Enable GENAI with `FetchContent` or `find_package()` for client projects by apwojcik · Pull Request #1858 · microsoft/onnxruntime-genai

apwojcik · 2025-11-09T14:15:51Z

The PR changes the onnxruntime-genai CMake files so client projects can use it via FetchContent or find_package() CMake commands.

To accomplish that

the project() needs version configured correctly and up to date,
the onnxruntime-genai target needs a properly configured INTERFACE when installing and building,
correctly place binaries and files needed for development in the designated directories,
export required information and generate config package scripts (CMakeConfigPackageHelpers),

With those changes, it is enough to use find_package() and target_link_libraries() commands in a client project to configure it with the onnxruntime-genai. Please take a look at examples\c\CMakeLists.txt for details, it has been updated accordingly.

A few changes were required for --buld_csharp to accommodate changes from this PR. In addition, the ability to build the Release NuGet package for C# has been added.

A minor optimization for MultiConfig generators is that build.py generates a single build directory rather than one per build type.

Copilot

Pull request overview

Note

Copilot was unable to run its full agentic suite in this review.

Updates the CMake/build tooling so onnxruntime-genai can be consumed cleanly by downstream projects via FetchContent or find_package() by exporting/installing targets and generating a CMake package config.

Changes:

Add version parsing and set the top-level project(... VERSION ...) to keep package metadata consistent.
Export/install onnxruntime-genai targets and generate onnxruntime-genai-config.cmake + version file for find_package().
Update examples/build scripts and language bindings packaging to use exported targets and correct runtime binary locations.

Reviewed changes

Copilot reviewed 12 out of 14 changed files in this pull request and generated 9 comments.

Show a summary per file

File	Description
src/python/CMakeLists.txt	Include additional embedded libs when assembling the Python wheel.
src/java/CMakeLists.txt	Copy embedded dependencies in one step and adjust ORT native lib search dir for tests on Windows.
src/csharp/Microsoft.ML.OnnxRuntimeGenAI.sln	Add a `Release` solution configuration.
requirements.txt	Introduce Python dependency list.
examples/c/CMakeLists.txt	Switch C examples to `find_package()` + imported targets and set C++ standard requirements.
cmake/version.cmake	New shared version parsing from `VERSION_INFO`.
cmake/package.cmake	Install/export targets and generate CMake package config/version files.
cmake/ortlib.cmake	Add `ORT_BIN_DIR` and improve ORT discovery via `find_package()` when `ORT_HOME` is set.
cmake/onnxruntime-genai-config.cmake.in	New package config template for `find_package(onnxruntime-genai)`.
cmake/global_variables.cmake	Remove duplicated version parsing and update ORT library existence check.
build.py	Improve multi-config build dir handling, add MSBuild extra properties, and use `CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH` for examples.
benchmark/c/CMakeLists.txt	Simplify benchmark link/include usage to rely on the genai target.
CMakeLists.txt	Set project version, add install dirs, provide install/build interface includes, and set shared lib versioning.
.gitignore	Ignore local Python venv and normalize Java CMakeCache ignore entry.

Co-authored-by: Copilot <175728472+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

baijumeswani · 2026-05-04T22:52:43Z

+    set(ORT_BIN_DIR ${ORT_LIB_DIR})
  elseif (CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME MATCHES "AIX")
    set(ORT_HEADER_DIR ${ORT_HOME}/include/onnxruntime)
+    set(ORT_BIN_DIR ${ORT_HOME}/bin)


On AIX, is the ort bin dir inside ${ORT_HOME}/bin?

I am not sure. I don't have access to AIX systems. If there's no bin directory, I will change it to LIB. I must have made that change because CI was failing for AIX (if any)?

baijumeswani · 2026-05-04T22:56:12Z

+        find_file(_onnxruntime_lib onnxruntime.lib REQUIRED
+                HINTS "${ORT_HOME}" PATH_SUFFIXES lib)
+      else()
+        find_file(_onnxruntime_dll ${CMAKE_SHARED_LIBRARY_PREFIX}onnxruntime${CMAKE_SHARED_LIBRARY_SUFFIX} REQUIRED


Can we rename _onnxruntime_dll to avoid the dll suffix?

baijumeswani · 2026-05-04T22:58:37Z

      message(FATAL_ERROR "Auto download ONNX Runtime for this platform is not supported.")
    endif()
  endif()
+  set(ORT_BIN_DIR ${ORT_LIB_DIR})


We've mostly had the lib and bin dir be the same in most scenarios. Why do we need the distinction now?

It is required for ONNX Runtime installed with the cmake --install ... command. On Windows, the command puts .dlls/.exe in the bin directory. That is expected for this type of installation.

baijumeswani · 2026-05-04T23:09:56Z

-/build
+build*/
 /build_*
+build*/


baijumeswani · 2026-05-04T23:12:17Z

+install(TARGETS onnxruntime-genai
+  EXPORT onnxruntime-genaiTargets
+  LIBRARY DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}
+  RUNTIME DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_BINDIR}


Would this put the binary in bin instead of lib? Is that intentional? It breaks existing expectation and will have consequences on our packaging pipelines as well.

The command will put the .so files in the lib directory. On Windows, it will put .dll/.exe files in the bin directory, which is expected behavior with cmake --install ....

baijumeswani · 2026-05-04T23:14:45Z

+target_include_directories(onnxruntime-genai INTERFACE
+        $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/src> $<INSTALL_INTERFACE:include>)


Will this leak all internal headers to consumers?

No, only the headers marked public and interface.

Those are all the files installed on Windows with the cmake --install ... command. I anonymized the actual installation path with .... The command installs similar files on other operating systems, except that the .so files are located in the lib directory rather than bin.

❯ cmake --install .\build\Release\ --prefix C:\...\onnxruntime-genai\Release --config Release -- Installing: C:/.../onnxruntime-genai/Release/lib/onnxruntime-genai.lib -- Installing: C:/.../onnxruntime-genai/Release/bin/onnxruntime-genai.dll -- Installing: C:/.../onnxruntime-genai/Release/include/ort_genai_c.h -- Installing: C:/.../onnxruntime-genai/Release/include/ort_genai.h -- Installing: C:/.../onnxruntime-genai/Release/lib/cmake/onnxruntime-genai/onnxruntime-genai-targets.cmake -- Installing: C:/.../onnxruntime-genai/Release/lib/cmake/onnxruntime-genai/onnxruntime-genai-targets-release.cmake -- Installing: C:/.../onnxruntime-genai/Release/./README.md -- Installing: C:/.../onnxruntime-genai/Release/./ThirdPartyNotices.txt -- Installing: C:/.../onnxruntime-genai/Release/./SECURITY.md -- Installing: C:/.../onnxruntime-genai/Release/./LICENSE -- Installing: C:/.../onnxruntime-genai/Release/lib/cmake/onnxruntime-genai/onnxruntime-genai-config.cmake -- Installing: C:/.../onnxruntime-genai/Release/lib/cmake/onnxruntime-genai/onnxruntime-genai-config-version.cmake

baijumeswani · 2026-05-04T23:18:42Z

+            if util.is_windows():
+                ort_lib_dir = ortlib_runtimes_dir / "win-x64"


Implicit assumption that is_windows() is always win-x64? Haven't looked at is_windows(), does it only return true if it is win-x64?

The change is needed for CI to pass when building examples, and the ONNX Runtime is extracted from a .nuget package. There's no Windows 32bit variant anymore. In the .nuget package, there are only win-x64 and win-arm64 subdirectories.

But you're right, the if will consume both win-x64 and win-arm64 and hardcode the path for win-x64. I will make win-arm64 the first to be checked.

baijumeswani · 2026-05-04T23:19:08Z

+                ort_lib_dir = ortlib_runtimes_dir / "win-arm64"
+            elif args.android:
+                ort_lib_dir = ortlib_runtimes_dir / "android"
+            elif util.is_linux():


The change is to make CI pass with the ONNX Runtime extracted from the .nuget package. When used with find_package(), CMake will automatically configure all directories for building examples.

baijumeswani · 2026-05-04T23:20:16Z

+            elif args.ios:
+                ort_lib_dir = ortlib_runtimes_dir / "ios"
+            elif not util.is_aix():
+                raise RuntimeError("Unsupported operating system to build examples for")


Can this error be cleaner (explicitly mention the build platform)? Any reason to not build here?

This part is only when ONNX Runtime has been extracted from the .nuget package. There are no ONNXRuntime libraries for AIX in the .nuget package. The script is not blocking on building AIX here. It only blocks on unknown operating systems. The find_package() branch above will build examples for any operating system.

baijumeswani · 2026-05-04T23:21:59Z

    set(ORT_BINARY_PLATFORM "x64")
    if (APPLE)
-      if(CMAKE_OSX_ARCHITECTURES STREQUAL "arm64")
+      if(CMAKE_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR STREQUAL "arm64" OR CMAKE_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR STREQUAL "ARM64")


Any reason for this change?

The variable CMAKE_OSX_ARCHITECTURE returns an empty string on macOS Tahoe and CMake 4+. CMAKE_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR always returns the requested value for any macOS, OSX, or iOS target and CMake version.

kunal-vaishnavi · 2026-05-06T14:39:32Z

You will need to sync with the main branch to get this CI fix.

Accidentally approved

kunal-vaishnavi · 2026-07-22T01:24:42Z

Closing this PR in favor of #2310. Please add any comments or concerns on the new PR.

apwojcik and others added 13 commits November 9, 2025 13:59

enable GENAI with FetchContent and add find_package() configs

47a5965

use private scope for llguidance in target_include_directories

05f5749

fix Python codecov and model benchmark

0691161

copy soversion library for Python wheel if available

68a545d

fix onnxruntime-genai Java library name

4e628e3

add Android and IOS to the exclusion

5f7aeea

Merge branch 'main' into fetch_content

5305384

fix copy command for Java package on Windows/Android

a7b6ff2

Merge branch 'main' into fetch_content

9285680

update example CMakeLists.txt

fdbaffc

Merge branch 'main' into fetch_content

006bf1a

update to recent Java changes

0d7b08e

fix building examples

4ac8295

apwojcik force-pushed the fetch_content branch from 352ac84 to 4ac8295 Compare March 23, 2026 14:15

apwojcik added 2 commits April 10, 2026 19:45

Merge branch 'main' into fetch_content

893560a

resolve merge conflicts

f24dbf1

adrianlizarraga requested review from baijumeswani, Copilot and kunal-vaishnavi April 10, 2026 18:57

Copilot started reviewing on behalf of adrianlizarraga April 10, 2026 19:04 View session

Copilot AI reviewed Apr 10, 2026

View reviewed changes

apwojcik and others added 4 commits April 10, 2026 21:29

Update examples/c/CMakeLists.txt

38a4346

Co-authored-by: Copilot <175728472+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

Update cmake/package.cmake

b84ab59

Co-authored-by: Copilot <175728472+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

Update src/csharp/Microsoft.ML.OnnxRuntimeGenAI.sln

e9b479a

Co-authored-by: Copilot <175728472+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

revert examples

3401949

kunal-vaishnavi reviewed Apr 10, 2026

View reviewed changes

Comment thread requirements.txt Outdated

apwojcik and others added 4 commits April 11, 2026 09:17

Update cmake/version.cmake

4e623ea

Co-authored-by: Copilot <175728472+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

incorporate Copilot feedback

a7d4a51

incorporate Copilot's feedback

83c18bd

use CMAKE_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR for macOS to autodetect architecture

6f9e3b8

apwojcik and others added 5 commits April 11, 2026 11:18

Merge branch 'main' into fetch_content

1fd3a6d

rewrite examples CMakeLists.txt

a6a3a85

update .gitignore

6009a52

Merge branch 'main' into fetch_content

e8311ee

include ONNXRuntime installed localy in ort directory

c1241ff

apwojcik requested a review from kunal-vaishnavi April 12, 2026 15:42

fix Windows build

b77750e

github-advanced-security AI found potential problems Apr 14, 2026

View reviewed changes

Comment thread tools/python/util/platform_helpers.py Fixed

apwojcik and others added 2 commits April 16, 2026 09:22

incorporate review feedback

0d461a4

copy runtime dlls

37e63ed

baijumeswani previously approved these changes May 4, 2026

View reviewed changes

Merge branch 'main' into fetch_content

7f04a01

apwojcik requested a review from a team as a code owner May 15, 2026 09:12

apwojcik and others added 7 commits May 15, 2026 12:59

remove extra space

11311dd

Merge branch 'main' into fetch_content

9546c37

incorporate review feedback

4e23a0e

incorporate review feedback

1fcce6e

incorporate review feedback

beee6b5

Merge branch 'main' into fetch_content

c82b6d7

Merge branch 'main' into fetch_content

3c768e6

kunal-vaishnavi closed this Jul 22, 2026

		target_include_directories(onnxruntime-genai INTERFACE
		$<BUILD_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/src> $<INSTALL_INTERFACE:include>)

		if util.is_windows():
		ort_lib_dir = ortlib_runtimes_dir / "win-x64"

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