xref: /openssl/NOTES-WINDOWS.md (revision bd28a23e)
1Notes for Windows platforms
2===========================
3
4 - [Native builds using Visual C++](#native-builds-using-visual-c++)
5 - [Native builds using Embarcadero C++Builder](
6   #native-builds-using-embarcadero-c++-builder)
7 - [Native builds using MinGW](#native-builds-using-mingw)
8 - [Linking native applications](#linking-native-applications)
9 - [Hosted builds using Cygwin](#hosted-builds-using-cygwin)
10
11There are various options to build and run OpenSSL on the Windows platforms.
12
13"Native" OpenSSL uses the Windows APIs directly at run time.
14To build a native OpenSSL you can either use:
15
16    Microsoft Visual C++ (MSVC) C compiler on the command line
17or
18    Embarcadero C++Builder
19or
20    MinGW cross compiler
21    run on the GNU-like development environment MSYS2
22    or run on Linux or Cygwin
23
24"Hosted" OpenSSL relies on an external POSIX compatibility layer
25for building (using GNU/Unix shell, compiler, and tools) and at run time.
26For this option you can use Cygwin.
27
28Native builds using Visual C++
29==============================
30
31The native builds using Visual C++ have a `VC-*` prefix.
32
33Requirement details
34-------------------
35
36In addition to the requirements and instructions listed in `INSTALL.md`,
37these are required as well:
38
39### Perl
40
41We recommend Strawberry Perl, available from <http://strawberryperl.com/>
42Please read NOTES.PERL for more information, including the use of CPAN.
43An alternative is ActiveState Perl, <https://www.activestate.com/ActivePerl>
44for which you may need to explicitly build the Perl module Win32/Console.pm
45via <https://platform.activestate.com/ActiveState> and then download it.
46
47### Microsoft Visual C compiler.
48
49Since these are proprietary and ever-changing we cannot test them all.
50Older versions may not work. Use a recent version wherever possible.
51
52### Netwide Assembler (NASM)
53
54NASM is the only supported assembler. It is available from <https://www.nasm.us>.
55
56Quick start
57-----------
58
59 1. Install Perl
60
61 2. Install NASM
62
63 3. Make sure both Perl and NASM are on your %PATH%
64
65 4. Use Visual Studio Developer Command Prompt with administrative privileges,
66    choosing one of its variants depending on the intended architecture.
67    Or run `cmd` and execute `vcvarsall.bat` with one of the options `x86`,
68    `x86_amd64`, `x86_arm`, `x86_arm64`, `amd64`, `amd64_x86`, `amd64_arm`,
69    or `amd64_arm64`.
70    This sets up the environment variables needed for `nmake.exe`, `cl.exe`,
71    etc.
72    See also
73    <https://docs.microsoft.com/cpp/build/building-on-the-command-line>
74
75 5. From the root of the OpenSSL source directory enter
76    - `perl Configure VC-WIN32`     if you want 32-bit OpenSSL or
77    - `perl Configure VC-WIN64A`    if you want 64-bit OpenSSL or
78    - `perl Configure VC-WIN64-ARM` if you want Windows on Arm (win-arm64)
79       OpenSSL or
80    - `perl Configure`              to let Configure figure out the platform
81
82 6. `nmake`
83
84 7. `nmake test`
85
86 8. `nmake install`
87
88For the full installation instructions, or if anything goes wrong at any stage,
89check the INSTALL.md file.
90
91Installation directories
92------------------------
93
94The default installation directories are derived from environment
95variables.
96
97For VC-WIN32, the following defaults are use:
98
99    PREFIX:      %ProgramFiles(x86)%\OpenSSL
100    OPENSSLDIR:  %CommonProgramFiles(x86)%\SSL
101
102For VC-WIN64, the following defaults are use:
103
104    PREFIX:      %ProgramW6432%\OpenSSL
105    OPENSSLDIR:  %CommonProgramW6432%\SSL
106
107Should those environment variables not exist (on a pure Win32
108installation for examples), these fallbacks are used:
109
110    PREFIX:      %ProgramFiles%\OpenSSL
111    OPENSSLDIR:  %CommonProgramFiles%\SSL
112
113ALSO NOTE that those directories are usually write protected, even if
114your account is in the Administrators group.  To work around that,
115start the command prompt by right-clicking on it and choosing "Run as
116Administrator" before running `nmake install`.  The other solution
117is, of course, to choose a different set of directories by using
118`--prefix` and `--openssldir` when configuring.
119
120Special notes for Universal Windows Platform builds, aka `VC-*-UWP`
121-------------------------------------------------------------------
122
123 - UWP targets only support building the static and dynamic libraries.
124
125 - You should define the platform type to `uwp` and the target arch via
126   `vcvarsall.bat` before you compile. For example, if you want to build
127   `arm64` builds, you should run `vcvarsall.bat x86_arm64 uwp`.
128
129Native builds using Embarcadero C++Builder
130=========================================
131
132This toolchain (a descendant of Turbo/Borland C++) is an alternative to MSVC.
133OpenSSL currently includes an experimental 32-bit configuration targeting the
134Clang-based compiler (`bcc32c.exe`) in v10.3.3 Community Edition.
135<https://www.embarcadero.com/products/cbuilder/starter>
136
137 1. Install Perl.
138
139 2. Open the RAD Studio Command Prompt.
140
141 3. Go to the root of the OpenSSL source directory and run:
142    `perl Configure BC-32 --prefix=%CD%`
143
144 4. `make -N`
145
146 5. `make -N test`
147
148 6. Build your program against this OpenSSL:
149    * Set your include search path to the "include" subdirectory of OpenSSL.
150    * Set your library search path to the OpenSSL source directory.
151
152Note that this is very experimental. Support for 64-bit and other Configure
153options is still pending.
154
155Native builds using MinGW
156=========================
157
158MinGW offers an alternative way to build native OpenSSL, by cross compilation.
159
160 * Usually the build is done on Windows in a GNU-like environment called MSYS2.
161
162   MSYS2 provides GNU tools, a Unix-like command prompt,
163   and a UNIX compatibility layer for applications.
164   However, in this context it is only used for building OpenSSL.
165   The resulting OpenSSL does not rely on MSYS2 to run and is fully native.
166
167   Requirement details
168
169   - MSYS2 shell, from <https://www.msys2.org/>
170
171   - Perl, at least version 5.10.0, which usually comes pre-installed with MSYS2
172
173   - make, installed using `pacman -S make` into the MSYS2 environment
174
175   - MinGW[64] compiler: `mingw-w64-i686-gcc` and/or `mingw-w64-x86_64-gcc`.
176     These compilers must be on your MSYS2 $PATH.
177     A common error is to not have these on your $PATH.
178     The MSYS2 version of gcc will not work correctly here.
179
180   In the MSYS2 shell do the configuration depending on the target architecture:
181
182       ./Configure mingw ...
183
184   or
185
186       ./Configure mingw64 ...
187
188   or
189
190       ./Configure ...
191
192   for the default architecture.
193
194   Apart from that, follow the Unix / Linux instructions in `INSTALL.md`.
195
196 * It is also possible to build mingw[64] on Linux or Cygwin.
197
198   In this case configure with the corresponding `--cross-compile-prefix=`
199   option. For example
200
201       ./Configure mingw --cross-compile-prefix=i686-w64-mingw32- ...
202
203   or
204
205       ./Configure mingw64 --cross-compile-prefix=x86_64-w64-mingw32- ...
206
207   This requires that you've installed the necessary add-on packages for
208   mingw[64] cross compilation.
209
210Linking native applications
211===========================
212
213This section applies to all native builds.
214
215If you link with static OpenSSL libraries then you're expected to
216additionally link your application with `WS2_32.LIB`, `GDI32.LIB`,
217`ADVAPI32.LIB`, `CRYPT32.LIB` and `USER32.LIB`. Those developing
218non-interactive service applications might feel concerned about
219linking with `GDI32.LIB` and `USER32.LIB`, as they are justly associated
220with interactive desktop, which is not available to service
221processes. The toolkit is designed to detect in which context it's
222currently executed, GUI, console app or service, and act accordingly,
223namely whether or not to actually make GUI calls. Additionally those
224who wish to `/DELAYLOAD:GDI32.DLL` and `/DELAYLOAD:USER32.DLL` and
225actually keep them off service process should consider implementing
226and exporting from .exe image in question own `_OPENSSL_isservice` not
227relying on `USER32.DLL`. E.g., on Windows Vista and later you could:
228
229       __declspec(dllexport) __cdecl BOOL _OPENSSL_isservice(void)
230       {
231           DWORD sess;
232
233           if (ProcessIdToSessionId(GetCurrentProcessId(), &sess))
234               return sess == 0;
235           return FALSE;
236       }
237
238If you link with OpenSSL .DLLs, then you're expected to include into
239your application code a small "shim" snippet, which provides
240the glue between the OpenSSL BIO layer and your compiler run-time.
241See also the OPENSSL_Applink manual page.
242
243Hosted builds using Cygwin
244==========================
245
246Cygwin implements a POSIX/Unix runtime system (`cygwin1.dll`) on top of the
247Windows subsystem and provides a Bash shell and GNU tools environment.
248Consequently, a build of OpenSSL with Cygwin is virtually identical to the
249Unix procedure.
250
251To build OpenSSL using Cygwin, you need to:
252
253 * Install Cygwin, see <https://cygwin.com/>
254
255 * Install Cygwin Perl, at least version 5.10.0
256   and ensure it is in the $PATH
257
258 * Run the Cygwin Bash shell
259
260Apart from that, follow the Unix / Linux instructions in INSTALL.md.
261
262NOTE: `make test` and normal file operations may fail in directories
263mounted as text (i.e. `mount -t c:\somewhere /home`) due to Cygwin
264stripping of carriage returns. To avoid this ensure that a binary
265mount is used, e.g. `mount -b c:\somewhere /home`.
266