calc/README.WINDOWS

Dear calc user on a Windows based system,

See the HOWTO.INSTALL file for information on how to build and install calc.
See also the README file.

     Please also add notes to the 'Compiling calc under Windows 11'
     and 'Compiling with Cygwin' section in README.WINDOWS file.

NOTE: The main developers do not have access to a Windows based platform.
      While we will make an effort to not break calc Windows based system,
      our lack of a Windows test environment will mean we will make mistakes
      from time to time.  Hopefully Windows users can overcome these mistakes.
      Of course you are welcome to send us any patches that fix your
      Windows build environment.


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=-= Compiling calc under Windows 11 =-=
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BTW: While we are unable to use Windows 11, we welcome Windows 11
     developers to try compiling calc natively (instead of via a Linux
     virtual machine).  If you are able to compile Windows 11 natively,
     we would welcome GitHub pull requests showing any needed modifications:

	https://github.com/lcn2/calc/pulls

We were given this advice from a Windows 11 developer:

    Windows 11 users could use Cygwin:

        https://cygwin.com/install.html

    IMPORTANT: While installing Cygwin, and during Cygwin Setup, be sure to
	       select all the MinGW64 packages relating to gcc.

	       See the "Compiling with Cygwin" section below.

NOTE: Compiling calc under Windows 11 is work in progress.  If you run into
      problems, consider the "Compiling with Cygwin" section below.


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=-= Compiling with Msys =-=
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The MSYS2 Software Distribution and Building Platform for Windows:

    https://www.msys2.org

is a fork of Cygwin.  In `Makefile.config`, when the OSNAME is "Msys",
the Cygwin target it set.  MSYS2 Software Distribution users should be
sure that the following command prints "Msys".

    uname -o

Or call make with OSNAME set as in:

    make ... OSNAME=Msys

Follow the "Compiling with Cygwin" instructions below.


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=-= Compiling with Cygwin =-=
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

An effort is being made to allow windows users to compile calc using the
Cygwin project (http://sources.redhat.com/cygwin/) with the GCC compiler
and Unix tools for Windows.

The major porting work for Cygwin was performed by Thomas Jones-Low
(tjoneslo at softstart dot com).

In December 2022, GitHub user @Leoongithub successfully compiled
calc-2.14.1.2 under cygwin 2.924 (64 bit). The following are the
compilation steps that GitHub user @Leoongithub recommends:

0. Install the latest version of cygwin (https://cygwin.com/install.html).

    NOTE: In addition to the default packages, you also need to check these
	  three packages: gcc-core, make, and libreadline-devel. The version
	  of these packages does not matter. Just choose the latest version.

    NOTE: The addition of "target=Cygwin" to make commands below
	  is done just in case the target is not set properly by make.

1. Change (cd) into the top of the source code directory of calc.

   NOTE: The make command assume you are at the top of the calc source directory.

2. make clobber target=Cygwin

   NOTE: This helps ensure that you are starting from a so-called "clean slate",
	 and that you have nothing hanging around from previous attempts to compile.

3. make all target=Cygwin

   NOTE: If successful, you should have a calc executable.  However that executable
	 may not be working properly.  Advance to step (4) to test.

4. make chk target=Cygwin

   NOTE: If you want this command be be verbose, try:

	    make check target=Cygwin

   NOTE: This will run calc with the regress.cal regression suite.  This step could take
	 for a while to run, depending on the speed/performance of your machine.
	 If all is well (all regression tests pass), you will see at the end:

	    chk OK

         Otherwise you may see calc exit non-zero after it prints some lines with '****'
	 error messages followed by a line including a final error count of the form:

	   **** 2 error(s) found  \/++\/

         If you see some errors that may relate to files and I/O, all may not be lost.
	 It could simply mean that your Windows environment is not conforming to standard
	 I/O and file operations.  The calc mathematical engine may be just fine.  On the
	 other hand if you see mathematical related regression test failures, this is
	 bad sign that your calc executable under Windows is not usable.

5. make install target=Cygwin

   NOTE: This step is optional.  While calc is usable at the top of the source code directory
         of calc, installing calc may be of benefit so you can use calc elsewhere on your system.


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=-= Compiling calc via virtual machine under Windows 11 =-=
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We would prefer a Windows 11 solution that does not require a Windows 11
developer to install a Linux virtual machine.  Nevertheless, a Windows 11
user might want to use the Microsoft Windows Subsystem (WSL) for Linux:

	https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/

    We have been told that you will need to turn on virtualization
    to use this WSL subsystem.


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=-= Compiling calc under Windows 10 via Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) =-=
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It has been reported that calc version 2.12.6.4 has been successfully
compiled, installed and running on Windows 10 on 2018 Jan 21.

We were told:

  "The Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) is a new Windows 10 feature that
   enables you to run native Linux command-line tools directly on Windows"

   https://docs.microsoft.com/cs-cz/windows/wsl/about

NOTE: The use of calc under Windows 10 has been deprecated in favor of one
      of the Windows 11 methods above.


## Copyright (C) 2002-2009,2021-2023  Landon Curt Noll and Thomas Jones-Low
##
## Calc is open software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
## the terms of the version 2.1 of the GNU Lesser General Public License
## as published by the Free Software Foundation.
##
## Calc is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
## ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY
## or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.	 See the GNU Lesser General
## Public License for more details.
##
## A copy of version 2.1 of the GNU Lesser General Public License is
## distributed with calc under the filename COPYING-LGPL.  You should have
## received a copy with calc; if not, write to Free Software Foundation, Inc.
## 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301, USA.
##
## Under source code control:	2001/02/25 14:00:05
## File existed as early as:	2001
##
## chongo <was here> /\oo/\	http://www.isthe.com/chongo/
## Share and enjoy!  :-)	http://www.isthe.com/chongo/tech/comp/calc/