🍍 Installing Pineapple Pictures using CLion on your computer

I was sitting at my computer, as always, when I found this beautiful vision board. I thought that instead of editing the vision board every time I want something (then downloading it, then changing the wallpaper, or using it somewhere for “Inspiration”), I could just pin the photo as my desktop background.
My first idea was to open sticky notes and put the photo there, but the resolution was too low.

Then I googled for some hours and found this FREE open-source code on GitHub!

I want to share how to clone this beautifully written Pineapple Pictures onto your computer and install it for a non-C++ developer - just like I am.

What is Pineapple Pictures?

Pineapple Pictures is a free, open-source image viewer. It can open many image formats like PNG, JPEG, GIF, SVG, and more. My favorite feature is "Stay on Top." This lets you pin an image on your screen, above other windows. It is great for artists who want a reference picture while drawing, or anyone who wants to keep a picture visible while working.

In this post, I will show you how I built this app from source code, using CLion (a C++ IDE from JetBrains).

What You Need

Before we start, you need to install these tools:

• Git – to download the source code → Download Git
• CMake – to prepare the build → Download CMake
• Qt6 – the framework the app is built with → Download Qt
• Visual Studio (with C++ tools) → Download Visual Studio Community
• CLion – the IDE we will use → Download CLion

Step 1: Install Qt6

Go to the Qt website and download the Qt Online Installer. If you don't want to create a Qt account, you can also use a tool called aqtinstall to download Qt from the command line.

During installation, make sure you select:

• Qt 6.x for desktop development
• Qt SVG module (Now, it’s been changed to multimedia)
• Ninja - for fast building

Use the “search bar” to find equivalent files.

I forgot to screenshot the installation process, but the UI is pretty straightforward.
The photo shows what it looks like after the installation.

Step 2: Install Visual Studio

Pineapple Pictures needs a C++ compiler. On Windows, the best choice is Visual Studio.

1. Download Visual Studio Community (the free version).
2. During setup, select the workload "Desktop development with C++."
3. Finish the installation.

Tip: Don't install too many different compiler versions at once. Having multiple versions installed can confuse your IDE later.

Step 3: Clone the Repository

Open a terminal and download the source code from the GitHub repository:

git clone https://github.com/riiach/pineapple-pictures.git

Step 4: Open the Project in CLion

1. Open CLion.
2. Click File → Open.
3. Select the folder where you cloned the project.

CLion will automatically detect the CMakeLists.txt file and set up the project.

Step 5: Tell CLion Where Qt Is

CLion needs to know where you installed Qt. Go to:

File → Settings → Build, Execution, Deployment → CMake

In the CMake options box, add this line (change the path to match your Qt folder):

-DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=D:/Qt/6.11.1/msvc2022_64

• Make sure to add CMAKE_PREFIX!!!
• Also make sure you have both Debug and Release

Step 6: Set Up the Toolchain

Still in Settings, go to:

Build, Execution, Deployment → Toolchains

Make sure Visual Studio is listed and selected. CLion should automatically find your compiler (cl.exe).

😵‍💫 Heads up

Most people can skip this part entirely! This is only for the "my SSD is crying for space" folks who had to install Visual Studio somewhere custom.

I was one of those people.
CMake had no idea where my compiler was hiding, so I had to go on a little treasure hunt for cl.exe and point CLion to it myself.
Don't give it the folder where cl.exe lives, give it the folder that contains the VC folder.

Step 7: Build the Project

Click the hammer icon (or press Ctrl+F9) to build the project.

If everything is set up correctly, you will see a message like this at the end:

Build finished

Step 8: Run the App

Select the ppic target from the run configuration menu, then press the green Run button.

⚠️ Didn't Work? Here's the Fix

Solution to the "Qt6Widgetsd.dll is missing" problem

1. Don’t panic! This just means the Qt files your app needs aren't sitting next to the .exe yet.
2. Qt has a handy tool called windeployqt that grabs everything for you.
3. Open a terminal and run the command that matches the build you made:

➡️ For Debugging Mode

D:\Qt\6.11.1\msvc2022_64\bin\windeployqt.exe --debug "D:\CLion\pineapple-pictures\cmake-build-debug\ppic.exe"

➡️ For Release Mode

D:\Qt\6.11.1\msvc2022_64\bin\windeployqt.exe --release "D:\CLion\pineapple-pictures\cmake-build-release\ppic.exe"

Step 9: Make a Standalone App

Right now, the app only runs inside the build folder. To use it anywhere, you need to copy the required Qt files next to the .exe file.

1. Copy ppic.exe to a new folder, for example D:\Apps\PineapplePictures.
2. Open a terminal and run:

D:\Qt\6.11.1\msvc2022_64\bin\windeployqt.exe D:\Apps\PineapplePictures\ppic.exe

This copies all the DLL files the app needs.

Step 10: Create a Shortcut

Right-click ppic.exe and choose "Create shortcut." Move the shortcut to your Desktop or pin it to your taskbar. Now you can open the app anytime, just like a normal program!

Final Thoughts

Building an app from source code can feel scary at first, especially with all the compiler and library setup. But once everything is configured, it becomes easy to build and run. Now I have my own working copy of Pineapple Pictures, built with CLion.

If you run into errors, don't worry — most of them are just missing paths or missing components. Check your Qt path, your compiler, and make sure only one compiler version is installed.

Happy coding! 💃

+ Fork Modification

I made small modifications to the original code for personal use.

You can see how I modified the code below.

You can also fork and then clone my repository from this link.