Matchbox 0.2

Install

Matchbox 0.2.1 is distributed as a standalone Windows executable inside a ZIP archive. No installer is required.

Requirements

  • Windows 10 or later.
  • A terminal such as Command Prompt, PowerShell, or Windows Terminal.
  • Permission to create a permanent tools folder in your user profile or another location such as C:\Tools\Matchbox.
  • A text editor for creating .mb source files.

1. Download Matchbox

Download Matchbox from the downloads page, then choose Matchbox 0.2.1 for Windows (32-bit).

The archive contains:

  • matchbox.exe, the Matchbox command-line program.
  • A license file.
  • A readme file.

2. Extract the Archive

Create a permanent folder such as:

C:\Tools

Extract the downloaded archive.

After extraction, move the extracted Matchbox folder into C:\Tools, or another permanent location. Avoid running Matchbox directly from your downloads folder or from inside the ZIP preview window.

The final path should look like this:

C:\Tools\Matchbox\matchbox.exe

If you choose a different folder, use that folder consistently in the rest of this page.

3. Add Matchbox Folder to Path

  1. Open Settings and search for environment variables.
  2. Open Edit the system environment variables.
  3. Select Environment Variables.
  4. Edit the Path variable for your user account.
  5. Add C:\Tools\Matchbox, or the folder you chose above.
  6. Open a new terminal.

Add the folder to Path, not the matchbox.exe file itself.

You can skip this step if you plan to run Matchbox only by its full path, but adding the folder to Path lets you use matchbox from any project directory.

4. Verify the Installation

Run:

matchbox --version

You should see:

Matchbox 0.2.1

If Windows reports that matchbox is not recognized, open a new terminal and confirm that the folder containing matchbox.exe is present in your user Path.

For troubleshooting, you can also run the executable by its full path:

C:\Tools\Matchbox\matchbox.exe --version

If the reported version is not Matchbox 0.2.1, the installed compiler and these pages may describe different behavior.

Run Without Updating Path

If you do not want to edit Path, run Matchbox by using the full path to the executable:

C:\Tools\Matchbox\matchbox.exe --version

To run a source file this way:

C:\Tools\Matchbox\matchbox.exe main.mb

This works from any terminal as long as the path points to the folder where you extracted Matchbox.

Updating Matchbox

To update Matchbox, download the newer ZIP archive, extract it, and replace the existing Matchbox folder with the newer one. If you keep the folder path the same, you do not need to edit Path again.

Open a new terminal after replacing the files, then run:

matchbox --version

Confirm that the output reports the version you intended to install.

Uninstalling Matchbox

To remove Matchbox, delete the folder that contains matchbox.exe. If you added that folder to Path, remove the same folder entry from your user Path variable.

Troubleshooting

Windows says matchbox is not recognized

Open a new terminal first. Existing terminals do not always receive Path changes.

If the command still fails, confirm that your user Path contains the folder that holds matchbox.exe, such as C:\Tools\Matchbox. Do not add C:\Tools\Matchbox\matchbox.exe to Path.

Windows cannot find the file when using the full path

Confirm that the archive was extracted and that the executable exists at:

C:\Tools\Matchbox\matchbox.exe

If you installed Matchbox somewhere else, replace C:\Tools\Matchbox with your chosen folder.

The version is not 0.2.1

Another copy of Matchbox may appear earlier in Path. Run the executable by its full path to confirm which copy you are using:

C:\Tools\Matchbox\matchbox.exe --version

If the full path reports Matchbox 0.2.1 but matchbox --version reports a different version, edit Path so the intended Matchbox folder appears before any older Matchbox folder, then open a new terminal.

The ZIP opens like a folder

Windows can preview ZIP archives as folders, but Matchbox should be extracted before regular use. Use Extract All or another archive tool, then move the extracted Matchbox folder to a permanent location.

Next Step

Once installation is complete, continue to First Program to create and run a Matchbox source file.