Migrating makefiles from Unix to Windows

[zevik]

How do I use a Unix-originated makefile on Windows Vista? Is there any simple guidelines for migrating the makefile such that it works?

 

[TylerH]

Um... it depends... 1st thing I'd try would be Cygwin. That would probably be the only thing I'd try under Windows. Migrating... just no! Without a POSIX subsystem(like Cygwin/Interix), there just isn't a feasible way to do it.

The problem comes from the fact that Windows and *nix are totally different, and almost completely incompatible. The makefile is likely to depend on certain executable that come standard on *nix being on your system, but they won't be there.

Basically, if your going to use *nix tools, it's easiest to install a *nix. There are Linux distros for people who are used to Windows. I think "Mint" is a special made distro for Win-converts. Anyway, point is, you CAN have both.

 

[zevik]

Um... it depends... 1st thing I'd try would be Cygwin. That would probably be the only thing I'd try under Windows. Migrating... just no! Without a POSIX subsystem(like Cygwin/Interix), there just isn't a feasible way to do it.

The problem comes from the fact that Windows and *nix are totally different, and almost completely incompatible. The makefile is likely to depend on certain executable that come standard on *nix being on your system, but they won't be there.

Basically, if your going to use *nix tools, it's easiest to install a *nix. There are Linux distros for people who are used to Windows. I think "Mint" is a special made distro for Win-converts. Anyway, point is, you CAN have both.

Thanks TylerH.

In my case, I made sure that I have all the tools: ld, sed, compiler, make. but it still didn't work, so I was thinking that maybe the make itself (or some other tool) is using some slightly different syntax or something like that, and I was wondering - maybe there are some basic differences in sytax etc. that are common knowledge for people here..

It eems that I will have to use Cygwin like you're saying, or some virtualization, but I still have some hope..

 

[story645]

Did you try make for windows?

 

[zevik]

It works like a charm.
Thanks story645 - this is a great collection.