Release artifacts
Zova publishes several distribution shapes because language bindings and deployment environments need different native boundaries. Choose one coherent path and keep all pieces on the same release.
Choose an artifact
| Artifact | Use it when | Local build tools |
|---|---|---|
| CLI archive | operating or inspecting databases directly | none |
| C ABI archive | embedding from C, Go, or another FFI language | linker/toolchain for the host app |
| Source archive | building Zova or targeting an unpublished platform | Zig 0.16.0+ and C compiler |
Rust zova crate | using the safe Rust API | Rust 1.79+ and C compiler |
Rust zova-sys crate | using raw FFI or low-level C ABI features | Rust 1.79+ and C compiler |
| Python wheel | using a supported CPython/platform combination | none beyond Python |
| Python source distribution | building where no wheel matches | Python, Rust, and C compiler |
| Go module + C ABI | using the cgo wrapper | Go 1.22+, cgo, matching native archive |
Download native archives from the v0.24.0 GitHub release. Match version, operating system, architecture, and artifact type.
Verify the package boundary
Release archives should be obtained from the official release and verified using the published checksums where provided. Preserve provenance in build automation instead of downloading “latest” during every production build.
Do not combine a header from one version with a static library from another. Do not point the Go binding at an arbitrary locally built libzova_c without recording the exact revision and options.
Native versus generated-C behavior
Rust and Python packaging can use bundled generated-C snapshots so users do not need Zig. Those snapshots preserve the public storage behavior and C symbols documented for the package, but dynamic .zovaext loading is unavailable because Zig 0.16 cannot portably emit the dynamic-loader path through its C backend.
Use the native CLI or Zig-built C ABI archive when external extension bundle loading is a requirement. Bundled extensions remain available where each binding documents them.
Build from source only when needed
zig build
zig build c-abi
Source builds are appropriate for Zova development, unsupported targets, controlled native integration, or extension-host requirements. Published archives are simpler for users who only need a supported CLI or ABI.
After packaging, smoke-test the exact artifact that will ship: create a database, execute a write and read, run deep diagnostics, and verify the version. Testing a different local build does not validate the release archive.