How to compile C++ using MinGW on Windows? - c++

Question

I'm getting the following error
cannot find -lstdc++
collect2.exe: error: ld returned 1 exit status
it's a simple Hello World program.
g++ version returns
g++ (MinGW.org GCC Build-2) 9.2.0
g++ -v <filename.cpp> returns
Using built-in specs.
COLLECT_GCC=g++
COLLECT_LTO_WRAPPER=c:/mingw/bin/../libexec/gcc/mingw32/9.2.0/lto-wrapper.exe
Target: mingw32
Configured with: ../src/gcc-9.2.0/configure --build=x86_64-pc-linux-gnu --host=mingw32 --target=mingw32 --disable-win32-registry --with-arch=i586 --with-tune=generic --enable-static --enable-shared --enable-threads --enable-languages=c,c++,objc,obj-c++,fortran,ada --with-dwarf2 --disable-sjlj-exceptions --enable-version-specific-runtime-libs --enable-libgomp --disable-libvtv --with-libiconv-prefix=/mingw --with-libintl-prefix=/mingw --enable-libstdcxx-debug --disable-build-format-warnings --prefix=/mingw --with-gmp=/mingw --with-mpfr=/mingw --with-mpc=/mingw --with-isl=/mingw --enable-nls --with-pkgversion='MinGW.org GCC Build-2'
Thread model: win32
gcc version 9.2.0 (MinGW.org GCC Build-2)
COLLECT_GCC_OPTIONS='-v' '-shared-libgcc' '-mtune=generic' '-march=i586'
c:/mingw/bin/../libexec/gcc/mingw32/9.2.0/cc1plus.exe -quiet -v -iprefix c:\mingw\bin\../lib/gcc/mingw32/9.2.0/ hw.cpp -quiet -dumpbase hw.cpp -mtune=generic -march=i586 -auxbase hw -version -o C:\Users\move78~1\AppData\Local\Temp\ccQus9Kp.s
GNU C++14 (MinGW.org GCC Build-2) version 9.2.0 (mingw32)
compiled by GNU C version 9.2.0, GMP version 6.1.2, MPFR version 4.0.2, MPC version 1.1.0, isl version isl-0.21-GMP
GGC heuristics: --param ggc-min-expand=100 --param ggc-min-heapsize=131072
ignoring nonexistent directory "c:\mingw\bin\../lib/gcc/mingw32/9.2.0/../../../../mingw32/include"
ignoring duplicate directory "c:/mingw/lib/gcc/../../lib/gcc/mingw32/9.2.0/include/c++"
ignoring duplicate directory "c:/mingw/lib/gcc/../../lib/gcc/mingw32/9.2.0/include/c++/mingw32"
ignoring duplicate directory "c:/mingw/lib/gcc/../../lib/gcc/mingw32/9.2.0/include/c++/backward"
ignoring duplicate directory "c:/mingw/lib/gcc/../../lib/gcc/mingw32/9.2.0/include"
ignoring duplicate directory "/mingw/lib/gcc/mingw32/9.2.0/../../../../include"
ignoring duplicate directory "c:/mingw/lib/gcc/../../include"
ignoring duplicate directory "c:/mingw/lib/gcc/../../lib/gcc/mingw32/9.2.0/include-fixed"
ignoring nonexistent directory "c:/mingw/lib/gcc/../../lib/gcc/mingw32/9.2.0/../../../../mingw32/include"
ignoring duplicate directory "/mingw/include"
#include "..." search starts here:
#include <...> search starts here:
c:\mingw\bin\../lib/gcc/mingw32/9.2.0/include/c++
c:\mingw\bin\../lib/gcc/mingw32/9.2.0/include/c++/mingw32
c:\mingw\bin\../lib/gcc/mingw32/9.2.0/include/c++/backward
c:\mingw\bin\../lib/gcc/mingw32/9.2.0/include
c:\mingw\bin\../lib/gcc/mingw32/9.2.0/../../../../include
c:\mingw\bin\../lib/gcc/mingw32/9.2.0/include-fixed
End of search list.
GNU C++14 (MinGW.org GCC Build-2) version 9.2.0 (mingw32)
compiled by GNU C version 9.2.0, GMP version 6.1.2, MPFR version 4.0.2, MPC version 1.1.0, isl version isl-0.21-GMP
GGC heuristics: --param ggc-min-expand=100 --param ggc-min-heapsize=131072
Compiler executable checksum: cb31672760a9c1b42d1ddb86616116cd
COLLECT_GCC_OPTIONS='-v' '-shared-libgcc' '-mtune=generic' '-march=i586'
c:/mingw/bin/../lib/gcc/mingw32/9.2.0/../../../../mingw32/bin/as.exe -v -o C:\Users\move78~1\AppData\Local\Temp\cctjBjko.o C:\Users\move78~1\AppData\Local\Temp\ccQus9Kp.s
GNU assembler version 2.32 (mingw32) using BFD version (GNU Binutils) 2.32
COMPILER_PATH=c:/mingw/bin/../libexec/gcc/mingw32/9.2.0/;c:/mingw/bin/../libexec/gcc/;c:/mingw/bin/../lib/gcc/mingw32/9.2.0/../../../../mingw32/bin/
LIBRARY_PATH=c:/mingw/bin/../lib/gcc/mingw32/9.2.0/;c:/mingw/bin/../lib/gcc/;c:/mingw/bin/../lib/gcc/mingw32/9.2.0/../../../../mingw32/lib/;c:/mingw/bin/../lib/gcc/mingw32/9.2.0/../../../
COLLECT_GCC_OPTIONS='-v' '-shared-libgcc' '-mtune=generic' '-march=i586'
c:/mingw/bin/../libexec/gcc/mingw32/9.2.0/collect2.exe -plugin c:/mingw/bin/../libexec/gcc/mingw32/9.2.0/liblto_plugin-0.dll -plugin-opt=c:/mingw/bin/../libexec/gcc/mingw32/9.2.0/lto-wrapper.exe -plugin-opt=-fresolution=C:\Users\move78~1\AppData\Local\Temp\ccxROszG.res -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lmingw32 -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lmingwex -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lmingw32 -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lmingwex -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lgcc_s -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lgcc -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lmoldname -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lmsvcrt -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-ladvapi32 -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lshell32 -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-luser32 -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lkernel32 -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lmingw32 -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lmingwex -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lmingw32 -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lmingwex -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lgcc_s -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lgcc -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lmoldname -plugin-opt=-pass-through=-lmsvcrt -Bdynamic -u ___register_frame_info -u ___deregister_frame_info c:/mingw/bin/../lib/gcc/mingw32/9.2.0/../../../crt2.o c:/mingw/bin/../lib/gcc/mingw32/9.2.0/crtbegin.o -Lc:/mingw/bin/../lib/gcc/mingw32/9.2.0 -Lc:/mingw/bin/../lib/gcc -Lc:/mingw/bin/../lib/gcc/mingw32/9.2.0/../../../../mingw32/lib -Lc:/mingw/bin/../lib/gcc/mingw32/9.2.0/../../.. C:\Users\move78~1\AppData\Local\Temp\cctjBjko.o -lstdc++ -lmingw32 -lmingwex -lmingw32 -lmingwex -lgcc_s -lgcc -lmoldname -lmsvcrt -ladvapi32 -lshell32 -luser32 -lkernel32 -lmingw32 -lmingwex -lmingw32 -lmingwex -lgcc_s -lgcc -lmoldname -lmsvcrt c:/mingw/bin/../lib/gcc/mingw32/9.2.0/crtend.o
c:/mingw/bin/../lib/gcc/mingw32/9.2.0/../../../../mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find -lstdc++
collect2.exe: error: ld returned 1 exit status

Answer 1

You need 3 things to build:
Your tools (like g++.exe) need to be in your PATH (or specified via their full path when calling them, e.g. C:\mingw\mingw32\bin\g++.exe).
The compiler needs to be able to find the include files. If needed you can add include paths (pointing to the folder, not the actual file) using -I flags (or you can use C_INCLUDE_PATH (for C) and CPLUS_INCLUDE_PATH (for C++) environment variables).
The linker needs be able to find your libraries (like libstdc++.a). If needed you can add library paths (pointing to the folder, not the actual file) using -L flags (or you can use LIBRARY_PATH environment variable).
If you use MSYS2 shell these things should already have been set up.
The standalone build from http://winlibs.com/ looks for relative locations and should just work wherever you extract it on your disk.
You didn't mention which shell you were running your commands from (Command Prompt, PowerShell, MSYS), but it's important the above is respected correctly in whatever shell you are using.
As far as I know http://winlibs.com/ works in MSYS shell, Command Prompt and PowerShell (though parameters starting with - need to be put in quotes when using PowerShell).