How to build on Windows using cmake?

[eabase]

Trying to build on Windows:

# cmake -S .. -B . -Ax64 -Wno-dev -Wno-deprecated --fresh --install-prefix 'C:\Program Files\SoapyRTLSDR' -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release | Tee-object -Append $XXLOG

-- Building for: Visual Studio 17 2022
-- Selecting Windows SDK version 10.0.22621.0 to target Windows 10.0.26100.
-- The CXX compiler identification is MSVC 19.43.34808.0
-- Detecting CXX compiler ABI info
-- Detecting CXX compiler ABI info - done
-- Check for working CXX compiler: C:/Program Files/Microsoft Visual Studio/2022/Community/VC/Tools/MSVC/14.43.34808/bin/Hostx64/x64/cl.exe - skipped
-- Detecting CXX compile features
-- Detecting CXX compile features - done
-- Could NOT find PkgConfig (missing: PKG_CONFIG_EXECUTABLE)
CMake Error at CMakeLists.txt:16 (message):
  RTL-SDR development files not found...

-- Could NOT find RTLSDR (missing: RTLSDR_LIBRARY RTLSDR_INCLUDE_DIR)
-- Configuring incomplete, errors occurred!

According to some sources say that VS 2022 already have PkgConfig...
How can I verify?
How can I install?

What is PKG_CONFIG_EXECUTABLE? Is it an environment variable?

[zuckschwerdt]

You could just set RTLSDR_LIBRARY and RTLSDR_INCLUDE_DIR if you don't have a working PkgConfig.

[eabase]

I've tried to populate those with all sorts of paths and files, and it's not working. I need to see someone's working definitions for those.

In addition there seem to be some confusion between RTLSDR_INCLUDE_DIRS and RTLSDR_INCLUDE_DIR (no "S"). I also tried to get a working pkgconfig, but I keep on getting error, that the project is not configured correctly for using vcpkg...

Finally, you say here:
https://github.com/pothosware/SoapyRTLSDR/wiki

The CMake build system will locate librtl-sdr and SoapySDR development files on your system. The plugin module will be built and installed into the SoapySDR modules directories.

git clone https://github.com/pothosware/SoapyRTLSDR.git
cd SoapyRTLSDR
mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..

make   <------------------- There are NO Makefiles in the project!
sudo make install <-------- ...So how do you build this on Windows?

It would be great if you guys actually tested this E2E before writing up instructions that can't possibly work as posted. Especially for very low engagement project like this.

[zuckschwerdt]

Yes, there is regular confusion about the PkConfig names. Best to lookup what's used in the CMakeLists.txt
Here it is actually RTLSDR_INCLUDE_DIRS and RTLSDR_LIBRARIES, sorry about that.

On Linux or MacOS this would work: cmake -DRTLSDR_INCLUDE_DIRS=/usr/local/include -DRTLSDR_LIBRARIES=/usr/local/lib -B build && cmake --build build

I don't think there are active Windows developers in the SoapySDR project, your insight and documentation will be very useful.

[zuckschwerdt]

With CMake you can select the "generator", for Windows it should be -G"Visual Studio 17 2022", e.g. (adjust the paths) cmake -G"Visual Studio 17 2022" -DRTLSDR_INCLUDE_DIRS=C:\rtlsdr\include -DRTLSDR_LIBRARIES=C:\rtlsdr\lib -B build && cmake --build build

[eabase]

Yes, I know about the build command, but I don't know what are in those locations. It seem that evyone have different ideas what is a library.

For example, looking in the (downloadable) package for libusb-1.0.27, we have the following files:

$ tree -L 4
.
├── README.txt
├── VS2022
│   ├── MS32
│   │   ├── dll
│   │   │   ├── libusb-1.0.dll
│   │   │   ├── libusb-1.0.exp
│   │   │   ├── libusb-1.0.lib
│   │   │   └── libusb-1.0.pdb
│   │   └── static
│   │       ├── libusb-1.0.lib
│   │       └── libusb-1.0.pdb
│   └── MS64
│       ├── dll
│       │   ├── libusb-1.0.dll
│       │   ├── libusb-1.0.exp
│       │   ├── libusb-1.0.lib
│       │   └── libusb-1.0.pdb
│       └── static
│           ├── libusb-1.0.lib
│           └── libusb-1.0.pdb
├── include
│   └── libusb.h
└── libusb-1.0.def

So what would the RTLSDR_INCLUDE_DIRS and RTLSDR_LIBRARIES, point at?

OC, if you compile the libusb or rtl-sdr yourself, you get a completely different structure and locations...

And then we have to deal with all the wildest rtl-sdr forks:
https://github.com/rtlsdrblog/rtl-sdr-blog
https://github.com/V10lator/rtl-sdr
+ hundreds more!

All, just because Osmocom, people refuse to maintain their code on Github, and using 2 decades old email based UI/UX for issues...

[eabase]

BTW. There is a libusb-cmake version as well... In case someone else is also having issues. (I didn't try it yet.)

[zuckschwerdt]

On Windows the Libraries folder (RTLSDR_LIBRARIES) will be named dll or bin usually and contains at least *.dll files. Include simply contains header files (e.g. *.h)

So -DRTLSDR_INCLUDE_DIRS=include -DRTLSDR_LIBRARIES=VS2022\MS64\dll

[eabase]

Great. What about the filenames themselves?

For example, I noticed that rtl-sdr produces rtlsdr.dll whereas some include criteria from other packages, expect to to load librtlsdr.dll, or something like it, etc.

[eabase]

I'm running this command:

# $XXLOG='log_install_soapysdr.txt'

# cmake -S .. -B . -Ax64 -Wno-dev -Wno-deprecated --fresh --install-prefix 'C:\Program Files\SoapyRTLSDR' -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DRTLSDR_INCLUDE_DIRS='C:\xxxx\libusb-1.0.27\include' -DRTLSDR_LIBRARIES='C:\xxxx\libusb-1.0.27\VS2022\MS64\dll' | Tee-object -Append $XXLOG

-- Building for: Visual Studio 17 2022
-- Selecting Windows SDK version 10.0.22621.0 to target Windows 10.0.26100.
-- The CXX compiler identification is MSVC 19.43.34808.0
-- Detecting CXX compiler ABI info
-- Detecting CXX compiler ABI info - done
-- Check for working CXX compiler: C:/Program Files/Microsoft Visual Studio/2022/Community/VC/Tools/MSVC/14.43.34808/bin/Hostx64/x64/cl.exe - skipped
-- Detecting CXX compile features
-- Detecting CXX compile features - done
-- [INFO] SoapySDR Development files found.
-- Could NOT find PkgConfig (missing: PKG_CONFIG_EXECUTABLE)
-- Could NOT find RTLSDR (missing: RTLSDR_LIBRARY RTLSDR_INCLUDE_DIR)
CMake Error at CMakeLists.txt:18 (message):
  RTL-SDR development files not found...

-- Configuring incomplete, errors occurred!

Looking at FindRTLSDR.cmake we find the following:

# - Try to find rtlsdr - the hardware driver for the realtek chip in the dvb receivers
# Once done this will define
#  RTLSDR_FOUND - System has rtlsdr
#  RTLSDR_LIBRARIES - The rtlsdr libraries
#  RTLSDR_INCLUDE_DIRS - The rtlsdr include directories
#  RTLSDR_LIB_DIRS - The rtlsdr library directories

if(NOT RTLSDR_FOUND)

    find_package(PkgConfig)
    pkg_check_modules (RTLSDR_PKG librtlsdr)
    set(RTLSDR_DEFINITIONS ${PC_RTLSDR_CFLAGS_OTHER})

    find_path(RTLSDR_INCLUDE_DIR
                NAMES rtl-sdr.h
                HINTS ${RTLSDR_PKG_INCLUDE_DIRS} $ENV{RTLSDR_DIR}/include
                PATHS /usr/local/include /usr/include /opt/include /opt/local/include)

    find_library(RTLSDR_LIBRARY
                NAMES rtlsdr
                HINTS ${RTLSDR_PKG_LIBRARY_DIRS} $ENV{RTLSDR_DIR}/include
                PATHS /usr/local/lib /usr/lib /opt/lib /opt/local/lib)

    set(RTLSDR_LIBRARIES ${RTLSDR_LIBRARY} )
    set(RTLSDR_INCLUDE_DIRS ${RTLSDR_INCLUDE_DIR} )

    include(FindPackageHandleStandardArgs)
    # handle the QUIETLY and REQUIRED arguments and set LibRTLSDR_FOUND to TRUE
    # if all listed variables are TRUE
    find_package_handle_standard_args(RTLSDR  DEFAULT_MSG
                                      RTLSDR_LIBRARY RTLSDR_INCLUDE_DIR)

    mark_as_advanced(RTLSDR_INCLUDE_DIR RTLSDR_LIBRARY)

endif(NOT RTLSDR_FOUND)

At least 2 issues:

• Using POSIX paths
• Wrong name for the variables... ??? - I'm not sure about this, very confusing structure here.

Can you help me fix this? I'm not very good with CMake...

[eabase]

Aaah may bad! Sorry!

Never mind, I'm confsing the usblib with rtl-sdr above.
Hold on.

[eabase]

So -DRTLSDR_INCLUDE_DIRS=include -DRTLSDR_LIBRARIES=VS2022\MS64\dll

Ok so this is wrong.

The compiler option variables are without 'S', like this:
-DRTLSDR_INCLUDE_DIR and
-DRTLSDR_LIBRARY

So using this, worked:
-DRTLSDR_INCLUDE_DIR="$RTLSDR_INCLUDE_DIRS" -DRTLSDR_LIBRARY="$RTLSDR_LIBRARIES"

I am using the rtl-sdr-blog Release package, but it didn't include the header files, so I had to copy the *.h files from his repo, and put it into a structure like this:

# tree -C -L 3 C:\mylib\rtl-sdr

C:\mylib\rtl-sdr
├── from_rtl-sdr-blog.txt
├── include
│   ├── reg_field.h
│   ├── rtl-sdr.h
│   ├── rtl-sdr_export.h
│   ├── rtlsdr_i2c.h
│   ├── tuner_e4k.h
│   ├── tuner_fc0012.h
│   ├── tuner_fc0013.h
│   ├── tuner_fc2580.h
│   └── tuner_r82xx.h
└── lib
    ├── convenience_static.lib
    ├── libgetopt_static.lib
    ├── msvcr100.dll
    ├── pthreadVC2.dll
    ├── rtl_adsb.exe
    ├── rtl_biast.exe
    ├── rtl_eeprom.exe
    ├── rtl_fm.exe
    ├── rtl_power.exe
    ├── rtl_sdr.exe
    ├── rtl_tcp.exe
    ├── rtl_test.exe
    ├── rtlsdr.dll
    ├── rtlsdr.exp
    ├── rtlsdr.lib
    └── rtlsdr_static.lib

Here's the build output:

# $XXLOG='log_install_soapysdr.txt'
# $RPATH='C:\mylib\rtl-sdr'
# $RTLSDR_INCLUDE_DIRS="$RPATH\include"
# $RTLSDR_LIBRARIES="$RPATH\lib"

# cmake -S .. -B . -Ax64 -Wno-dev -Wno-deprecated --fresh --install-prefix 'C:\Program Files\SoapyRTLSDR' -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DRTLSDR_INCLUDE_DIR="$RTLSDR_INCLUDE_DIRS" -DRTLSDR_LIBRARY="$RTLSDR_LIBRARIES" | Tee-object -Append $XXLOG

-- Building for: Visual Studio 17 2022
-- Selecting Windows SDK version 10.0.22621.0 to target Windows 10.0.26100.
-- The CXX compiler identification is MSVC 19.43.34808.0
-- Detecting CXX compiler ABI info
-- Detecting CXX compiler ABI info - done
-- Check for working CXX compiler: C:/Program Files/Microsoft Visual Studio/2022/Community/VC/Tools/MSVC/14.43.34808/bin/Hostx64/x64/cl.exe - skipped
-- Detecting CXX compile features
-- Detecting CXX compile features - done
-- [INFO] SoapySDR Development files found.
-- Could NOT find PkgConfig (missing: PKG_CONFIG_EXECUTABLE)
-- Found RTLSDR: C:/mylib/rtl-sdr/lib
-- CMAKE_MODULE_PATH   : C:/Program Files/SoapySDR/cmake;C:/mydev/gitclones/SoapyRTLSDR
-- RTLSDR_INCLUDE_DIRS : C:/mylib/rtl-sdr/include
-- RTLSDR_LIBRARIES    : C:/mylib/rtl-sdr/lib

-- Looking for rtlsdr_set_bias_tee

CMake Warning at C:/mydev/gitclones/SoapyRTLSDR/build/CMakeFiles/CMakeScratch/TryCompile-pg08ql/CMakeLists.txt:29 (target_link_libraries):
  Target "cmTC_fd6cb" requests linking to directory "C:/mylib/rtl-sdr/lib".
  Targets may link only to libraries.  CMake is dropping the item.


CMake Warning at C:/mydev/gitclones/SoapyRTLSDR/build/CMakeFiles/CMakeScratch/TryCompile-pg08ql/CMakeLists.txt:29 (target_link_libraries):
  Target "cmTC_fd6cb" requests linking to directory "C:/mylib/rtl-sdr/lib".
  Targets may link only to libraries.  CMake is dropping the item.


CMake Warning at C:/mydev/gitclones/SoapyRTLSDR/build/CMakeFiles/CMakeScratch/TryCompile-pg08ql/CMakeLists.txt:29 (target_link_libraries):
  Target "cmTC_fd6cb" requests linking to directory "C:/mylib/rtl-sdr/lib".
  Targets may link only to libraries.  CMake is dropping the item.


CMake Warning at C:/mydev/gitclones/SoapyRTLSDR/build/CMakeFiles/CMakeScratch/TryCompile-pg08ql/CMakeLists.txt:29 (target_link_libraries):
  Target "cmTC_fd6cb" requests linking to directory "C:/mylib/rtl-sdr/lib".
  Targets may link only to libraries.  CMake is dropping the item.


-- Looking for rtlsdr_set_bias_tee - not found
-- Looking for rtlsdr_set_dithering
CMake Warning at C:/mydev/gitclones/SoapyRTLSDR/build/CMakeFiles/CMakeScratch/TryCompile-pkmw8j/CMakeLists.txt:29 (target_link_libraries):
  Target "cmTC_42d70" requests linking to directory "C:/mylib/rtl-sdr/lib".
  Targets may link only to libraries.  CMake is dropping the item.


CMake Warning at C:/mydev/gitclones/SoapyRTLSDR/build/CMakeFiles/CMakeScratch/TryCompile-pkmw8j/CMakeLists.txt:29 (target_link_libraries):
  Target "cmTC_42d70" requests linking to directory "C:/mylib/rtl-sdr/lib".
  Targets may link only to libraries.  CMake is dropping the item.


CMake Warning at C:/mydev/gitclones/SoapyRTLSDR/build/CMakeFiles/CMakeScratch/TryCompile-pkmw8j/CMakeLists.txt:29 (target_link_libraries):
  Target "cmTC_42d70" requests linking to directory "C:/mylib/rtl-sdr/lib".
  Targets may link only to libraries.  CMake is dropping the item.


CMake Warning at C:/mydev/gitclones/SoapyRTLSDR/build/CMakeFiles/CMakeScratch/TryCompile-pkmw8j/CMakeLists.txt:29 (target_link_libraries):
  Target "cmTC_42d70" requests linking to directory "C:/mylib/rtl-sdr/lib".
  Targets may link only to libraries.  CMake is dropping the item.


-- Looking for rtlsdr_set_dithering - not found
-- Found Git: C:/Program Files/Git/cmd/git.exe (found version "2.48.1.windows.1")
-- Module rtlsdrSupport configured with version: 0.3.3-f22516c
-- Configuring done (4.1s)

CMake Warning at C:/Program Files/SoapySDR/cmake/SoapySDRUtil.cmake:82 (target_link_libraries):
  Target "rtlsdrSupport" requests linking to directory
  "C:/mylib/rtl-sdr/lib".  Targets may link only to libraries.  CMake is
  dropping the item.
Call Stack (most recent call first):
  CMakeLists.txt:73 (SOAPY_SDR_MODULE_UTIL)


CMake Warning at C:/Program Files/SoapySDR/cmake/SoapySDRUtil.cmake:82 (target_link_libraries):
  Target "rtlsdrSupport" requests linking to directory
  "C:/mylib/rtl-sdr/lib".  Targets may link only to libraries.  CMake is
  dropping the item.
Call Stack (most recent call first):
  CMakeLists.txt:73 (SOAPY_SDR_MODULE_UTIL)


CMake Warning at C:/Program Files/SoapySDR/cmake/SoapySDRUtil.cmake:82 (target_link_libraries):
  Target "rtlsdrSupport" requests linking to directory
  "C:/mylib/rtl-sdr/lib".  Targets may link only to libraries.  CMake is
  dropping the item.
Call Stack (most recent call first):
  CMakeLists.txt:73 (SOAPY_SDR_MODULE_UTIL)


CMake Warning at C:/Program Files/SoapySDR/cmake/SoapySDRUtil.cmake:82 (target_link_libraries):
  Target "rtlsdrSupport" requests linking to directory
  "C:/mylib/rtl-sdr/lib".  Targets may link only to libraries.  CMake is
  dropping the item.
Call Stack (most recent call first):
  CMakeLists.txt:73 (SOAPY_SDR_MODULE_UTIL)


-- Generating done (0.1s)
-- Build files have been written to: C:/mydev/gitclones/SoapyRTLSDR/build

#---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# cmake --build . --config Release --parallel 8
#---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MSBuild version 17.13.9+e0f243f1e for .NET Framework

  1>Checking Build System
  Building Custom Rule C:/mydev/gitclones/SoapyRTLSDR/CMakeLists.txt
  Registration.cpp
  Settings.cpp
  Streaming.cpp
  Version.cpp

Registration.obj : error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol __imp_rtlsdr_get_device_count referenced in function "class std::vector<class std::map<class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>
...

# LOTS OF ERRORS

[eabase]

Ok, so RTLSDR_LIBRARY actually have to point to the (*.dll) file, so now it makes sense that the compiler option is called that.

Using: $RTLSDR_LIBRARIES="C:\mylib\rtl-sdr\lib\rtlsdr.dll" (my wrong choice of name for variable)
It now builds ok, but fails linking:

# cmake -S .. -B . -Ax64 -Wno-dev -Wno-deprecated --fresh --install-prefix 'C:\Program Files\SoapyRTLSDR' -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DRTLSDR_INCLUDE_DIR="$RTLSDR_INCLUDE_DIRS" -DRTLSDR_LIBRARY="$RTLSDR_LIBRARIES"

-- Building for: Visual Studio 17 2022
-- Selecting Windows SDK version 10.0.22621.0 to target Windows 10.0.26100.
-- The CXX compiler identification is MSVC 19.43.34808.0
-- Detecting CXX compiler ABI info
-- Detecting CXX compiler ABI info - done
-- Check for working CXX compiler: C:/Program Files/Microsoft Visual Studio/2022/Community/VC/Tools/MSVC/14.43.34808/bin/Hostx64/x64/cl.exe - skipped
-- Detecting CXX compile features
-- Detecting CXX compile features - done
-- [INFO] SoapySDR Development files found.
-- Could NOT find PkgConfig (missing: PKG_CONFIG_EXECUTABLE)
-- Found RTLSDR: C:/mylib/rtl-sdr/lib/rtlsdr.dll
-- CMAKE_MODULE_PATH   : C:/Program Files/SoapySDR/cmake;C:/mydev/gitclones/SoapyRTLSDR
-- RTLSDR_INCLUDE_DIRS : C:/mylib/rtl-sdr/include
-- RTLSDR_LIBRARIES    : C:/mylib/rtl-sdr/lib/rtlsdr.dll
-- Looking for rtlsdr_set_bias_tee
-- Looking for rtlsdr_set_bias_tee - not found
-- Looking for rtlsdr_set_dithering
-- Looking for rtlsdr_set_dithering - not found
-- Found Git: C:/Program Files/Git/cmd/git.exe (found version "2.48.1.windows.1")
-- Module rtlsdrSupport configured with version: 0.3.3-f22516c
-- Configuring done (3.9s)
-- Generating done (0.3s)
-- Build files have been written to: C:/mydev/gitclones/SoapyRTLSDR/build

# cmake --build . --config Release --parallel 8

MSBuild version 17.13.9+e0f243f1e for .NET Framework

  1>Checking Build System
  Building Custom Rule C:/mydev/gitclones/SoapyRTLSDR/CMakeLists.txt
  Registration.cpp
  Settings.cpp
  Streaming.cpp
  Version.cpp

C:\mylib\rtl-sdr\lib\rtlsdr.dll : fatal error LNK1107: invalid or corrupt file: 
cannot read at 0x358 [C:\mydev\gitclones\SoapyRTLSDR\build\rtlsdrSupport.vcxproj]

[eabase]

Aaah, crazy!

The RTLSDR_LIBRARY must point to a *.lib file, not a *.dll, or it will not link, even if it builds.

So this now works:
$RTLSDR_LIBRARIES="C:\mylib\rtl-sdr\lib\rtlsdr.lib"

# cmake --build . --config Release --parallel 8

MSBuild version 17.13.9+e0f243f1e for .NET Framework

  Registration.cpp
  Settings.cpp
  Streaming.cpp
  Version.cpp
  rtlsdrSupport.vcxproj -> C:\mydev\gitclones\SoapyRTLSDR\build\Release\rtlsdrSupport.dll
  Building Custom Rule C:/mydev/gitclones/SoapyRTLSDR/CMakeLists.txt

# What did it build?

# tree -C -L 2 .\Release\
.\Release\
└── rtlsdrSupport.dll

[eabase]

@zuckschwerdt

Installing with:

# cmake --build . --config Release --target install

MSBuild version 17.13.9+e0f243f1e for .NET Framework

  rtlsdrSupport.vcxproj -> C:\mydev\gitclones\SoapyRTLSDR\build\Release\rtlsdrSupport.dll
  1>
  -- Install configuration: "Release"
  -- Installing: C:/Program Files/SoapyRTLSDR/lib/SoapySDR/modules0.8-3/rtlsdrSupport.dll

And where is it used?
Basically, what's next?