From: Wilson Bilkovich <wilsonb@...>
Date: 2006-03-05T04:38:48+09:00
Subject: Re: Best tools for compiling Ruby (Windows)?

On 3/3/06, Glenn Smith <glenn.ruby@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi
>
> I'd like to figure out how I can download and compile the latest version of
> Ruby on Windows.  I know I can get Curt's one-click installer, but I'd quite
> like the ability to compile it for myself.
>
> Question is, which is the best (free) compiler for the job?  Visual C++ or
> Borland? Or another?
>
> I have tried to use the MS VC++ Toolkit 2003, with NMAKE 1.5 - both freely
> downloadable from MS but as soon as I issue a win32\configure i686-mswin32
> (from memory), NMAKE falls over immediately.  Can't remember the error
> off-hand but if it's important I can run it again.
>
> Am I using the right version of tools?  Should I really be using Borland?
> (their CPP5.5 is also freely downloadable).
>

VC++ 2003 works fine, it's 2005 that's a big change, and difficult to
make function properly.
If you install these three things, you should be able to compile
anything you want on Win32.
1. Visual C++ Toolkit 2003 (free)
2. MS Platform SDK 2003 (free, and you only need to install the
basics. Leave most things unchecked.)
3. MS .NET SDK 1.1 (not! 2.0)

That will give you a new version of NMAKE (don't use 1.5), along with
the compiler and the various headers and libraries you need.

Once you've downloaded and installed these, you'll need to configure
your environment variables.  Here's what my vcvars32.bat file looks
like:
@echo off

Set PATH=C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual C++ Toolkit
2003\bin;C:\Program Files\Microsoft Platform SDK\Bin;%PATH%
Set INCLUDE=C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual C++ Toolkit
2003\include;C:\Program Files\Microsoft Platform
SDK\Include;C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio .NET
2003\Vc7\include;%INCLUDE%
Set LIB=C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual C++ Toolkit
2003\lib;C:\Program Files\Microsoft Platform SDK\Lib;C:\Program
Files\Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003\Vc7\lib;%LIB%

echo Setting Visual C++ environment variables.
echo You lose 1d6 sanity points.
echo.