Docs: Restructure 'Building PCSX2' article

[TheTechnician27]

Restructures the 'Building PCSX2' article in the docs. Except where explicitly stated, this is not meant to be an update to the article's factual accuracy – which is known to objectively be wrong right now in the 'Windows' section at minimum and probably elsewhere. Updates to factual accuracy will come later, but just getting the structure into place first is more efficient. The misinformation will still be there regardless.

Repeat: unless I've inadvertently added or changed information such that this article is wrong in a way that it wasn't before, this isn't the place for that criticism. Please save that for the forthcoming PR where I'll desperately need it. Instead, evaluate this PR based on how the information is presented structurally.

Changes

• Separate Windows, macOS, and Linux into tabs with Windows as default.
  • Same reasons as in the previous Setup docs – they're mutually exclusive.
  • Dramatically shortens the length of the page just by splitting it.
  • Helps the user avoid advice that isn't relevant to them.
    • And makes the reader more comfortable that what they're reading is relevant.
  • Windows default in line with our other docs.
• Place into the standard order of Windows –> macOS –> Linux.
• Windows
  • Move the build applications above the Qt dependencies.
    • No sense going after Qt stuff before even ensuring you can install the build program.
• macOS
  • Split Apple Silicon and Intel into separate subtabs with Apple Silicon as default.
    • In 2025, Apple Silicon is by far the most likely macOS platform for a user building PCSX2.
  • Turn some of the inline asides into notes.
  • Place optional flags into an expandable box.
• Linux
  • Split distros into separate subtabs with Debian as default.
    • Debian default in line with our other docs.
  • Rename 'Ubuntu' to 'Debian', as that's ultimately the family of distros this is talking about.
    • Mention Debian, Ubuntu, Linux Mint, and Pop!_OS as being part of this family (critique factual accuracy if deps not shared).
  • Add an Arch tab.
    • This one should also be relevant and accurate as of this PR.
  • Place optional flags into an expandable box.
• GammaRay
  • Split into a Windows and Linux tab tied to the same query string as the previous tabs.

Example screenshots

Windows:

macOS – Apple Silicon:

macOS – Intel Mac

Linux (part 1; some Debian-specific)

Linux (part 2)

Linux (new Arch tab)

[TellowKrinkle]

The macOS Apple Silicon instructions expect you to have both them and the Intel instructions on the screen at the same time, otherwise you can't see all the directions at once. As it is here, you'd first read those instructions, which would direct you to the Intel instructions, so you click on that, then those tell you to run cmake, and now you have to click back on the Apple Silicon tab to get the thing to add to the cmake invocation.

Maybe instead you can change it to have one set of instructions with some sections in a box that indicates that they only pertain to Apple Silicon.

[Mrlinkwii]

looks ok but i would HIGHLY recommend someone to actually build on debain (ubuntu) /fedora ( to make sure they are correct for latest stable/nightly , also wouldn't hurt to have a ubuntu section

[TheTechnician27]

looks ok but i would HIGHLY recommend someone to actually build on debain (ubuntu) /fedora ( to make sure they are correct for latest stable/nightly , also wouldn't hurt to have a ubuntu section

• As noted several times throughout the PR description, the factual accuracy of this article is not in question until the next PR which will attempt to address that.
• Why would there be an Ubuntu section if we have a Debian section? Should we include a Bazzite section for Fedora and a Manjaro one for Arch? Do Ubuntu and Debian have different dependencies?

[TheTechnician27]

The macOS Apple Silicon instructions expect you to have both them and the Intel instructions on the screen at the same time, otherwise you can't see all the directions at once.

Maybe instead you can change it to have one set of instructions with some sections in a box that indicates that they only pertain to Apple Silicon.

Okay, I was wondering about that. I'll try to come up with a good solution. Separate box seems inelegant since it looks like these two aren't interleaving – rather, they're basically linear? Either way, I'll reread with this in mind and try something.

[TellowKrinkle]

BTW on the homebrew situation, it looks like you can install an x86 homebrew prefix to supply x86 libraries if you want. Unlike with macports, it's entirely separate from the arm one.

[chaoticgd]

I checked and it looks like the reason this was abbreviated before is because that's how it shows up in the Visual Studio installer UI. So I would keep this as-is: