Thread: issues/experience with building postgres on Windows

Hi,

trying to build postgres on Windows, I ran into a number of
problems not covered by the FAQs or the PostgreSQL 8.3.3
documentation:  http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.3/interactive/install-win32-full.html

In short, it's not been an easy experience so far:
- build errors with latest Visual Studio Express C++ 2008
- ok with VS Express 2005 but integration issues with Platform SDK
- issues locating the 14 required software packages:  - no luck getting Bison 1.875 or 2.2 Windows binaries  - linkage
errorswith the latest ActivePerl/TCL libraries  - locating a OSSP-UUID binary package for Windows    (.dll but no
uuid.hwith Hiroshi Saito's binary package?)
 

Below are more details / questions / suggestions with the goal to
help for a better build experience on Windows.

Any hints or comments welcome!

Regards,
Martin


1) Build errors with Visual Studio Express C++ 2008
   For building with Visual Studio Express 2005, the Microsoft   Platform SDK needs to be downloaded, installed, and
integrated  into the INCLUDE/LIB/PATHs.
 
   However, since Visual Studio Express 2008 already comes with   the integrated SDK, I tried this one first.  Ran into
anumber   of VCBuild errors:
 

vcbuild.exe : error VCBLD0010: Project 'G:\olsen\pg\pgsql\postgres.vcproj' requ
ires upgrade. Use 'vcbuild /upgrade' or 'devenv /upgrade' to upgrade the projec
t.
   Couldn't get past these errors by executing "vcbuild /upgrade"   on the generated .vcproj files.  The VS Release
Notesand   other sites describe this issue a bit but to not much help.
 
   ==> Anyone knowing how to build postgres with VC++ 2008?


2) Back to Visual Studio Express C++ 2005 & MS Platform SDK
   The postgres documentation wasn't specific but I installed     Microsoft Platform SDK for Windows Server 2003 R2
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=0baf2b35-c656-4969-ace8-e4c0c0716adb&DisplayLang=en  for I
guessedthis the basis for the Postgres documentation.
 
   There's a newer version, though, now called Windows SDK:     Windows SDK for Windows Server 2008 and .NET Framework
3.5    http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=e6e1c3df-a74f-4207-8586-711ebe331cdc&DisplayLang=en
 
   ==> Anyone tried building PG with latest Windows SDK (2008)?


3) Issues adding Platform SDK paths to VC++ 2005
   The README in pgsql/src/tools/msvc/ informs about the steps   needed to integrate the Platform SDK with VC++ 2005 by
editing  the Include, Library and Path tags in the files     vcprojectengine.dll.express.config
vcprojectengine.dll.config  under the VC++ directory vc\vcpackages.
 
   The README's following assertion is not correct, I think:     "This should work for both GUI and commandline builds,
buta     restart may be necessary."
 
   While the Include/Lib/Path changes appear to be in effect for   the GUI they are NOT in the Visual Studio 2005
CommandPrompt!   (even after restart)
 
   The following MS pages     http://www.microsoft.com/express/2005/platformsdk/default.aspx
http://www.microsoft.com/express/2005/platformsdk/default.aspx  describe additional steps, notably to also delete the
file    vccomponents.dat   located in     %USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\VCExpress\8.0
beforerestarting VC++ Express Edition.
 
   But this didn't change the paths in the VS 2005 Command Prompt   either.  So I had to change the user
INCLUDE/LIB/PATH  environment manually.
 
   Actually, I'm using the Command Prompt from the MS Platform   SDK's Build Environment selection, not the VS 2005
startmenu,   for other important environment settings (target OS, 32/64,   debug/release etc).
 
   ==> Does the README's assertion need to be changed/corrected?


4) Issues with locating the 14 required software packages
   - ActiveState Perl, ActiveState TCL     Had to click around to find out that I don't want the     "ActivePerl Pro
StudioFree Trial" software but the     "ActivePerl".  Same with ActiveTcl.
 
     Problem: found out later that PG doesn't build with the     latest ActivePerl/TCL language packs!
   - Bison, Flex     The PG documentation states: only Bison 1.875 or versions     2.2 and later will work.
     Problem: The GnuWin32 website only offers Bison 2.1!
   - Diff, Gettext     No problems.
   - MIT Kerberos     No problems but unsure how to answer some of the     installation questions.
   - libxml2, libxslt, iconv     No problems.
   - openssl     No problems but unsure how to answer some of the     installation questions.
   - ossp-uuid     Downloaded source from http://www.ossp.org/pkg/lib/uuid/.
     Problem: from where to get a ossp-uuid Windows binary?
   - Python     No problems.
   - zlib     No problems.
   ==> Can't we provide a package for download with all/most of      the libraries/tools needed for building PG on
Windows?


5) Configuring pgsql/src/tools/msvc/config.pl, buildenv.pl
   A typo in my config.pl had the build aborting with only     The system cannot find the path specified.   and no
furtherclues.
 
   ==> More information on misconfigured config.pl would help!


6) Getting a Bison 1.875 or 2.2 Windows binary
   Google couldn't find me a Windows binary and I didn't want to   build one myself (using mingw).  So, I copied
cygwin's2.2   binary, together with the needed .dlls, into an empty   directory at the end of the PATH.
 
   ==> Using cygwin's Bison 2.2 worked!


7) Linkage errors with the latest ActivePerl/TCL libraries
   Having installed the latest ActivePerl/TCL language packs   (Perl: 5.10.0.1003, TCL: 8.5.2.0.284846) resulted in
linkage  errors against libraries 'tk84.lib' and 'perl85.lib'.
 
   I couldn't determine where those library were hardcoded, so, I   downloaded and installed older versions (Perl:
5.8.8.822,TCL:   8.4.19.0.285137.  Worked!
 
   ==> Fixing the linkage errors against the latest ActivePerl/TCL      libs or documenting the version requirements
wouldbe great!
 


8) Getting a Windows OSSP-UUID library
   Google found me a postgres hackers email thread with this link     http://winpg.jp/~saito/pg_work/OSSP_win32/   to
1.6.2uuid-ossp.dll mingw-compiled by Hiroshi Saito. Thanks!
 
   Problem: from where to get the also needed uuid.h?
   I've seen that Hiroshi Saito has worked on a patch for building the   uuid-ossp package on Windows.  I didn't
succeedin building   ossp-uuid using wingw on Windows and took the shortcut of using   cygwin to generate the uuid.h.
 
   But that hack didn't work, I'm getting linkage errors:

uuid.lib(uuid_str.obj) : error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol _va_copy referenced in function _uuid_str_vasprintf
.\Release\uuid-ossp\uuid-ossp.dll : fatal error LNK1120: 1 unresolved externals
   ==> Where can I find a complete ossp-uuid package for Windows?

And this is where I am right now.  Any hints/comments welcome!

Martin Zaun wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> trying to build postgres on Windows, I ran into a number of
> problems not covered by the FAQs or the PostgreSQL 8.3.3
> documentation:
>   http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.3/interactive/install-win32-full.html
>
> In short, it's not been an easy experience so far:
> - build errors with latest Visual Studio Express C++ 2008

Nobody ever said this was supported AFAIK. VC++ Express 2005 is the 
supported compiler so far.

> - ok with VS Express 2005 but integration issues with Platform SDK

Right.

> - issues locating the 14 required software packages:
>   - no luck getting Bison 1.875 or 2.2 Windows binaries

bison 1.875 is available here: 
http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=23617&package_id=22822

>   - linkage errors with the latest ActivePerl/TCL libraries

Ugh.

What would be helpful would be a build log. something like: 
http://www.pgbuildfarm.org/cgi-bin/show_stage_log.pl?nm=mastodon&dt=2008-07-24%20010001&stg=make 
or an extract from it.

cheers

andrew

Andrew Dunstan <andrew@dunslane.net> writes:
> Martin Zaun wrote:
>> - issues locating the 14 required software packages:
>> - no luck getting Bison 1.875 or 2.2 Windows binaries

> bison 1.875 is available here: 
> http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=23617&package_id=22822

To the best of my knowledge, any bison version >= 1.875 works
fine; you need not insist on finding exactly those two releases.
        regards, tom lane

Tom Lane wrote:
> Andrew Dunstan <andrew@dunslane.net> writes:
>> Martin Zaun wrote:
>>> - issues locating the 14 required software packages:
>>> - no luck getting Bison 1.875 or 2.2 Windows binaries
> 
>> bison 1.875 is available here: 
>> http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=23617&package_id=22822
> 
> To the best of my knowledge, any bison version >= 1.875 works
> fine; you need not insist on finding exactly those two releases.

On my machine, using GnuWin32's Bison 2.1 resulted in compile errors
while cygwin's 2.2 is fine.  Have seen the details being discussed
on hackers some time ago.

Thanks,
Martin

Hi.

Sorry, very late reaction....

I'm based on the environment of VC++2005 and MinGW by the reason for requiring official
support. and since it does not have many resources, the environment of VC++2008 is 
restricted.
Therefore, many suggestion can't be performed now....:-(

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Martin Zaun" <Martin.Zaun@Sun.COM>


(snip)
>   - locating a OSSP-UUID binary package for Windows
>     (.dll but no uuid.h with Hiroshi Saito's binary package?)

Ahh, sorry, Although I adjusted with Ralf-san of the official central figure of OSSP,
I did not synchronize with the release timing of PostgreSQL....Then, It was limited
to guidance of my web page.

(snip)
>    - ossp-uuid
>      Downloaded source from http://www.ossp.org/pkg/lib/uuid/.
>
>      Problem: from where to get a ossp-uuid Windows binary?

Yeah, I will propose to Ralf-san.

(snip)
> 8) Getting a Windows OSSP-UUID library
>
>    Google found me a postgres hackers email thread with this link
>      http://winpg.jp/~saito/pg_work/OSSP_win32/
>    to 1.6.2 uuid-ossp.dll mingw-compiled by Hiroshi Saito. Thanks!
>
>    Problem: from where to get the also needed uuid.h?
>
>    I've seen that Hiroshi Saito has worked on a patch for building the
>    uuid-ossp package on Windows.  I didn't succeed in building
>    ossp-uuid using wingw on Windows and took the shortcut of using
>    cygwin to generate the uuid.h.
>
>    But that hack didn't work, I'm getting linkage errors:
>
> uuid.lib(uuid_str.obj) : error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol _va_copy referenced in 
> function _uuid_str_vasprintf
> .\Release\uuid-ossp\uuid-ossp.dll : fatal error LNK1120: 1 unresolved externals
>
>    ==> Where can I find a complete ossp-uuid package for Windows?

Um, I do not understand Cygwin....
Please try define of config.h
---
/* Predefined possible va_copy() implementation (id: ASS) */
#define __VA_COPY_USE_ASS(d, s) do { (d) = (s); } while (0)
---

Regards,
Hiroshi Saito 

Andrew Dunstan wrote:
> 
> 
> Martin Zaun wrote:
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>> trying to build postgres on Windows, I ran into a number of
>> problems not covered by the FAQs or the PostgreSQL 8.3.3
>> documentation:
>>   http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.3/interactive/install-win32-full.html
>>
>> In short, it's not been an easy experience so far:
>> - build errors with latest Visual Studio Express C++ 2008
> 
> Nobody ever said this was supported AFAIK. VC++ Express 2005 is the
> supported compiler so far.

All Visual C++ 2005 versions are supported, not just Express. But it's
true that 2008 is currently not supported out of the box.


>> - ok with VS Express 2005 but integration issues with Platform SDK
> 
> Right.

Yeah, that's an issue with VSE. The full Visual Sudio version doesn't
have this problem.

IIRC I have built it with the 2008 SDK, but I'm not 100% sure.

As for the paths - did you just compare the PATHs in the environment or
actually run the build? Because the build runs fine even when the PATHs
in the environment are wrong, as long as they are correct in the files -
at least for me...

But. It does sound like you are on the wrong commandline. You need to
use the Visual Studio one, not the Platform SDK one.

(And yes, the Visual Studio Express integration with the Platform SDK is
really crappy. I think they've made it nicer in 2008)


>> - issues locating the 14 required software packages:
>>   - no luck getting Bison 1.875 or 2.2 Windows binaries
> bison 1.875 is available here:
> http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=23617&package_id=22822

FWIW, that's the one I'm currently running.

It's all in the download page on SF, but the gnuwin32 *website* has the
wrong version up. But it's browsable. Not sure if we want to hardwire
something like that into the docs, as they might change it around on us...

Providing a pre-made package might actually be interesting, but someone
needs to maintain it... But probably not all that much work. If we get
someone to take responsibility for it (no, I'm not volunteering - I'll
be happy to help set it up, but not the maintenance part), what do
people think about the idea?


>>   - linkage errors with the latest ActivePerl/TCL libraries
> 
> Ugh.

Yeah, we should document the versioning there. IIRC, those versions
weren't available at the time that code was written :-)

I think for starters documentation is enough.


//Magnus