diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'INSTALL-WIN32.md')
| -rw-r--r-- | INSTALL-WIN32.md | 779 |
1 files changed, 779 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/INSTALL-WIN32.md b/INSTALL-WIN32.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..305792ef88 --- /dev/null +++ b/INSTALL-WIN32.md @@ -0,0 +1,779 @@ +How to Build Erlang/OTP on Windows +================================== + +Table of Contents +----------------- + +1. Introduction +2. Frequently Asked Questions +3. Tools you Need and Their Environment +4. The Shell Environment +5. Building and Installing +6. Development +7. Final Words +8. Copyright and License + +Introduction +------------ + +This file describes how to build the Erlang emulator and the OTP +libraries on Windows. The instructions apply to versions of Windows +supporting the Cygwin emulated gnuish environment for Windows. We've +built on the following platforms: Windows 2000 Professional, Windows +2003 server, Windows XP Home/Professional, and Windows Vista. Any +Windows95'ish platform will surely get you into trouble, what I'm not +sure of, but it certainly will... + +The procedure described uses Cygwin as a build environment, you run +the bash shell in Cygwin and uses gnu make/configure/autoconf etc to +do the build. The emulator C-source code is, however, mostly compiled +with Microsoft Visual C++(tm), producing a native Windows binary. This +is the same procedure as we use to build the pre-built binaries. The +fact that we use VC++ and not gcc is explained further in the FAQ +section. + +I describe the build procedure to make it possible for open source +customers to build the emulator, given that they have the needed +tools. The binary Windows releases is still a preferred alternative if +one does not have Microsoft's development tools and/or don't want to +install Cygwin. + +To use Cygwin, one needs basic experience from a Unix environment, if +one does not know how to set environment variables, run programs etc +in a Unix environment, one will be quite lost in the Cygwin +ditto. I can unfortunately not teach all the world how to use +Cygwin and bash, neither how to install Cygwin nor perform basic tasks +on a computer. Please refer to other documentation on the net for +help, or use the binary release instead if you have problems using the +tools. + +However, if you feel comfortable with the environment and build +system, and have all the necessary tools, you have a great opportunity +to make the Erlang/OTP distribution for Windows better. Please submit +any suggestions and patches to the appropriate mailing lists (see +<http://www.erlang.org/faq.html>) to let them find their way into the next +version of Erlang. If making changes to the build system (like +makefiles etc) please bear in mind that the same makefiles are used on +Unix/VxWorks/OSEDelta, so that your changes don't break other +platforms. That of course goes for C-code too, system specific code +resides in the `$ERL_TOP/erts/emulator/sys/win32` and `$ERL_TOP/erts/etc/win32` +directories mostly. The `$ERL_TOP/erts/emulator/beam directory` is for +common code. + +Before the R9C release of Erlang/OTP, the Windows release was built +partly on a Unix (Solaris) box and partly on a Windows box, using Perl +hacks to communicate and sync between the two machines. R9C was the +first release ever built solely on Windows, where no Unix machine is +needed at all. Now we've used this build procedure for a couple of +releases, and it has worked fine for us. Still, there might be all +sorts of troubles on different machines and with different +setups. I'll try to give hints wherever I've encountered difficulties, +but please share your experiences by using the mailing list +<[email protected]>. I cannot of course help everyone with all +their problems, please try to solve the problems and submit +solutions/workarounds. Remember, it's all about sharing, not about +demanding... + +Lets go then, I'll start with a little FAQ, based on in house questions +and misunderstandings. + + +Frequently Asked Questions +-------------------------- + +* Q: So, now I can build Erlang using GCC on Windows? + + A: No, unfortunately not. You'll need Microsoft's Visual C++ still, a + Bourne-shell script (cc.sh) wraps the Visual C++ compiler and runs it + from within the Cygwin environment. All other tools needed to build + Erlang are free-ware/open source, but not the C compiler. + +* Q: Why haven't you got rid of VC++ then, you `******`? + + A: Well, partly because it's a good compiler - really! Actually it's + been possible in late R11-releases to build using mingw instead of + visual C++ (you might see the remnants of that in some scripts and + directories). Unfortunately the development of the SMP version for + Windows broke the mingw build and we chose to focus on the VC++ build + as the performance has been much better in the VC++ versions. The + mingw build will be back, but as long as VC++ gives better + performance, the commercial build will be a VC++ one. + +* Q: OK, VC++ you need, but now you've started to demand a very recent + (and expensive) version of Visual studio, not the old and stable VC++ + 6.0 that was used in earlier versions. Why? + + A: The SMP version of Erlang needs features in the Visual Studio 2005. + Can't live without them. Besides the new compiler gives the Erlang + emulator a ~40% performance boost(!) + +* Q: Can/will I build a Cygwin binary with the procedure you describe? + + A: No, the result will be a pure Windows binary, and as far as I know, + it's not possible to make a Cygwin binary yet. That is of course + something desirable, but there are still some problems with the + dynamic linking (dynamic Erlang driver loading) as well as the TCP/IP + emulation in Cygwin, which, I'm sure of, will improve, but still has + some problems. Fixing those problems might be easy or might be hard. + I suggest you try yourself and share your experience. No one would be + happier if a simple ./configure && make would produce a fully fledged + Cygwin binary. Ericsson does however not pay me to do a Cygwin port, so + such a port would have to happen in spare time, which is a limited + resource... + +* Q: Hah, I saw you, you used GCC even though you said you didn't! + + A: OK, I admit, one of the files is compiled using Cygwin's GCC and + the resulting object code is then converted to MS VC++ compatible coff + using a small C hack. It's because that particular file, `beam_emu.c` + benefits immensely from being able to use the GCC labels-as-values + extension, which boosts emulator performance by up to 50%. That does + unfortunately not (yet) mean that all of OTP could be compiled using + GCC, that particular source code does not do anything system specific + and actually is adopted to the fact that GCC is used to compile it on + Windows. + +* Q: So now there's a MS VC++ project file somewhere and I can build OTP + using the nifty VC++ GUI? + + A: No, never. The hassle of keeping the project files up to date and + do all the steps that constitute an OTP build from within the VC++ GUI + is simply not worth it, maybe even impossible. A VC++ project + file for Erlang/OTP will never happen, at least I will never make + one. Clicking around in super-multi-tab'd dialogs to add a file or + compiler option when it's so much easier in a makefile is simply not + my style. + +* Q: So how does it all work then? + + A: Cygwin is the environment, which closely resembles the environments + found on any Unix machine. It's almost like you had a virtual Unix + machine inside Windows. Configure, given certain parameters, then + creates makefiles that are used by the Cygwin gnu-make to built the + system. Most of the actual compilers etc are not, however, Cygwin + tools, so I've written a couple of wrappers (Bourne-shell scripts), + which reside in `$ERL_TOP/etc/win32/cygwin_tools` and they all do + conversion of parameters and switches common in the Unix environment + to fit the native Windows tools. Most notable is of course the paths, + which in Cygwin are Unix-like paths with "forward slashes" (/) and no + drive letters, the Cygwin specific command `cygpath` is used for most + of the path conversions. Luckily most compilers accept forward slashes + instead of backslashes as path separators, one still have to get the + drive letters etc right, though. The wrapper scripts are not general + in the sense that, for example, cc.sh would understand and translates + every possible gcc option and passes correct options to cl.exe. The + principle is that the scripts are powerful enough to allow building of + Erlang/OTP, no more, no less. They might need extensions to cope with + changes during the development of Erlang, that's one of the reasons I + made them into shell-scripts and not Perl-scripts, I believe they are + easier to understand and change that way. I might be wrong though, + cause another reason I didn't write them in Perl is because I've never + liked Perl and my Perl code is no pleasant reading... + + In `$ERL_TOP`, there is a script called `otp_build`, that script handles + the hassle of giving all the right parameters to `configure`/`make` and + also helps you set up the correct environment variables to work with + the Erlang source under Cygwin. + +* Q: You use and need Cygwin, but then you haven't taken the time to + port Erlang to the Cygwin environment but instead focus on your + commercial release, is that really ethical? + + A: No, not really, but see this as a step in the right direction. I'm + aiming at GCC compiled emulators and a Cygwin version, but I really + need to do other things as well... In time, but don't hold your + breath... + +* Q: Can I build something that looks exactly as the commercial release? + + A: Yes, we use the exactly same build procedure. + +* Q: Which version of Cygwin and other tools do you use then? + + A: For Cygwin we try to use the latest releases available when + building. What versions you use shouldn't really matter, I try to + include workarounds for the bugs I've found in different Cygwin + releases, please help me to add workarounds for new Cygwin-related + bugs as soon as you encounter them. Also please do submit bug reports + to the appropriate Cygwin developers. The Cygwin GCC we used for R13B + was version 3.4.4. We used VC++ 8.0 (i.e. Visual studio 2005 SP1), + Sun's JDK 1.5.0\_17, NSIS 2.37, and Win32 OpenSSL 0.9.8e. Please read + the next section for details on what you need. + +* Q: Can you help me setup X in Cygwin? + + A: No, unfortunately I haven't got time to help with Cygwin related + user problems, please read Cygwin related web sites, newsgroups and + mailing lists. + +* Q: Why is the instruction so long? Is it really that complicated? + + A: Partly it's long because I babble too much, partly because I've + described as much as I could about the installation of the needed + tools. Once the tools are installed, building is quite easy. I also + have tried to make this instruction understandable for people with + limited Unix experience. Cygwin is a whole new environment to some + Windows users, why careful explanation of environment variables etc + seemed to be in place. The short story, for the experienced and + impatient is: + + * Get and install complete Cygwin (latest) + + * (Buy and) Install Microsoft Visual studio 2005 and SP1 (or higher) + + * Get and install Sun's JDK 1.4.2 + + * Get and install NSIS 2.01 or higher (up to 2.30 tried and working) + + * Get and install OpenSSL 0.9.7c or higher + + * Get and unpack wxWidgets-2.8.9 or higher to `/opt/local/pgm` inside + cygwin. + * Open `/cygwin/opt/local/pgm/wxWidgets-2.8.9/build/msw/wx.dsw` + * Enable `wxUSE_GLCANVAS`, `wxUSE_POSTSCRIPT` and + `wxUSE_GRAPHICS_CONTEXT` in `include/wx/msw/setup.h` + * Build all unicode release (and unicode debug) packages + * Open `/cygwin/opt/local/pgm/wxWidgets-2.8.9/contrib/build/stc/stc.dsw` + * Build the unicode release (and unicode debug) packages + + * Get the Erlang source distribution (from + <http://www.erlang.org/download.html>) and unpack with Cygwin's `tar`. + + * Set `ERL_TOP` to where you unpacked the source distribution + + * `$ cd $ERL_TOP` + + * Get (from <http://www.erlang.org/download/tcltk85_win32_bin.tar.gz>) + and unpack the prebuilt TCL/TK binaries for windows with cygwin tar, + standing in `$ERL_TOP` + + * Modify PATH and other environment variables so that all these tools + are runnable from a bash shell. Still standing in `$ERL_TOP`, issue + the following commands: + + $ eval `./otp_build env_win32` + $ ./otp_build autoconf + $ ./otp_build configure + $ ./otp_build boot -a + $ ./otp_build release -a + $ ./otp_build installer_win32 + $ release/win32/otp_win32_<OTP version> /S + + Voila! `Start->Programs->Erlang OTP <OTP version>->Erlang` starts the Erlang + Windows shell. + + +Tools you Need and Their Environment +------------------------------------ + +You need some tools to be able to build Erlang/OTP on Windows. Most +notably you'll need Cygwin and Microsoft VC++, but you also might want +a Java compiler, the NSIS install system and OpenSSL. Only VC++ costs +money, but then again it costs a lot of money, I know... +Well' here's the list: + +* Cygwin, the very latest is usually best. Get all the development + tools and of course all the basic ditto. In fact getting the complete + package might be a good idea, as you'll start to love Cygwin after a + while if you're accustomed to Unix. Make sure to get jar and also make + sure *not* to install a Cygwin'ish Java... The Cygwin jar command is + used but Sun's Java compiler and virtual machine... + + URL: <http://www.cygwin.com> + + Get the installer from the web site and use that to install + Cygwin. Be sure to have fair privileges. If you're on a NT domain you + should consider running `mkpasswd -d` and `mkgroup -d` after the + installation to get the user databases correct. See their respective + manual pages. + + When you start you first bash shell, you will get an awful prompt. You + might also have a `PATH` environment variable that contains backslashes + and such. Edit `$HOME/.profile` and `$HOME/.bashrc` to set fair prompts + and set a correct PATH. Also do a `export SHELL` in `.profile`. For some + non-obvious reason the environment variable `$SHELL` is not exported in + bash. Also note that `.profile` is run at login time and `.bashrc` when + sub shells are created. You'll need to explicitly source `.bashrc` from + `.profile` if you want the commands there to be run at login time (like + setting up aliases, shell functions and the like). I personally + usually do like this at the end of `.profile`: + + ENV=$HOME/.bashrc + export ENV + . $ENV + + You might also, if you're a hard core type of person at least, want to + setup X-windows (XFree86), that might be as easy as running startx + from the command prompt and it might be much harder. Use Google to + find help... + + If you don't use X-windows, you might want to setup the Windows + console window by selecting properties in the console system menu + (upper left corner of the window, the Cygwin icon in the title + bar). Especially setting a larger screen buffer size (lines) is useful + as it gets you a scrollbar so you can see whatever error messages + that might appear... + + If you want to use (t)csh instead of bash you're on your own, I + haven't tried and know of no one that has. I expect + that you use bash in all shell examples. + +* Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 SP1. Please don't skip the service + pack! The installer might update your environment so that you can run + the `cl` command from the bash prompt, then again it might + not... There is always a BAT file in VC\Bin under the installation + directory (default `C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8`) called + `VCVARS32.BAT`. Either add the environment settings in that file to the + global environment settings in Windows or add the corresponding BASH + environment settings to your `.profile`/`.bashrc`. For example, in my case + I could add the following to `.profile` + + #Visual C++ Root directory as Cygwin style pathname + VCROOT=/cygdrive/c/Program\ Files/Microsoft\ Visual\ Studio 8 + + # Visual C++ Root directory as Windows style pathname + WIN_VCROOT="C:\\Program Files\\Microsoft Visual Studio 8" + + # The PATH variable should be Cygwin'ish + PATH=$VCROOT/Common7/IDE:$VCROOT/VC/BIN:$VCROOT/Common7/Tools:\ + $VCROOT/Common7/Tools/bin:$VCROOT/VC/PlatformSDK/bin:$VCROOT/SDK/v2.0/bin:\ + $VCROOT/VC/VCPackages:$PATH + + # Lib and INCLUDE should be Windows'ish + # Note that semicolon (;) is used to separate Windows style paths but + # colon (:) to separate Cygwin ditto! + + LIBPATH=$WIN_VCROOT\\VC\\ATLMFC\\LIB + + LIB=$WIN_VCROOT\\VC\\ATLMFC\\LIB\;$WIN_VCROOT\\VC\\LIB\;\ + $WIN_VCROOT\\VC\\PlatformSDK\\lib\;$WIN_VCROOT\\SDK\\v2.0\\lib + + INCLUDE=$WIN_VCROOT\\VC\\ATLMFC\\INCLUDE\;$WIN_VCROOT\\VC\\INCLUDE\;\ + $WIN_VCROOT\\VC\\PlatformSDK\\include + + export PATH LIB INCLUDE + + Make a simple hello world and try to compile it with the `cl` command + from within bash. If that does not work, your environment needs + fixing. Also remember to fix up the PATH environment, especially old + Erlang installations might have inserted quoted paths that Cygwin does + not understand. Remove or correct such paths. There should be no + backslashes in your path environment variable in Cygwin bash, but LIB + and INCLUDE should contain Windows style paths with semicolon, + drive letters and backslashes. + + If you wish to use Visual Studio 2008, a couple things need to be tweaked, + namely the fact that some of the SDK stuff is installed in (by default) + `C:\Program Files\Microsoft SDKs\v6.0A` . Just ensure that that + `C:\Program Files\Microsoft SDKs\v6.0A\Lib` is in `LIB` and + `C:\Program Files\Microsoft SDKs\v6.0A\Include` is in `INCLUDE`. A symptom + of not doing this is errors about finding kernel32.lib and windows.h. + + Additionally, if you encounter errors about mc.exe not being found, you must + install the entire Windows SDK (the partial SDK included in visual studio + apparently does not include it). After installing it you'll want to add + something like: `/c/cygdrive/Program\ Files/Microsoft\ SDKs/v7.0/bin` to + your `PATH` to allow the environment to find mc.exe. The next Visual Studio + (2010) is expected to include this tool. + +* Sun's Java JDK 1.5.0 or higher. Our Java code (jinterface, ic) is + written for JDK 1.5.0. Get it for Windows and install it, the JRE is + not enough. If you don't care about Java, you can skip this step, the + result will be that jinterface is not built. + + URL: <http://java.sun.com> + + Add javac *LAST* to your path environment in bash, in my case this means: + + PATH="$PATH:/cygdrive/c/Program Files/Java/jdk1.5.0_17/bin" + + No `CLASSPATH` or anything is needed. Type `javac` at the bash prompt + and you should get a list of available Java options. Make sure by + typing `which java` that you use the Java you installed. Note however that + Cygwin's `jar.exe` is used, that's why the JDK bin-directory should be + added last in the `PATH`. + +* Nullsoft NSIS installer system. You need this to build the self + installing package. It's a free open source installer that's much + nicer to use than the commercial Wise and Install shield + installers. This is the installer we use for commercial releases as + well from R9C an on. + + URL: <http://www.nullsoft.com/free/nsis> + + Install the lot, especially the modern user interface components, as + it's definitely needed. Put `makensis` in your path, in my case: + + PATH=/cygdrive/c/Program\ Files/NSIS:$PATH + + type makensis at the bash prompt and you should get a list of options + if everything is OK. + +* OpenSSL for Windows. This is if you want the SSL and crypto + applications to compile (and run). Go to <http://www.openssl.org>, click + on the `Related` link and then on the `Binaries` link (upper right + corner of the page last time I looked), you can then reach the + "Shining Lights Productions" Web site for Windows binaries + distributions. Get the latest or 0.9.7c if you get trouble with the + latest. It's a nifty installer. The rest should be handled by + `configure`, you needn't put anything in the path or anything. + + If you want to build openssl for windows yourself (which might be + possible, as you wouldn't be reading this if you weren't a + compile-it-yourself person), you either have to put the resulting + DLL's in your path or in the windows system directory and either + specify where you put the includes etc with the configure-parameter + `--with-ssl=<cygwin path to the root>` or put your installation directly + under `c:\OpenSSL`. The directory structure under the installation root + for OpenSSL is expected to be one with subdirectories named `include`, + `bin` and `lib`, possibly with a `VC` subdirectory of `lib` containing + the actual `.lib` files. Note that the cygwin distributed OpenSSL cannot be + used, it results in cygwin depending binaries and it has unix style + archives (`.a`, not `.lib`). + +* Building with wxWidgets. Download wxWidgets-2.8.9 or higher patch + release (2.9.* is a developer release which currently does not work + with wxErlang). + + Install or unpack it to `DRIVE:/PATH/cygwin/opt/local/pgm` + Open from explorer (i.e. by double clicking the file) + `C:\cygwin\opt\local\pgm\wxMSW-2.8.10\build\msw\wx.dsw` + In Microsoft Visual Studio, click File/Open/File, locate and + open: `C:\cygwin\opt\local\pgm\wxMSW-2.8.10\include\wx\msw\setup.h` + enable `wxUSE_GLCANVAS`, `wxUSE_POSTSCRIPT` and `wxUSE_GRAPHICS_CONTEXT` + Build it by clicking Build/Batch Build and select all unicode release + (and unicode debug) packages. + + Open `C:\cygwin\opt\local\pgm\wxMSW-2.8.10\contrib/build/stc/stc.dsw` + and batch build all unicode packages. + +* The Erlang source distribution (from <http://www.erlang.org/download.html>). + The same as for Unix platforms. Preferably use tar from within Cygwin to + unpack the source tar.gz (`tar zxf otp_src_R13B04.tar.gz`). + + set the environment ERL_TOP to point to the root directory of the + source distribution. Let's say I stood in `$HOME/src` and unpacked + `otp_src_R13B04.tar.gz`, I then add the following to `.profile`: + + ERL_TOP=$HOME/src/otp_src_R13B04 + export $ERL_TOP + +* The TCL/TK binaries. You could compile Tcl/Tk for windows yourself, + but you can get a stripped down version from our website which is + suitable to include in the final binary package. If you want to supply + tcl/tk yourself, read the instructions about how the tcl/tk tar file + used in the build is constructed under `$ERL_TOP/lib/gs/tcl`. The easy + way is to download <http://www.erlang.org/download/tcltk85_win32_bin.tar.gz> + and unpack it standing in the `$ERL_TOP` directory. This will create the + file `win32.tar.gz` in `$ERL_TOP/lib/gs/tcl/binaries`. + + One last alternative is to create a file named `SKIP` in the + `$ERL_TOP/lib/gs/` after configure is run, but that will give you an + erlang system without gs (which might be okay as you probably will use + wx anyway). + +The Shell Environment +--------------------- + +So, if you have followed the instructions above, when you start a bash +shell, you should have an INCLUDE environment with a Windows style +path, a LIB environment variable also in Windows style, and finally a +PATH that let's you reach cl, makensis, javac etc from the +command prompt (use `which cl` etc to verify from bash). + +You should also have an `ERL_TOP` environment variable that is *Cygwin +style*, and points to a directory containing, among other files, the +script `otp_build`. + +A final massage of the environment is needed, and that is done by +the script `$ERL_TOP/otp_build`. Start bash and do the following, note +the "back-ticks" (\`), can be quite hard to get on some keyboards, but +pressing the back-tick key followed by the space bar might do it... + + $ cd $ERL_TOP + $ eval `./otp_build env_win32` + +If you're unable to produce back-ticks on your keyboard, you can use +the ksh variant: + + $ cd $ERL_TOP + $ eval $(./otp_build env_win32) + +This should do the final touch to the environment and building should +be easy after this. You could run `./otp_build env_win32` without +`eval` just to see what it does, and to see that the environment it +sets seems OK. The path is cleaned of spaces if possible (using DOS +style short names instead), the variables `OVERRIDE_TARGET`, `CC`, `CXX`, +`AR` and `RANLIB` are set to their respective wrappers and the directories +`$ERL_TOP/erts/etc/win32/cygwin_tools/vc` and +`$ERL_TOP/erts/etc/win32/cygwin_tool` are added first in the PATH. + +Try now a `which erlc`. That should result in the erlc wrapper script +(which does not have the .sh extension, for reasons best kept +untold...). It should reside in `$ERL_TOP/erts/etc/win32/cygwin_tools`. +You could also try `which cc.sh`, which `ar.sh` etc. + +Now you're ready to build... + + +Building and Installing +----------------------- + +Now it's assumed that you have executed `` eval `./otp_build env_win32` `` +for this particular shell... + +Building is easiest using the `otp_build` script. That script takes care +of running configure, bootstrapping etc on Windows in a simple +way. The `otp_build` script is the utility we use ourselves to build on +different platforms and it therefore contains code for all sorts of +platforms. The principle is, however, that for non-Unix platforms, one +uses `./otp_build env_<target>` to set up environment and then the +script knows how to build on the platform "by itself". You've already +run `./otp_build env_win32` in the step above, so now it's mostly like +we build on any platform. OK, here are then steps; Assuming you will +want to build a full installation executable with NSIS, you can omit +`<installation directory>` and the release will be copied to +`$ERL_TOP/release/win32`: and there is where the packed self installing +executable will reside too. + + $ ./otp_build autoconf # Ignore the warning blob about versions of autoconf + $ ./otp_build configure <optional configure options> + $ ./otp_build boot -a + $ ./otp_build release -a <installation directory> + $ ./otp_build installer_win32 <installation directory> # optional + +Now you will have a file called `otp_win32_R12B.exe` in the +`<installation directory>`, i.e. `$ERL_TOP/release/win32`. + +Lets get into more detail: + +`$ ./otp_build autoconf` - This step rebuilds the configure scripts to +work correctly in the cygwin environment. In an ideal world, this +would not be needed, but alas, we have encountered several +incompatibilities between our distributed configure scripts (generated +on a Linux platform) and the cygwin environment over the +years. Running autoconf on cygwin ensures that the configure scripts +are generated in a cygwin-compatible way and that they will work well +in the next step. + +`$ ./otp_build configure` - This runs the newly generated configure scripts +with options making configure behave nicely. The target machine type is +plainly `win32`, so a lot of the configure-scripts recognize this +awkward target name and behave accordingly. The CC variable also makes +the compiler be cc.sh, which wraps MSVC++, so all configure tests +regarding the C compiler gets to run the right compiler. A lot of the +tests are not needed on Windows, but I thought it best to run the +whole configure anyway. The only configure option you might want to +supply is `--with-ssl`, which might be needed if you have built your own +openssl distribution. The Shining Lights distribution should be found +automatically by configure, if that fails, add a `--with-ssl=<dir>` that +specifies the root directory of your OpenSSL installation. + +`$ ./otp_build boot -a` - This uses the bootstrap directory (shipped +with the source, `$ERL_TOP/bootstrap`) to build a complete OTP +system. It first builds an emulator and sets up a minimal OTP system +under `$ERL_TOP/bootstrap`, then starts to compile the different OTP +compilers to make the `$ERL_TOP/bootstrap` system potent enough to be +able to compile all Erlang code in OTP. Then, all Erlang and C code +under `$ERL_TOP/lib` is built using the bootstrap system, giving a +complete OTP system (although not installed). When this is done, one +can run Erlang from within the source tree, just type `$ERL_TOP/bin/erl` +and you should have a prompt. If you omit the -a flag, you'll get a +smaller system, that might be useful during development. Now +exit from Erlang and start making a release of the thing: + +`$ ./otp_build release -a` - Builds a commercial release tree from the +source tree, default is to put it in `$ERL_TOP/release/win32`, you can +give any directory as parameter (Cygwin style), but it doesn't really matter +if you're going to build a self extracting installer too. You could of +course build release to the final directory and then run `./Install.exe` +standing in the directory where the release was put, that will create +a fully functional OTP installation. But let's make the nifty +installer: + +`$ ./otp_build installer_win32` - Create the self extracting installer +executable. The executable `otp_win32_<OTP version>.exe` will be placed +in the top directory of the release created in the previous step. If +no release directory is specified, the release is expected to have +been built to `$ERL_TOP/release/win32`, which also will be the place +where the installer executable will be placed. If you specified some +other directory for the release (i.e. +`./otp_build release -a /tmp/erl_release`), you're expected to give the +same parameter here, (i.e. `./otp_build installer_win32 /tmp/erl_release`). +You need to have a full NSIS installation and `makensis.exe` in your +path for this to work of course. Once you have created the installer, +you can run it to install Erlang/OTP in the regular way, just run the +executable and follow the steps in the installation wizard. To get all +default settings in the installation without any questions asked, you +run the executable with the parameter `/S` (capital S). like in: + + $ cd $ERL_TOP + $ release/win32/otp_win32_R13B04 /S + ... + +and after a while Erlang will have been installed in +`C:\Program Files\erl5.7.5`, with shortcuts in the menu etc. + +*NOTE* Beginning with R9C, the Windows installer does *not* add Erlang +to the system wide path. If one wants to have Erlang in the path, one +has to add it by hand. + +The necessary setup of an Erlang installation is actually done by the +program `Install.exe`, which resides in the release top. That program +creates `.ini`-files and copies the correct boot scripts. If one has +the correct directory tree (like after a `./otp_build release -a`), only +the running of Install.exe is necessary to get a fully functional +OTP. What the self extracting installer adds is (of course) the +possibility to distribute the binary easily, together with adding +shortcuts to the Windows start menu. There is also some adding of +entries in the registry, to associate `.erl` and `.beam` files with Erlang +and get nifty icons, but that's not something you'll really need to +run Erlang. The registry is also used to store uninstall information, +but if one has not used the self extracting installer, one cannot +(need not) do any uninstall, one just scratches the release directory +and everything is gone. Erlang/OTP does not *need* to put anything +in the Windows registry at all, and does not if you don't use the self +extracting installer. In other words the installer is pure cosmetics. + + +Development +----------- + +Once the system is built, you might want to change it. Having a test +release in some nice directory might be useful, but you also can run +Erlang from within the source tree. The target `local_setup`, makes +the program `$ERL_TOP/bin/erl.exe` usable and it also uses all the OTP +libraries in the source tree. + +If you hack the emulator, you can then build the emulator executable +by standing in `$ERL_TOP/erts/emulator` and do a simple + + $ make opt + +Note that you need to have run ``(cd $ERL_TOP && eval `./otp_build env_win32`)`` +in the particular shell before building anything on Windows. After +doing a make opt you can test your result by running `$ERL_TOP/bin/erl`. +If you want to copy the result to a release directory (say +`/tmp/erl_release`), you do this (still in `$ERL_TOP/erts/emulator`) + + $ make TESTROOT=/tmp/erl_release release + +That will copy the emulator executables. + +To make a debug build of the emulator, you need to recompile both +`beam.dll` (the actual runtime system) and `erlexec.dll`. Do like this + + $ cd $ERL_TOP + $ rm bin/win32/erlexec.dll + $ cd erts/emulator + $ make debug + $ cd ../etc + $ make debug + +and sometimes + + $ cd $ERL_TOP + $ make local_setup + +So now when you run `$ERL_TOP/erl.exe`, you should have a debug compiled +emulator, which you will see if you do a: + + 1> erlang:system_info(system_version). + +in the erlang shell. If the returned string contains `[debug]`, you +got a debug compiled emulator. + +To hack the erlang libraries, you simply do a `make opt` in the +specific "applications" directory, like: + + $ cd $ERL_TOP/lib/stdlib + $ make opt + +or even in the source directory... + + $ cd $ERL_TOP/lib/stdlib/src + $ make opt + +Note that you're expected o have a fresh Erlang in your path when +doing this, preferably the plain R13B04 you have built in the previous +steps. You could also add `$ERL_TOP/bootstrap/bin` to your `PATH` before +rebuilding specific libraries, that would give you a good enough +Erlang system to compile any OTP erlang code. Setting up the path +correctly is a little bit tricky, you still need to have +`$ERL_TOP/erts/etc/win32/cygwin_tools/vc` and +`$ERL_TOP/erts/etc/win32/cygwin_tools` *before* the actual emulator +in the path. A typical setting of the path for using the bootstrap +compiler would be: + + $ export PATH=$ERL_TOP/erts/etc/win32/cygwin_tools/vc:$ERL_TOP/erts/etc/win32/cygwin_tools:$ERL_TOP/bootstrap/bin:$PATH + +That should make it possible to rebuild any library without hassle... + +If you want to copy a library (an application) newly built, to a +release area, you do like with the emulator: + + $ cd $ERL_TOP/lib/stdlib + $ make TESTROOT=/tmp/erlang_release release + +Remember that: + +* Windows specific C-code goes in the `$ERL_TOP/erts/emulator/sys/win32`, + `$ERL_TOP/erts/emulator/drivers/win32` or `$ERL_TOP/erts/etc/win32`. + +* Windows specific erlang code should be used conditionally and the + host OS tested in *runtime*, the exactly same beam files should be + distributed for every platform! So write code like: + + case os:type() of + {win32,_} -> + do_windows_specific(); + Other -> + do_fallback_or_exit() + end, + +That's basically all you need to get going. + +Final Words +----------- +My hope is that the possibility to build the whole system on Windows +will open up for free development on this platform too. There are many +things one might want to do better in the Windows version, like the +window-style command prompt as well as pure Cygwin porting. Although i +realize it's a much larger step to start building on Windows (with all +the software you need) than for instance on Linux, I sincerely hope +that some of you will make the effort and start submitting Windows +friendly patches. + +The first build system for Erlang using Cygwin on Windows was created +by Per Bergkvist. I haven't used his build system, but it's rumored to +be good. The idea to do this came from his work, so credit is well +deserved. + +Of course this would have been completely impossible without the +excellent Cygwin package. The guys at Cygnus solutions and Redhat +deserves a huge THANKS! as well as all the other people in the free +software community who have helped in creating the magnificent +software that constitutes Cygwin. + +Good luck and Happy Hacking, +Patrik, OTP + +Copyright and License +--------------------- + +> %CopyrightBegin% +> +> Copyright Ericsson AB 2003-2010. All Rights Reserved. +> +> The contents of this file are subject to the Erlang Public License, +> Version 1.1, (the "License"); you may not use this file except in +> compliance with the License. You should have received a copy of the +> Erlang Public License along with this software. If not, it can be +> retrieved online at http://www.erlang.org/. +> +> Software distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" +> basis, WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See +> the License for the specific language governing rights and limitations +> under the License. +> +> %CopyrightEnd% |