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diff --git a/windows/README b/windows/README new file mode 100644 index 00000000..4acc6802 --- /dev/null +++ b/windows/README @@ -0,0 +1,164 @@ + +XZ Utils on Windows +=================== + +Introduction + + This document explains how to build XZ Utils for Microsoft Windows + using MinGW (Minimalist GNU for Windows). + + This is currently experimental and has got very little testing. + No ABI stability is promised for liblzma.dll. + + +Why MinGW + + XZ Utils code is C99. It should be possible to compile at least + liblzma using any C99 compiler. Compiling the command line tools may + need a little extra work to get them built on new systems, because + they use some features that aren't standardized in POSIX. + + MinGW is free software. MinGW runtime provides some functions that + made porting the command line tools easier. Most(?) of the MinGW + runtime, which gets linked into the resulting binaries, is in the + public domain. + + While most C compilers nowadays support C99 well enough (including + most compilers for Windows), MSVC doesn't. It seems that Microsoft + has no plans to ever support C99. Thus, it is not possible to build + XZ Utils using MSVC without doing a lot of work to convert the code. + Using prebuilt liblzma from MSVC is possible though, since the + liblzma API headers are in C89 and contain some non-standard extra + hacks required by MSVC. + + +Getting and Installing MinGW + + You can download MinGW for 32-bit Windows from Sourceforge: + + http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=2435 + + It is enough to pick Automated MinGW Installer and MSYS Base System. + Using the automated installer, select at least runtime, w32api, + core compiler, and MinGW make. From MSYS you actually need only + certain tools, but it is easiest to just install the whole MSYS. + + To build for x86-64 version of Windows, you can download a snapshot + of MinGW targeting for 64-bit Windows: + + http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=202880 + + You can use the 32-bit MSYS also for 64-bit build, since we don't + link against anything in MSYS, just use the tools from it. You may + use the make tool from 32-bit MinGW (mingw32-make.exe) although + probably the make.exe from MSYS works too. + + Naturally you can pick the components manually, for example to try + the latest available GCC. It is also possible to use a cross-compiler + to build Windows binaries for example on GNU/Linux, or use Wine to + run the Windows binaries. However, these instructions focus on + building on Windows. + + +Building for 32-bit Windows + + Add MinGW and MSYS to PATH (adjust if you installed to non-default + location): + + C:\>set PATH=C:\MinGW\bin;C:\MSYS\1.0\bin;%PATH% + + Then it should be enough to just run mingw32-make in this directory: + + C:\xz-5.x.x\windows>mingw32-make + + +Building for 64-bit Windows + + For 64-bit build the PATH has to point to 64-bit MinGW: + + C:\>set PATH=C:\MinGW64\bin;C:\MSYS\1.0\bin;%PATH% + + You need to pass W64=1 to mingw32-make (or make if you don't have + mingw32-make): + + C:\xz-5.x.x\windows>mingw32-make W64=1 + + +Additional Make Flags and Targets + + You may want to try some additional optimizations, which may or + may not make the code faster (and may or may not hit possible + compiler bugs more easily): + + mingw32-make CFLAGS="-O3 -fomit-frame-pointer -funroll-loops" + + If you want to enable assertions (the assert() macro), use DEBUG=1. + You may want to disable optimizations too if you plan to actually + debug the code. Never use DEBUG=1 for production builds! + + mingw32-make DEBUG=1 CFLAGS="-g -O0" + + By default, liblzma is built as a DLL and the command line tools + linked dynamically against that liblzma.dll. To build static + versions instead, use STATIC=1: + + mingw32-make STATIC=1 + + TODO: Static build is not implemented yet. + + To copy the built binaries and required headers into a clean + directory, use the pkg target: + + mingw32-make pkg + + It first removes a possibly existing pkg directory, and then + recreates it with the required files. + + TODO: The pkg target doesn't copy any license or other copyright + related information into the pkg directory. + + +Creating an Import Library for MSVC + + The included Makefile creates import library liblzma.a which works + only(?) with MinGW. To use liblzma.dll for MSVC, you need to create + liblzma.lib using the lib command from MSVC: + + lib /def:liblzma.def /out:liblzma.lib /machine:ix86 + + On x86-64, the /machine argument has to naturally be changed: + + lib /def:liblzma.def /out:liblzma.lib /machine:x64 + + +To Do + + - Test Win64 support and add instructions about getting x86-64 + version of MinGW. + + - Static liblzma and statically linked command line tools + + - Creating the import library for other compilers/linkers + + - Building with other compilers for Windows + + - liblzma currently uses cdecl. Would stdcall be more compatible? + + - Support building more size-optimized liblzma (the HAVE_SMALL + define and other things that are needed) + + - Support selecting which parts of liblzma to build to make the + library even smaller. + + - Use the configure script on Windows just like it is used on all + the other systems? + + +Bugs + + Report bugs to <lasse.collin@tukaani.org> (in English or Finnish). + + Take into account that I don't have MSVC and I cannot very easily + test anything on Windows. As of writing, I have tried MinGW and the + resulting binaries only under 32-bit Wine. + |