How to Set Up MetaTrader 5 on Mac with Local MQL5 Compilation

Most MQL5 tutorials assume you're on Windows. If you're on a Mac, you're expected to spin up a VM, run Parallels, or push to GitHub Actions every time you want to compile. None of that is necessary. MetaTrader 5 on macOS bundles its own Wine runtime, which means you already have everything you need to compile .mq5 files locally, straight from your terminal or VS Code.

This is the setup I use daily for algo trading development. It took a few hours of trial and error to get right, so here's every step, every gotcha, and every command.

What You'll Get

By the end of this guide:

MetaTrader 5 running natively on macOS (via the bundled Wine layer)
Local .mq5 compilation from terminal, no Windows VM needed
VS Code integration with syntax highlighting, build tasks, and error matching
A compile script that handles path conversion and include resolution automatically

Step 1: Install MetaTrader 5

Download the official macOS package from MetaQuotes:

bash

curl -L -o ~/Downloads/MetaTrader5.pkg.zip \
  "https://download.mql5.com/cdn/web/metaquotes.software.corp/mt5/MetaTrader5.pkg.zip"

Unzip and run the installer:

bash

cd ~/Downloads
unzip MetaTrader5.pkg.zip
open MetaTrader5.pkg

Follow the installer prompts. It installs to /Applications/MetaTrader 5.app.

What's actually happening: MetaTrader 5 for Mac is not a native Cocoa app. It's the Windows version bundled with Wine 10.0 inside the .app package. The Wine binary lives at /Applications/MetaTrader 5.app/Contents/SharedSupport/wine/bin/wine64 and the Windows filesystem (C: drive) lives in your home directory at ~/Library/Application Support/net.metaquotes.wine.metatrader5/.

Once installed, open MetaTrader 5 from your Applications folder and log into a broker account. This creates the full Wine prefix and directory structure we need.

Step 2: Verify the Wine Setup

MetaTrader bundles Wine 10.0. Confirm it exists:

bash

ls -la "/Applications/MetaTrader 5.app/Contents/SharedSupport/wine/bin/wine64"

Check that the Wine prefix was created:

bash

ls ~/Library/Application\ Support/net.metaquotes.wine.metatrader5/drive_c/Program\ Files/MetaTrader\ 5/

You should see metaeditor64.exe, terminal64.exe, and the MQL5/ directory with the standard library:

bash

ls ~/Library/Application\ Support/net.metaquotes.wine.metatrader5/drive_c/Program\ Files/MetaTrader\ 5/MQL5/Include/Trade/

Expected output:

code

AccountInfo.mqh    OrderInfo.mqh      Trade.mqh
DealInfo.mqh       PositionInfo.mqh   TerminalInfo.mqh
HistoryOrderInfo.mqh  SymbolInfo.mqh

If you see those files, your setup is good. If not, open MetaTrader 5 from Applications at least once and try again.

Step 3: Create the Local Compile Script

This is the core of the setup. Create a script that converts macOS paths to Wine paths and calls MetaEditor's compiler.

In your MQL5 project, create scripts/compile-local.sh:

bash

mkdir -p scripts

bash

#!/bin/bash
# Local MQ5 Compiler using system MetaTrader 5 Wine + MetaEditor
# Usage: ./scripts/compile-local.sh src/experts/MyEA.mq5
#        ./scripts/compile-local.sh --all
 
set -euo pipefail
 
SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"
PROJECT_DIR="$(dirname "$SCRIPT_DIR")"
 
WINE="/Applications/MetaTrader 5.app/Contents/SharedSupport/wine/bin/wine64"
WINEPREFIX="$HOME/Library/Application Support/net.metaquotes.wine.metatrader5"
METAEDITOR="C:\\Program Files\\MetaTrader 5\\metaeditor64.exe"
INCLUDE_DIR="$PROJECT_DIR/src"
 
RED='\033[0;31m'
GREEN='\033[0;32m'
YELLOW='\033[1;33m'
NC='\033[0m'
 
if [[ ! -f "$WINE" ]]; then
    echo -e "${RED}Wine not found at: $WINE${NC}"
    echo "Install MetaTrader 5 first."
    exit 1
fi
 
compile_file() {
    local mq5_file="$1"
    local abs_path="$PROJECT_DIR/$mq5_file"
 
    if [[ ! -f "$abs_path" ]]; then
        echo -e "${RED}File not found: $mq5_file${NC}"
        return 1
    fi
 
    # Convert macOS path to Wine path
    local wine_path
    wine_path=$(WINEPREFIX="$WINEPREFIX" "$WINE" winepath -w "$abs_path" 2>/dev/null)
 
    echo -e "${YELLOW}Compiling: $mq5_file${NC}"
 
    # Run MetaEditor compile
    WINEPREFIX="$WINEPREFIX" "$WINE" "$METAEDITOR" \
        /compile:"$wine_path" \
        /include:"$(WINEPREFIX="$WINEPREFIX" "$WINE" winepath -w "$INCLUDE_DIR" 2>/dev/null)" \
        /log 2>/dev/null
 
    # Check if .ex5 was produced
    local ex5_file="${abs_path%.mq5}.ex5"
    if [[ -f "$ex5_file" ]]; then
        echo -e "${GREEN}  OK: $(basename "$ex5_file")${NC}"
        return 0
    else
        echo -e "${RED}  FAIL: no .ex5 produced${NC}"
        local log_file="${abs_path%.mq5}.log"
        if [[ -f "$log_file" ]]; then
            echo -e "${YELLOW}  Log:${NC}"
            cat "$log_file"
        fi
        return 1
    fi
}
 
if [[ $# -eq 0 ]]; then
    echo -e "${RED}Usage: $0 <file.mq5> [file2.mq5 ...]${NC}"
    echo "       $0 --all"
    exit 1
fi
 
FAILED=0
 
if [[ "$1" == "--all" ]]; then
    echo -e "${YELLOW}Compiling all .mq5 files...${NC}"
    while IFS= read -r -d '' f; do
        rel="${f#$PROJECT_DIR/}"
        compile_file "$rel" || FAILED=$((FAILED + 1))
    done < <(find "$PROJECT_DIR/src" -name "*.mq5" -print0)
else
    for f in "$@"; do
        compile_file "$f" || FAILED=$((FAILED + 1))
    done
fi
 
if [[ $FAILED -gt 0 ]]; then
    echo -e "${RED}$FAILED file(s) failed to compile.${NC}"
    exit 1
else
    echo -e "${GREEN}All files compiled successfully.${NC}"
fi

Make it executable:

bash

chmod +x scripts/compile-local.sh

Now test it:

bash

./scripts/compile-local.sh src/experts/HelloWorld.mq5

You should see:

code

Compiling: src/experts/HelloWorld.mq5
  OK: HelloWorld.ex5
All files compiled successfully.

Step 4: The Include Path Gotcha

This is the single biggest headache you'll hit. MetaEditor's /include: flag does not point to the Include directory directly. It points to the MQL5 root, and MetaEditor internally appends Include/ when resolving #include <...> directives.

If your project structure looks like this:

code

my-project/
  src/
    include/        <-- your custom includes + standard library copies
      Trade/
        Trade.mqh
      MyCustomLib/
        Utils.mqh
    experts/
      MyEA.mq5      <-- #include <Trade/Trade.mqh>

Then the include path must be src/, not src/include/. If you set it to src/include/, MetaEditor will look for src/include/Include/Trade/Trade.mqh (double nesting) and fail with error 106.

bash

# Wrong - causes "file not found" for standard includes
INCLUDE_DIR="$PROJECT_DIR/src/include"
 
# Correct - MetaEditor adds Include/ internally
INCLUDE_DIR="$PROJECT_DIR/src"

This cost me an afternoon. The error message is cryptic because MetaEditor outputs wide-character (UTF-16) log files that render as spaced-out text on macOS. Look for error 106: file '...' not found buried in the garbled output.

Step 5: Standard Library Includes

Your EAs probably use standard MQL5 includes like #include <Trade/Trade.mqh> and #include <Trade/PositionInfo.mqh>. These ship with MetaTrader but not with your project.

You have two options:

Option A: Copy the standard library into your project (recommended)

bash

# Create the include directory matching MQL5 structure
mkdir -p src/include/Trade
 
# Copy from the MT5 Wine prefix
cp ~/Library/Application\ Support/net.metaquotes.wine.metatrader5/drive_c/Program\ Files/MetaTrader\ 5/MQL5/Include/Trade/*.mqh \
   src/include/Trade/

This makes your project self-contained and compilable without MetaTrader installed (e.g., in CI).

Option B: Point the include path to the MT5 installation

Change the script's include dir to the MT5 standard MQL5 directory:

bash

INCLUDE_DIR="$HOME/Library/Application Support/net.metaquotes.wine.metatrader5/drive_c/Program Files/MetaTrader 5/MQL5"

This uses the live MT5 includes but means your custom includes need to live under that directory too, which gets messy.

Step 6: VS Code Integration

Syntax Highlighting

Install the MQL Tools extension from the VS Code marketplace. It provides syntax highlighting and some IntelliSense for .mq5 and .mqh files.

Add file associations to .vscode/settings.json:

json

{
  "files.associations": {
    "*.mq5": "mql5",
    "*.mqh": "mql5"
  },
  "editor.tabSize": 3,
  "editor.detectIndentation": false
}

MQL5 uses 3-space indentation by convention. Set detectIndentation to false so VS Code doesn't override this.

Build Task

Create .vscode/tasks.json to compile the currently open file with Cmd+Shift+B:

json

{
  "version": "2.0.0",
  "tasks": [
    {
      "label": "Compile MQ5 File",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "${workspaceFolder}/scripts/compile-local.sh",
      "args": ["${relativeFile}"],
      "group": {
        "kind": "build",
        "isDefault": true
      },
      "presentation": {
        "echo": true,
        "reveal": "always",
        "focus": false,
        "panel": "shared",
        "clear": true
      },
      "problemMatcher": {
        "owner": "mql5",
        "fileLocation": ["relative", "${workspaceFolder}"],
        "pattern": {
          "regexp": "^(.+)\\((\\d+),(\\d+)\\)\\s*:\\s*(warning|error)\\s+(.+)$",
          "file": 1,
          "line": 2,
          "column": 3,
          "severity": 4,
          "message": 5
        }
      }
    },
    {
      "label": "Compile All MQ5",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "${workspaceFolder}/scripts/compile-local.sh",
      "args": ["--all"],
      "group": "build"
    }
  ]
}

The problemMatcher parses MetaEditor's error format (file(line,col) : error message) and shows errors inline in VS Code.

MQL Tools Extension Configuration

If you want the MQL Tools extension's built-in compile command (right-click > Compile), add these settings:

json

{
  "mql_tools.Metaeditor.Metaeditor5Dir": "/Users/YOUR_USERNAME/Library/Application Support/net.metaquotes.wine.metatrader5/drive_c/Program Files/MetaTrader 5",
  "mql_tools.Metaeditor.WinePrefixME5": "/Users/YOUR_USERNAME/Library/Application Support/net.metaquotes.wine.metatrader5",
  "mql_tools.Metaeditor.Include5Dir": "/Users/YOUR_USERNAME/path-to-your-project/src"
}

MQL Tools activation quirk: The extension only activates when the VS Code workspace folder is named exactly MQL4 or MQL5. If your project folder has a different name, create a symlink: ln -s ~/Dev/my-mql5-project ~/Dev/MQL5 and open VS Code from the symlink path. The build task approach works regardless of folder name, so you can skip this if you prefer Cmd+Shift+B.

Step 7: Compile and Deploy

With everything wired up, your workflow is:

Write code in VS Code with syntax highlighting
Compile with Cmd+Shift+B (or ./scripts/compile-local.sh src/experts/MyEA.mq5)
Check errors inline in VS Code via the problem matcher
Copy the .ex5 to your MetaTrader data directory for testing:

bash

cp src/experts/MyEA.ex5 \
  ~/Library/Application\ Support/net.metaquotes.wine.metatrader5/drive_c/Program\ Files/MetaTrader\ 5/MQL5/Experts/

Then refresh the Expert Advisors panel in MetaTrader 5 and attach it to a chart.

For batch compilation of your entire project:

bash

./scripts/compile-local.sh --all

Project Structure

Here's the project layout that works well for this setup:

code

my-mql5-project/
  src/
    include/          # Standard library + custom includes
      Trade/
      Object.mqh
      MyCustomLib/
    experts/          # Expert Advisors (.mq5)
    indicators/       # Custom indicators
    scripts/          # MQL5 scripts (one-shot)
  scripts/
    compile-local.sh  # The compile script
  .vscode/
    settings.json
    tasks.json
  .gitignore          # Exclude *.ex5, *.ex4, *.log

Add to your .gitignore:

code

*.ex5
*.ex4
*.log

Troubleshooting

"Wine not found" error: MetaTrader 5 isn't installed, or it's in a non-standard location. Check /Applications/MetaTrader 5.app/Contents/SharedSupport/wine/bin/wine64.

"error 106: file not found" for standard includes: Your include path is wrong. Remember: point to the MQL5 root (src/), not the Include directory (src/include/).

Garbled log output: MetaEditor writes UTF-16 encoded logs. The compile script shows them as-is, which looks like spaced-out characters. The actual error messages are readable if you look past the formatting.

MQL Tools "command not found": The extension isn't activated because your workspace folder isn't named MQL5. Use the symlink workaround or stick with the build task.

Compilation succeeds but no .ex5 appears: Check if your .gitignore or VS Code files.exclude is hiding .ex5 files. They're generated in the same directory as the source .mq5 file.

What's Next

This setup gives you a proper local development loop for MQL5 on macOS. No VMs, no GitHub Actions round-trips, no waiting. Write, compile, test, iterate.

I'm using this exact workflow to build algorithmic trading systems for gold, starting with EMA zone retest strategies and working towards AI-driven signal generation that incorporates price action, sentiment, and market structure. More on that soon.

This is the setup I use daily for algo trading development. It took a few hours of trial and error to get right, so here's every step, every gotcha, and every command.

What You'll Get

By the end of this guide:

MetaTrader 5 running natively on macOS (via the bundled Wine layer)
Local .mq5 compilation from terminal, no Windows VM needed
VS Code integration with syntax highlighting, build tasks, and error matching
A compile script that handles path conversion and include resolution automatically

Step 1: Install MetaTrader 5

Download the official macOS package from MetaQuotes:

bash

curl -L -o ~/Downloads/MetaTrader5.pkg.zip \
  "https://download.mql5.com/cdn/web/metaquotes.software.corp/mt5/MetaTrader5.pkg.zip"

Unzip and run the installer:

bash

cd ~/Downloads
unzip MetaTrader5.pkg.zip
open MetaTrader5.pkg

Follow the installer prompts. It installs to /Applications/MetaTrader 5.app.

Once installed, open MetaTrader 5 from your Applications folder and log into a broker account. This creates the full Wine prefix and directory structure we need.

Step 2: Verify the Wine Setup

MetaTrader bundles Wine 10.0. Confirm it exists:

bash

ls -la "/Applications/MetaTrader 5.app/Contents/SharedSupport/wine/bin/wine64"

Check that the Wine prefix was created:

bash

ls ~/Library/Application\ Support/net.metaquotes.wine.metatrader5/drive_c/Program\ Files/MetaTrader\ 5/

You should see metaeditor64.exe, terminal64.exe, and the MQL5/ directory with the standard library:

bash

ls ~/Library/Application\ Support/net.metaquotes.wine.metatrader5/drive_c/Program\ Files/MetaTrader\ 5/MQL5/Include/Trade/

Expected output:

code

AccountInfo.mqh    OrderInfo.mqh      Trade.mqh
DealInfo.mqh       PositionInfo.mqh   TerminalInfo.mqh
HistoryOrderInfo.mqh  SymbolInfo.mqh

If you see those files, your setup is good. If not, open MetaTrader 5 from Applications at least once and try again.

Step 3: Create the Local Compile Script

This is the core of the setup. Create a script that converts macOS paths to Wine paths and calls MetaEditor's compiler.

In your MQL5 project, create scripts/compile-local.sh:

bash

mkdir -p scripts

bash

#!/bin/bash
# Local MQ5 Compiler using system MetaTrader 5 Wine + MetaEditor
# Usage: ./scripts/compile-local.sh src/experts/MyEA.mq5
#        ./scripts/compile-local.sh --all
 
set -euo pipefail
 
SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"
PROJECT_DIR="$(dirname "$SCRIPT_DIR")"
 
WINE="/Applications/MetaTrader 5.app/Contents/SharedSupport/wine/bin/wine64"
WINEPREFIX="$HOME/Library/Application Support/net.metaquotes.wine.metatrader5"
METAEDITOR="C:\\Program Files\\MetaTrader 5\\metaeditor64.exe"
INCLUDE_DIR="$PROJECT_DIR/src"
 
RED='\033[0;31m'
GREEN='\033[0;32m'
YELLOW='\033[1;33m'
NC='\033[0m'
 
if [[ ! -f "$WINE" ]]; then
    echo -e "${RED}Wine not found at: $WINE${NC}"
    echo "Install MetaTrader 5 first."
    exit 1
fi
 
compile_file() {
    local mq5_file="$1"
    local abs_path="$PROJECT_DIR/$mq5_file"
 
    if [[ ! -f "$abs_path" ]]; then
        echo -e "${RED}File not found: $mq5_file${NC}"
        return 1
    fi
 
    # Convert macOS path to Wine path
    local wine_path
    wine_path=$(WINEPREFIX="$WINEPREFIX" "$WINE" winepath -w "$abs_path" 2>/dev/null)
 
    echo -e "${YELLOW}Compiling: $mq5_file${NC}"
 
    # Run MetaEditor compile
    WINEPREFIX="$WINEPREFIX" "$WINE" "$METAEDITOR" \
        /compile:"$wine_path" \
        /include:"$(WINEPREFIX="$WINEPREFIX" "$WINE" winepath -w "$INCLUDE_DIR" 2>/dev/null)" \
        /log 2>/dev/null
 
    # Check if .ex5 was produced
    local ex5_file="${abs_path%.mq5}.ex5"
    if [[ -f "$ex5_file" ]]; then
        echo -e "${GREEN}  OK: $(basename "$ex5_file")${NC}"
        return 0
    else
        echo -e "${RED}  FAIL: no .ex5 produced${NC}"
        local log_file="${abs_path%.mq5}.log"
        if [[ -f "$log_file" ]]; then
            echo -e "${YELLOW}  Log:${NC}"
            cat "$log_file"
        fi
        return 1
    fi
}
 
if [[ $# -eq 0 ]]; then
    echo -e "${RED}Usage: $0 <file.mq5> [file2.mq5 ...]${NC}"
    echo "       $0 --all"
    exit 1
fi
 
FAILED=0
 
if [[ "$1" == "--all" ]]; then
    echo -e "${YELLOW}Compiling all .mq5 files...${NC}"
    while IFS= read -r -d '' f; do
        rel="${f#$PROJECT_DIR/}"
        compile_file "$rel" || FAILED=$((FAILED + 1))
    done < <(find "$PROJECT_DIR/src" -name "*.mq5" -print0)
else
    for f in "$@"; do
        compile_file "$f" || FAILED=$((FAILED + 1))
    done
fi
 
if [[ $FAILED -gt 0 ]]; then
    echo -e "${RED}$FAILED file(s) failed to compile.${NC}"
    exit 1
else
    echo -e "${GREEN}All files compiled successfully.${NC}"
fi

Make it executable:

bash

chmod +x scripts/compile-local.sh

Now test it:

bash

./scripts/compile-local.sh src/experts/HelloWorld.mq5

You should see:

code

Compiling: src/experts/HelloWorld.mq5
  OK: HelloWorld.ex5
All files compiled successfully.

Step 4: The Include Path Gotcha

If your project structure looks like this:

code

my-project/
  src/
    include/        <-- your custom includes + standard library copies
      Trade/
        Trade.mqh
      MyCustomLib/
        Utils.mqh
    experts/
      MyEA.mq5      <-- #include <Trade/Trade.mqh>

Then the include path must be src/, not src/include/. If you set it to src/include/, MetaEditor will look for src/include/Include/Trade/Trade.mqh (double nesting) and fail with error 106.

bash

# Wrong - causes "file not found" for standard includes
INCLUDE_DIR="$PROJECT_DIR/src/include"
 
# Correct - MetaEditor adds Include/ internally
INCLUDE_DIR="$PROJECT_DIR/src"

Step 5: Standard Library Includes

Your EAs probably use standard MQL5 includes like #include <Trade/Trade.mqh> and #include <Trade/PositionInfo.mqh>. These ship with MetaTrader but not with your project.

You have two options:

Option A: Copy the standard library into your project (recommended)

bash

# Create the include directory matching MQL5 structure
mkdir -p src/include/Trade
 
# Copy from the MT5 Wine prefix
cp ~/Library/Application\ Support/net.metaquotes.wine.metatrader5/drive_c/Program\ Files/MetaTrader\ 5/MQL5/Include/Trade/*.mqh \
   src/include/Trade/

This makes your project self-contained and compilable without MetaTrader installed (e.g., in CI).

Option B: Point the include path to the MT5 installation

Change the script's include dir to the MT5 standard MQL5 directory:

bash

INCLUDE_DIR="$HOME/Library/Application Support/net.metaquotes.wine.metatrader5/drive_c/Program Files/MetaTrader 5/MQL5"

This uses the live MT5 includes but means your custom includes need to live under that directory too, which gets messy.

Step 6: VS Code Integration

Syntax Highlighting

Install the MQL Tools extension from the VS Code marketplace. It provides syntax highlighting and some IntelliSense for .mq5 and .mqh files.

Add file associations to .vscode/settings.json:

json

{
  "files.associations": {
    "*.mq5": "mql5",
    "*.mqh": "mql5"
  },
  "editor.tabSize": 3,
  "editor.detectIndentation": false
}

MQL5 uses 3-space indentation by convention. Set detectIndentation to false so VS Code doesn't override this.

Build Task

Create .vscode/tasks.json to compile the currently open file with Cmd+Shift+B:

json

{
  "version": "2.0.0",
  "tasks": [
    {
      "label": "Compile MQ5 File",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "${workspaceFolder}/scripts/compile-local.sh",
      "args": ["${relativeFile}"],
      "group": {
        "kind": "build",
        "isDefault": true
      },
      "presentation": {
        "echo": true,
        "reveal": "always",
        "focus": false,
        "panel": "shared",
        "clear": true
      },
      "problemMatcher": {
        "owner": "mql5",
        "fileLocation": ["relative", "${workspaceFolder}"],
        "pattern": {
          "regexp": "^(.+)\\((\\d+),(\\d+)\\)\\s*:\\s*(warning|error)\\s+(.+)$",
          "file": 1,
          "line": 2,
          "column": 3,
          "severity": 4,
          "message": 5
        }
      }
    },
    {
      "label": "Compile All MQ5",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "${workspaceFolder}/scripts/compile-local.sh",
      "args": ["--all"],
      "group": "build"
    }
  ]
}

The problemMatcher parses MetaEditor's error format (file(line,col) : error message) and shows errors inline in VS Code.

MQL Tools Extension Configuration

If you want the MQL Tools extension's built-in compile command (right-click > Compile), add these settings:

json

{
  "mql_tools.Metaeditor.Metaeditor5Dir": "/Users/YOUR_USERNAME/Library/Application Support/net.metaquotes.wine.metatrader5/drive_c/Program Files/MetaTrader 5",
  "mql_tools.Metaeditor.WinePrefixME5": "/Users/YOUR_USERNAME/Library/Application Support/net.metaquotes.wine.metatrader5",
  "mql_tools.Metaeditor.Include5Dir": "/Users/YOUR_USERNAME/path-to-your-project/src"
}

Step 7: Compile and Deploy

With everything wired up, your workflow is:

Write code in VS Code with syntax highlighting
Compile with Cmd+Shift+B (or ./scripts/compile-local.sh src/experts/MyEA.mq5)
Check errors inline in VS Code via the problem matcher
Copy the .ex5 to your MetaTrader data directory for testing:

bash

cp src/experts/MyEA.ex5 \
  ~/Library/Application\ Support/net.metaquotes.wine.metatrader5/drive_c/Program\ Files/MetaTrader\ 5/MQL5/Experts/

Then refresh the Expert Advisors panel in MetaTrader 5 and attach it to a chart.

For batch compilation of your entire project:

bash

./scripts/compile-local.sh --all

Project Structure

Here's the project layout that works well for this setup:

code

my-mql5-project/
  src/
    include/          # Standard library + custom includes
      Trade/
      Object.mqh
      MyCustomLib/
    experts/          # Expert Advisors (.mq5)
    indicators/       # Custom indicators
    scripts/          # MQL5 scripts (one-shot)
  scripts/
    compile-local.sh  # The compile script
  .vscode/
    settings.json
    tasks.json
  .gitignore          # Exclude *.ex5, *.ex4, *.log

Add to your .gitignore:

code

*.ex5
*.ex4
*.log

Troubleshooting

"Wine not found" error: MetaTrader 5 isn't installed, or it's in a non-standard location. Check /Applications/MetaTrader 5.app/Contents/SharedSupport/wine/bin/wine64.

"error 106: file not found" for standard includes: Your include path is wrong. Remember: point to the MQL5 root (src/), not the Include directory (src/include/).

MQL Tools "command not found": The extension isn't activated because your workspace folder isn't named MQL5. Use the symlink workaround or stick with the build task.

Compilation succeeds but no .ex5 appears: Check if your .gitignore or VS Code files.exclude is hiding .ex5 files. They're generated in the same directory as the source .mq5 file.

What's Next

This setup gives you a proper local development loop for MQL5 on macOS. No VMs, no GitHub Actions round-trips, no waiting. Write, compile, test, iterate.