Artifactory, ConanCenter) while still accessing the public ConanCenter repository. Package recipes (conanfile.py) are written in Python, providing full programmability for complex build scenarios. Conan 2.x represents a major evolution with improved versioning, better CMake integration, and a cleaner CLI, though it introduces breaking changes from the 1.x series.

-pr, --profile name

Build profile to use

Remote repository

Output folder

Build policy (missing, never, always)

Override setting

Override option

conanfile.txt

Simple text format for declaring dependencies.

Python-based package recipe with full control.

Build profiles defining compiler, OS, architecture settings.

Global configuration for Conan behavior.

install

Install dependencies from conanfile

Build and create package from recipe

Build package locally

Search for packages

List packages in cache

Manage remote repositories

Upload packages to remote

Download packages

Export recipe to cache

Manage build profiles

Manage Conan configuration

Create new package template

Conan 2.x is current; Conan 1.x is legacy. Binary compatibility configurable. Integrates with CMake, MSBuild, Meson, and custom build systems.

cmake(1), vcpkg(1)