llvm dev - Jun 2012 - [LLVMdev] RFC: "Building with MinGW on Windows" (DOC, NEW)

Here's the first part of my Windows set up documentation.  This one only
covers the process of setting up a normal box for building LLVM and Clang.
 A later document, which will follow in a few days, will cover how to set
up a buildbot slave.

As usual: I'm not a psychic, so if you have opinions regarding or
suggestions on this document, please feel free to share them with me (on
this mailing list).

To see the document in its full glory, as it is going to look on the
website, do this (I am NOT bragging about my document, I am just very happy
about the whole switch to Sphinx - the color coding of the examples is
awesome thanks to Sphinx and Pygments):

0. Ensure you have Python and Sphinx installed.
1. Copy the attached file to llvm/docs.
2. Run "make html".
3. Open up the HTML document at "llvm/docs/_build/html/Building with MinGW
on Windows.html".

I'm especially interested in tips and tricks that Windows users should or
must know.  Things that can make it difficult for them to succeed.  Things
that can scare them away (my writing style?).  Things that can confuse
them.  And so on.


Cheers,
Mikael
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For those interested in the actual file, it is now attached.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Mikael Lyngvig <mikael at lyngvig.org>
Date: 2012/6/16
Subject: RFC: "Building with MinGW on Windows" (DOC, NEW)
To: LLVMdev Mailing List <llvmdev at cs.uiuc.edu>


Here's the first part of my Windows set up documentation.  This one only
covers the process of setting up a normal box for building LLVM and Clang.
 A later document, which will follow in a few days, will cover how to set
up a buildbot slave.

As usual: I'm not a psychic, so if you have opinions regarding or
suggestions on this document, please feel free to share them with me (on
this mailing list).

To see the document in its full glory, as it is going to look on the
website, do this (I am NOT bragging about my document, I am just very happy
about the whole switch to Sphinx - the color coding of the examples is
awesome thanks to Sphinx and Pygments):

0. Ensure you have Python and Sphinx installed.
1. Copy the attached file to llvm/docs.
2. Run "make html".
3. Open up the HTML document at "llvm/docs/_build/html/Building with MinGW
on Windows.html".

I'm especially interested in tips and tricks that Windows users should or
must know.  Things that can make it difficult for them to succeed.  Things
that can scare them away (my writing style?).  Things that can confuse
them.  And so on.


Cheers,
Mikael
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Mikael,

Thanks for working on.

My gross comments...

- Canonical URL of LLVM project is; http://llvm.org/ , not www.llvm.org.

- "test-suite and cygwin" could be split out. It would be special
thing.

- Memory/storage requirements would be moved to "A.B Debugging". Less
memory would be enough without debug build.

- Python (x64 binary) is available, too. I am using.
  Python 2.7.1 (r271:86832, Nov 27 2010, 17:19:03) [MSC v.1500 64 bit
(AMD64)] on win32

- Distinguish "test-suite" and "{llvm|clang} tests".
(Installing GnuWin32)

- Don't recommend to delete MSYS sh.exe in "Installing CMake". Use
MSYS Makefiles instead with msys.

- gnuwin32 is not needed on %PATH% if gnuwin32 is dedicated to tests.
Use LLVM_LIT_TOOLS_DIR instead then.
  (gnuwin32 is not needed when person is working on MSYS bash shell, FYI)

- cmake and python are needed on %PATH%, as long as they are not
invoked explicitly.
  cmake-generated Makefiles know where they are.
  eg. "make edit_cache", "make check"

- If the target of this would be for newbies, you may mention
"cmake-gui", too.
  FYI, I am usually use cmake-gui.exe, because I am n00b.

- (Building the Sources), In my experience, make.exe -jN tends to be
choked. I don't know where is -jN-stable gnu make on mingw. (Lemme
know if you knew better version of make!)

- Why don't you mention "make {check|clang-test|check-all}",
despite
of introducing gnuwin32?

- You forgot to mention a few important cmake variables.

  - CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release (for most purpose)
  - CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX (Who would be happy if clang were installed
onto C:\PROGRA~1\?)
  - LLVM_LIT_TOOLS_DIR, to use gnuwin32 dedicated to testing llvm and clang.
  - LLVM_EXTERNAL_CLANG_SOURCE_DIR, to check out clang outside from
llvm source tree
  - PYTHON_EXECUTABLE, if %PATH% does not contain python.

- Consider to introduce ninja?

Anyway, this could be integrated to "GettingStartedVS.html" ;)

...Takumi

ps. feel free to visit and ask me on the irc, oftc#llvm.