---
title: "Build Options and Defaults"
---

> Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://openarkstudio.github.io/arknet/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Build Options and Defaults

Use this page to look up build switches and public defaults. Follow
[installation](/arknet/get-started/installation) to configure a consuming application.

## CMake options

| Option | Default | Effect |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `ARKNET_USE_BOOST_ASIO` | `ON` | Select Boost.Asio and Boost.Beast |
| `ARKNET_ENABLE_SSL` | `OFF` | Enable MySQL authentication and secure transports; link OpenSSL |
| `ARKNET_BUILD_TESTS` | `ON` at the top level, `OFF` when embedded | Build doctest and integration checks |
| `ARKNET_BUILD_EXAMPLES` | `ON` at the top level, `OFF` when embedded | Build example applications |
| `ARKNET_BUILD_BENCHMARKS` | `OFF` | Build the permanent benchmark executables |

## Direct-header macros

| Macro | Meaning |
| --- | --- |
| `ARKNET_USE_BOOST_ASIO=1` | Default `1` selects Boost; `0` selects Standalone Asio (TCP, UDP, RUDP, TLS and database clients) |
| `ARKNET_ENABLE_SSL` | Its presence enables MySQL connections and secure transports; leave it undefined to disable them |
| `ARKNET_HEADER_ONLY` | Internal provider macro, not a switch for a compiled library |
| `ARKNET_ENABLE_TIMER_CALLBACK_WHEN_ERROR` | Invoke timer callbacks on errors; inspect `get_last_error()` |

Use identical provider, TLS and behavior macros in every translation unit.
CMake `ON`/`OFF` values and C++ macro-presence checks are different conventions.

## Runtime defaults

| Setting | Default | Details |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Application send queue | 16 MiB of payload and 1024 operations per object | [Ownership and backpressure](/arknet/concepts/sending) |
| Automatic reconnect | Enabled; one-second retry delay | [Reconnect](/arknet/guides/reconnect) |
| HTTP header / body limits | 8192 bytes / 16 MiB | [HTTP configuration](/arknet/features/http/configuration) |
| UDP client `SO_REUSEADDR` | Disabled | [UDP configuration](/arknet/features/udp/configuration) |
| TLS protocol / client verification | Minimum TLS 1.2; verify chain and DNS/IP identity | [TLS configuration](/arknet/features/tls/configuration) |
| Kernel socket buffers | Platform defaults unless explicitly configured | [Socket buffers](/arknet/guides/socket-buffers) |

Benchmark-requested socket sizes are measurement settings, not library defaults.
[Public API index](/arknet/reference/api) · [Errors](/arknet/reference/errors)

Source: https://openarkstudio.github.io/arknet/reference/configuration/index.mdx