compile with MSVC

[Fabian188]

I have issues building ginkgo 1.9.0 with msvc.
I build static and disable as much as possible, e.g. OMP (albeit I compile with /openmp:llvm there is no full support of OpenMP 3.0 and I get an error, but this is a different topic).

I build as cmake external project, building works, but the install step fails

[100%] Built target ginkgo
Install the project...
-- Install configuration: "Release"
-- Up-to-date: C:/Users/fwein/code/cfs/release_nmake/cfsdeps/ginkgo/install/lib/ginkgo_device.lib
-- Up-to-date: C:/Users/fwein/code/cfs/release_nmake/cfsdeps/ginkgo/install/lib/ginkgo_reference.lib
-- Up-to-date: C:/Users/fwein/code/cfs/release_nmake/cfsdeps/ginkgo/install/lib/ginkgo_cuda.lib
-- Up-to-date: C:/Users/fwein/code/cfs/release_nmake/cfsdeps/ginkgo/install/lib/ginkgo_dpcpp.lib
-- Up-to-date: C:/Users/fwein/code/cfs/release_nmake/cfsdeps/ginkgo/install/lib/ginkgo_hip.lib
-- Up-to-date: C:/Users/fwein/code/cfs/release_nmake/cfsdeps/ginkgo/install/lib/ginkgo_omp.lib
-- Up-to-date: C:/Users/fwein/code/cfs/release_nmake/cfsdeps/ginkgo/install/lib/ginkgo.lib
-- Installing: C:/Users/fwein/code/cfs/release_nmake/cfsdeps/ginkgo/install/C:/Users/fwein/code/cfs/release_nmake/cfsdeps/ginkgo/install/lib/pkgconfig/ginkgo_Relea
se.pc
CMake Error: Could not open file for write in copy operation C:/Users/fwein/code/cfs/release_nmake/cfsdeps/ginkgo/install/C:/Users/fwein/code/cfs/release_nmake/cfs
deps/ginkgo/install/lib/pkgconfig/ginkgo_Release.pc.tmp
CMake Error: : System Error: Invalid argument
CMake Error at cmake/generate_pkg_Release.cmake:31 (configure_file):
  configure_file Problem configuring file
Call Stack (most recent call first):
  cmake_install.cmake:71 (include)

Before I investigate further, do you consider msvc as a target? What are your experiences?

The line in generate_pkg_Release.cmake is

# @TODO: better to use file(REAL_PATH ...) with cmake 3.19+
get_filename_component(GINKGO_PKG_INSTALL_PREFIX ${GINKGO_PKG_INSTALL_PREFIX} ABSOLUTE) 

Can I disable pkg-install? I don't need it anyway.

[MarcelKoch]

We support building with MSVC and also have this in our CI pipeline. But we only test the shared build, so maybe you could try that. Otherwise, @upsj has probably the most knowledge of our windows build.

[Fabian188]

Thanks, I'll contact him.

[upsj]

Apologies for the delay - I received your email, but the follow-up fell through. From your paths, I'm assuming you build using NMake? From the error message, this sounds like a CMake bug in the NMake generator (the copy command treating relative and absolute paths incorrectly) rather than a Ginkgo issue.

Building and installing with the Visual Studio generator works correctly.

[Fabian188]

OK, that clarifies it for me, that you use the VS generator.
For nmake I have to apply the following patch on cmake/generate_pkg.cmake.in, then it also works for nmake

-set(GINKGO_INSTALL_PKGCONFIG_DIR "$ENV{DESTDIR}${GINKGO_PKG_INSTALL_PREFIX}/${GINKGO_INSTALL_LIBDIR}/pkgconfig")
+set(GINKGO_INSTALL_PKGCONFIG_DIR "${GINKGO_INSTALL_LIBDIR}/pkgconfig")

Maybe this information is helpful for somebody else using nmake. I assume it has something to do with the ginkgo cmake code, as I don't have this issue with about 10 other cmake projects I use with make, ninja and cmake. But I really cannot tell or point to the code where it makes the difference. For me the patch works fine and a NMake guide in cmake/generate_pkg.cmake.in is probably too ugly.