I have a simple C++ program. I want to just build the exe and give it to a person on another complete non-development box. Is there a way to build such a simple, single-source file to an executable in Visual Studio without needing all the crap ? I have changed the program to compile in MT mode, instead of MTD which statically linked the msvcr.dll file, but now it is looking for msvcp.dll file. How can I compile so that my executable either 1) doesnt include all this junk or 2) statically links it all so that I have exactly one file to transfer to another Windows PC to run
Thanks
If compiling with /MT is requiring msvcr100.dll, something included in your application is probably trying to link with it, possibly a third party component. I would check any third party libraries and related.
MSVCP100.DLL is the C++ standard library. You might want to double check that it's not looking for MSVCP100D.DLL, which is the debug version; mixing release and debug mode libraries could cause this.
MSVCRT100.DLL is the C run-time library, and MSVCP100.DLL is the C++ standard library. Both should go away if you build with /MT, in that case static versions of these libraries should have been used.
My guess is that you either did not fully rebuild your app after switching to /MT, or that one or more files in your project have custom settings that include /MD. You may want to open the properties dialog box on the page that shows the /MT and then click on all your source files one by one to verify that none of them still show /MD.
Related
I have some confusion about static and dynamic linked libraries and .lib and .dll files.
I have a project with two libraries, one I built myself and one is from an open source library.
The one I built myself is a separate project in the same solution (Visual Studio 2015, C++), and I don't need to copy over the .lib files or create a DLL for the executable to build and run
For the other open source library, I do need to copy over the .lib file and the DLL into the executable folder. However, I thought it would be possible to statically link a .lib file and not have to copy over the DLL.
Does this mean I need to compile the Open Source library differently? Like change the define __declspec(dllexport) to __declspec(dllimport) ? Or change /mD to /mT in compiler options?
I tried both of these, but it's still saying that it can't start without the .dll
Or can I get away with changing a setting in the executable project to link this library statically? If so, what are these settings?
EDIT: I know this is a standard question that can be looked up on google, but I haven't been able to find an exact answer for a while. Mainly, I'm confused about what settings need to be changed, and which project they need to be changed in. (The library or the executable).
I'm under assumption that static linking means the library is built into the executable, and dynamic linking means the library needs to be in a separate file, if this is incorrect, please let me know. Otherwise, I need to know how to build the library into the executable file.
And I can go ahead and change the build options in the open source library, and I tried this already.
Thanks,
-D
In Windows, dll files (dynamically linked libraries) need to be in the same directory as the application or on the search path. lib files (static libraries) need to be statically linked during linking (the last step of building the application). It's common in Windows so have a library come with both a dll and lib file. In this case, the lib file is an import library containing the information needed to easily link to the dll.
Place the dll file where your application will be built and statically link with the lib file. Go to 'Project->Properties->Link->Input->Additional Dependencies' and 'Project->Properties->Link->General->Additional Library Directories' to specify the static libraries you want to link.
Edit: It seems I misunderstood the question. The question is how to recompile a dynamic library as a static library. You need the source code of the library you are using along with it's Visual Studio Project file. Open the library and in `Project->Properties->General->Configuration Type' change it from Dynamic Library to Static Library.
Beware that Dynamic Library uses the Linker group of properties while the Static Library uses the Librarian group of properties. Changing between these types may cause the project to drop essential linker flags options. Since every library is different, I can't predict what you will have to do work around this. Make sure to backup the project file so you can see the original options and flags.
I had to change the setting for "Static Library" for All Configurations, not just Debug, although it was building in Debug. Not sure what may have caused this. Possibly because the debug and release builds for the library were set to the same folder, it may have been overwriting the debug builds with release builds when building
I thought if you compile a Visual-studio 2013 Win32 project using /MT Code Generation->Runtime library then it will automatically package all dependency dll's - including 3rd party dll's - into the executable?
Currently certain users get an error when running my .exe. Its related to not having a 3rd party dll (OpenSSL):
The program can't start because LIBEAY32.dll is missing from your computer
This error has occurred for users using my .exe on Windows 10 OS's. How can I ensure all dependency dll's are packaged into my .exe?
I currently compile my application on my 64bit Windows 8.1 OS. The win32 visual-studio project is compiled using the following project properties:
Character Set: Unicode char set
Use of MFC: Use standard windows libraries
Whole Program Optimisation: Use Link Time Code Generation
Debug info format: none
Code Generation->Runtime library: /MT
/MT indicates that you are using multithread, static version of the run-time library. This doesn't affect third party dependency, e.g. OpenSSL is still linked dynamically.
To check your dll's dependency I prefer Dependency Walker tool. It will show if some of dependency is missed.
To ensure all dependency linked into your .exe file use static linking for all your third party dependency, e.g. for OpenSSL you should use libeay32MT.lib library.
Nikita is right, use Dependency Walker and I'd add that you're missing some knowledge about what a DLL really is. No offence meant, I know dlls can be a pita. What is a DLL?
By definition a DLL is not included in your .exe but it is loaded at runtime and could be shared amongst several applications. If you want to include it in your .exe it will require some extra non trivial work to embed them into your exe, unpack and load at runtime.
See this post
I'd suggest to use an installer instead, much easier to handle! Just create an installer (you know the click click click "yes-yes-I agree-Ok-Done" wizard installer) that will include your .exe and all needed dependency files. As a reference Inno setup is quite great.
The Gameplay Project distributes a set of static libraries of all it's dependencies. The libraries they include will link in a debug or release build of an application. I ran the strings command on their lib and compared it to one I compiled. The linker directive /FAILIFMISMATCH:"RuntimeLibrary=MD_DynamicRelease" is set in my library, but not theirs.
How did they compile their library this way?
Edit: Clarification
I failed to mention that this occurs on the next branch, which uses libs compiled for VS2012. The _MSC_VER of the libraries is 1700.
I am aware that you shouldn't link different versions of the CRT, but I'm wondering how they were even able to compile it this way.
It seems MS has started adding /FAILIFMISMATCH:"RuntimeLibrary line from vs2012. /FAILIFMISMATCH itself is introduced in vs2010. I've chekced Gameplay Project sln file and it is using vs2010. Try to use vs2010 and see if the directive is gone.
I think you already know this but it doesn't really matter if the directive is there or not because you must match the runtime library compile option anyway.
When I make a simple program Whether Console or win32 When I copy the program to other pc or other os give me an error message, must have specific dll or lib files to the program works .
Example:
I created a simple console program and when it runs on other Windows or other pc asked me files (msvcp100d.dll, msvcr100d.dll) needed to the program works .
My question:
How can I run the program on any pc or Windows without it asks any file link, or even file libraries, or other.
Note: I'm using visual studio 2010 express edition with windows 7.
That is not always a good idea, and with some libraries you may have licensing issues, but you can link everything statically, instead of dynamically.
For example, for the MS C/C++ runtime libraries (msvcp100d.dll, msvcr100d.dll), you could change the settings in the Visual Studio. Open the project properties, and go to:
Configuration properties -> C/C++
change the 'Runtime library' to:
Multi-threaded Debug (/MTd) // for a Debug build, and to
Multi-threaded (/MT) // for a Release build
then, just rebuild your project, and it won't ask for those libraries again.
As for 3rd party libraries, you'll have to have a static build of the libraries (only .lib files, as opposed to lib/dll pairs which are dynamic). Furthermore, the static libraries will have to be themselves linked statically to msvcp100d.dll and msvcr100d.dll.
Once all those conditions are satisfied, you just link with those lib files, and your executable won't ask for dlls.
I'm wondering how to make a release build that includes all necessary dll files into the .exe so the program can be run on a non-development machine without it having to install the microsoft redistributable on the target machine.
Without doing this you get the error message that the application configuration is not correct and to reinstall.
Choose Project -> Properties
Select Configuration -> General
In the box for how you should link MFC, choose to statically link it.
Choose Linker -> Input. Under Additional Dependencies, add any libraries you need your app to statically link in.
You need to set the run-time library (Under C/C++ -> Code Generation) for ALL projects to static linkage, which correlates to the following default building configurations:
Multithreaded Debug/Release
Singlethreaded Debug/Release
As opposed to the "DLL" versions of those libraries.
Even if you do that, depending on the libraries you're using, you might have to install a Merge Module/framework/etc. It depends on whether static LIB versions of your dependencies are available.
Be aware that Microsoft do not recommend that you static link the runtime into your project, as this prevents it from being serviced by windows update to fix critical security bugs. There are also potential problems if you are passing memory between your main .exe and .dll files as if each of these static links the runtime you can end up with malloc/free mismatch problems.
You can include the DLLs with the executable, without compiling them into the .exe and without running the redist tool - this is what I do and it seems to work fine.
The only fly in the ointment is that you need to include the files twice if you're distributing for a wide range of Windows versions - newer OSs need the files in manifest-defined directories, and older ones want all the files in the program directory.
You'd be looking to static link (as opposed to dynamically link)
I'm not sure how many of the MS redistributables statically link in.
If you are looking to find out which dll's your target machine is missing then use depends.exe which used to come with MSDev, but can also be found here. Testing this on a few target machines should tell you which dll's you need to package with your application.
You should use a static link and add all libraries you need under additional dependencies.