Installation

Framework packages

C#/.NET · C++ · Java · Kotlin · Node/TypeScript are supported. All five use the same channel, Spot and Actor contracts, so nodes in one mesh call each other across languages.

Item	Value
Supported platforms	linux-x64, linux-arm64, macos-arm64, windows-x64 (Windows ARM64 and Intel Mac unsupported)
Registries	nuget.org, Maven Central, npm, vcpkg/Conan plus GitHub Release

You install one host package. That package includes the framework runtime and the Core messaging engine. Each tab lists what it includes, and the optional packages you add when you need them.

C++C#/.NETJavaKotlinNode/TypeScript

find_package(zlink_framework CONFIG REQUIRED)
target_link_libraries(app PRIVATE zlink::framework)

Included package	Role
zlink::framework	Framework contracts and runtime
The zlink config	The Core messaging engine — located with a matching version
The zlink_cpp config	Core's C++ binding — located with a matching version
zlink::http_client	HTTP client
zlink::stream_connector · zlink::stream_connector_codecs	The STREAM client surface
zlink::framework_provider_abstractions	Provider extension points

One find_package line locates all of these, so Core and the binding need no lines of their own.

Optional target	When to add
zlink::framework_locations_redis	Using a Redis location store
zlink::framework_codec_protobuf · zlink::framework_codec_messagepack	In place of the default JSON codec
zlink::stream_connector_throwing	Receiving errors as exceptions
zlink::stream_e2e_client	Writing e2e and performance scenario clients

Third-party packages the consumer provides. The install config does not install these; it only locates them with find_dependency, so that they do not collide with libraries already in the consumer's build and the consumer chooses the versions.

Package	Where it is used	How to turn it off
lz4	STREAM compression	-DZLINK_FRAMEWORK_CPP_STREAM_WITH_LZ4=OFF -DZLINK_STREAM_CONNECTOR_WITH_LZ4=OFF
openssl	Stream Connector TLS	-DZLINK_STREAM_CONNECTOR_WITH_TLS=OFF
boost (asio, beast)	HTTP and transport	Cannot be turned off. Core and the framework must use the same Boost tree
nlohmann_json	Default JSON serializer	Cannot be turned off
opentelemetry-cpp	Observation	Cannot be turned off
protobuf	Protobuf codec	Only when that target is linked
redis-plus-plus · libuv	Redis location store	Only when that target is linked

Both compression options default to ON, and while they are on the build runs find_package(lz4 REQUIRED), so configure fails without it.

Installing. zlink is not in the official vcpkg registry or ConanCenter yet, so the first two paths use the overlay port and the recipe this repository provides.

git clone https://github.com/zlink-systems/zlink.git

# vcpkg
vcpkg install zlink zlink-cpp zlink-framework \
  --overlay-ports=zlink/vcpkg/ports --triplet=x64-linux

# Conan
conan create zlink/core/packaging/conan --build=missing -s compiler.cppstd=gnu20
conan create zlink/bindings/cpp/packaging/conan --build=missing -s compiler.cppstd=gnu20
conan create zlink/framework/languages/cpp/packaging/conan --build=missing -s compiler.cppstd=gnu20

The third path builds and installs the GitHub Release source archives in the order core/vX.Y.Z → cpp/vX.Y.Z → framework-cpp/vA.B.C.

In an IDE, pick a preset from CMakePresets.json: vs2022 for Visual Studio, windows-ninja, linux-ninja or macos-ninja for Rider, VS Code and CLion. A C++20 compiler is required, and the full procedure for all three paths is covered by the quickstart.

dotnet add package Zlink.Framework.AspNetCore

Included package	Role
Zlink.Framework	Framework contracts and runtime
Zlink	The Core messaging engine's .NET binding
Zlink.Framework.Contracts	Codec interfaces and framework exceptions
Zlink.Framework.Provider.Abstractions	Provider extension points
Zlink.Stream.Connector	The STREAM client surface
Zlink.HttpClient	HTTP client
Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.Abstractions · .Logging.Abstractions · .Hosting.Abstractions · .Diagnostics.HealthChecks	DI, logging, host lifecycle, health checks

Optional package	When to add
Zlink.Framework.Locations.Redis	Using a Redis location store
Zlink.Framework.Codecs.Protobuf · Zlink.Framework.Codecs.MessagePack	In place of the default JSON codec

A host that is not ASP.NET Core installs Zlink.Framework and starts the host in code. The runtime requires .NET 8 or later, and the path to a first run is covered by the quickstart.

implementation("systems.zlink:zlink-framework-spring-boot-starter:0.30.0")

Included package	Role
zlink-framework-core	Framework contracts and runtime
systems.zlink:zlink	The Core messaging engine's Java binding
zlink-framework-provider-abstractions	Provider extension points
zlink-http-client	HTTP client
io.netty:netty-buffer · com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind	Buffers and JSON
org.lz4:lz4-java · org.slf4j:slf4j-api	Compression and logging
spring-boot-autoconfigure · spring-context · spring-boot-actuator	DI, lifecycle, health checks

Optional artifact	When to add
zlink-framework-locations-redis	Using a Redis location store
zlink-framework-codec-protobuf · zlink-framework-codec-msgpack	In place of the default JSON codec
zlink-stream-connector	When the server is also a STREAM client
zlink-framework-testkit	Starting the runtime inside tests

All of them are in the systems.zlink group. The runtime requires JDK 25 or later, and the path to a first run is covered by the quickstart.

implementation("systems.zlink:zlink-framework-spring-boot-starter:0.30.0")
implementation("systems.zlink:zlink-framework-kotlin:0.30.0")

Included package	Role
zlink-framework-core	Framework contracts and runtime
systems.zlink:zlink	The Core messaging engine's Java binding
zlink-framework-provider-abstractions	Provider extension points
zlink-http-client	HTTP client
zlink-stream-connector	The STREAM client surface
io.netty:netty-buffer · com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind	Buffers and JSON
org.lz4:lz4-java · org.slf4j:slf4j-api	Compression and logging
spring-boot-autoconfigure · spring-context · spring-boot-actuator	DI, lifecycle, health checks
kotlinx-coroutines-core · kotlinx-coroutines-jdk8	The suspend-function boundary
jackson-module-kotlin	Handles Kotlin data classes as JSON

Optional artifact	When to add
zlink-framework-locations-redis	Using a Redis location store
zlink-framework-codec-protobuf · zlink-framework-codec-msgpack	In place of the default JSON codec
zlink-framework-testkit	Starting the runtime inside tests
zlink-http-client-kotlin	Calling the HTTP client from coroutines

Apart from zlink-http-client-kotlin, the optional artifacts are the same as Java's. The runtime requires the same JDK 25 or later, and the path to a first run is covered by the quickstart.

npm install @zlink-systems/nestjs

Included package	Role
@zlink-systems/framework	Framework contracts and runtime
@zlink-systems/zlink	The Core messaging engine's Node binding
@zlink-systems/stream-wire	The STREAM wire layer
@zlink-systems/http-client	HTTP client
@opentelemetry/api · @opentelemetry/api-logs	Observation
@nestjs/common · reflect-metadata · rxjs	DI and module registration

Optional package	When to add
@zlink-systems/framework-locations-redis	Using a Redis location store
@zlink-systems/framework-codec-protobuf · @zlink-systems/framework-codec-msgpack	In place of the default JSON codec
@zlink-systems/stream-connector	When the server is also a STREAM client

A server that does not use NestJS, Express for instance, installs @zlink-systems/framework and starts the host in code. The runtime requires Node.js 22 or later, and the path to a first run is covered by the quickstart.

Client stream connector

Which connector to install is decided by the engine and build target, not by the language. As a single rule — anything built for the web (browser or WASM) uses the TypeScript connector, whatever the language, because no language opens an OS socket inside the browser sandbox.

UnityUnrealGodotCocosWebe2e and tooling

Build	Connector	Install
Native	.NET	dotnet add package Zlink.Stream.Connector
WebGL	TypeScript	com.zlink.stream-connector.webgl UPM package

A native build uses the .NET connector package as it is. There is no Unity-specific package.

A WebGL build installs through Add package from git URL in the Package Manager. Without a pinned tag the browser bundle drifts from the server version.

https://github.com/zlink-systems/zlink.git?path=framework/languages/unity/com.zlink.stream-connector.webgl#framework-node/v0.30.0

The UPM adapter carries the npm package's browser bundle and provides only the jslib and C# call boundary. Its C# surface is the same as the native package's. Both builds are covered by Unity native and Unity WebGL.

The C++ connector's Unreal plugin is compiled into the project as source. There is no web build target.

Artifact	Distribution
zlink-unreal-stream-connector	Source plugin

The plugin is an adapter built on zlink::stream_connector and zlink::stream_connector_codecs, and it comes out of the C++ connector build. The procedure is covered by the engine adapter guide.

Build	Connector	Artifact
GDExtension (C++)	C++	zlink-godot-stream-connector source GDExtension
Godot C#	.NET	Zlink.Stream.Connector (NuGet)
Godot Web	TypeScript	@zlink-systems/stream-connector (npm)

The GDExtension comes out of the C++ connector build. Godot C# uses the .NET connector package as it is. The procedures are covered by Godot C# and the engine adapter guide.

Build	Connector	Artifact
Axmol (native)	C++	zlink-axmol-connector source package
Cocos Creator web	TypeScript	@zlink-systems/stream-connector (npm)

The Axmol adapter comes out of the C++ connector build. The procedure is covered by the engine adapter guide.

The targets are browser web clients and WASM builds. Cocos Creator web, Godot Web and Unity WebGL share the same package root.

npm install @zlink-systems/stream-connector

Package	Role
@zlink-systems/stream-connector	The connector itself. Required
@zlink-systems/stream-wire	The wire layer, included by the connector
@zlink-systems/framework-codec-msgpack	In place of the default JSON codec; it ships a separate browser entry point

Browser targets accept ws and wss only. A tcp:// or tls:// endpoint fails immediately as a configuration error. The procedure is covered by the browser guide.

Clients that connect without an engine: scenario tests, performance measurement, and operational tools.

Language	Package	Registry
.NET	Zlink.Stream.Connector	nuget.org
C++	zlink::stream_e2e_client — the connector plus scenario helpers	vcpkg · Conan · source
Java · Kotlin	systems.zlink:zlink-stream-connector:0.30.0	Maven Central
Node.js	@zlink-systems/stream-connector	npm

Only C++ has a dedicated target. zlink::stream_e2e_client adds scenario-writing helpers on top of zlink::stream_connector; the other languages do the same work with the connector package alone.

The Java module is independent of the server framework, so clients without Spring Boot use it too. A Kotlin client that wants the coroutine surface adds zlink-framework-kotlin, which also includes zlink-framework-core.