Re: [Mingw-users] I'm lost - trying to use gcc with specs file in Windows

[David E. <gc...@ya...>]

--- On Sat, 1/31/09, Tuomo Latto <dj...@ik...> wrote:

> From: Tuomo Latto <dj...@ik...>
> Subject: Re: [Mingw-users] I'm lost - trying to use gcc with specs file in Windows
> To: "MinGW Users List" <min...@li...>
> Date: Saturday, January 31, 2009, 5:30 AM
> David Eaton wrote:
> > I seem to have run into what I believe is a limit to
> the length of a line in a .bat file (or the command line)
> while trying to include the libraries for building a libusb
> and gtk application.  As such, I looked on the internet and
> a site showed how to put the include libraries in the cpp
> area with -Ixxxxx.  I put each of the libs with a -I before
> it all on that one single line - it's over 256
> characters long - is this a problem when the file is
> processed?
> > 
> > Also, using a very simple test program (not really a
> program, but used to test the includes) in C, it does not
> appear to picking up the -I paths as my #include <xxx>
> fail.
> > 
> > I also saw on this same internet page where to place
> the link libraries.  I have no idea if this is right or not
> since it never gets to a link.
> 
> First of all, how about putting in some line breaks?
> 
> Second, you are using a specs file but don't know the
> difference between a header and a library?
> Why are you using a specs file?
> It's usually a good idea to know why you're doing
> something
> before you actually do it.
> 
> >From what I can tell, you should read up on compiling C
> and libraries, etc:
> http://www.cs.cf.ac.uk/Dave/C/node3.html
> http://www.cs.cf.ac.uk/Dave/C/node35.html#ch:prog
> http://www.cs.cf.ac.uk/Dave/C/node3.html#SECTION00326000000000000000
> 
> ...and see GCC manual:
> http://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/gcc-3.4.6/gcc/
> 
> ...and maybe find out about make and Makefiles.
> 
> 
> -- 
> Tuomo
> 
> ... Point not found. A)bort, R)eread, I)gnore
> 
> 
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I copied and pasted the file - I didn't want to add extra line feeds when they weren't in the file.  I already stated why I'm using the specs file - the cli in Windows has a limit to the number of characters on each line, and since it doesn't do the `pkg-config --gtk+-2.0` expansion, I had to specify each of the libraries, and this made the line WAY over 256 bytes.

As I mentioned, I've read everything I could, and as I mentioned I'm lost.  As mentioned, I found a web site that said to gcc -dumpspecs > filename to create the basic specs file.  It showed where to put the include libraries - which from what I understand are any source library to which a #include statement is issued.  I also ran a pkg-config with gtk+-2.0 and piped the output to another file.  I used that file to also include the libraries needed since I was using GTK.  As mentioned, I placed the link libraries - at least that's what I understood -llibname to be - in the section of the specs file according to the website I referenced.

I may be extremely ignorant of this whole process, and I thought I made that very clear in my post - so why jump on me about it?  Can't you just say "we can't help you here" or some such thing?

BTW - just so you know I'm not a complete fool - I changed the batch file to execute msys with the shell script so I only need the batch file now, no extra script, and I don't need the specs file since msys does the `pkg-config --gtk+-2.0` expansion and substitution.

I'm sorry that every time I get on this and explain up front that I'm a beginner and don't know what I'm doing that everyone seems to want to jump on me.  I'm just ignorant, NOT stupid, and don't understand this mentality.  If you don't want people asking how to use the product, then I guess you want to keep it to yourselves instead of making it available to the world as you do.  If it really ticks you off, start a beginners list, expecting ignorant questions there and hopefully providing help.

Personally, all I've done is asked for beginners help and thought ignorance would be tolerated - stupidity no, ignorance God yes.  I guess I've been wrong on both accounts.  The only way of contacting people that I found on the pages at sourceforge.net for these projects was via this subscription list.  I assumed that meant for *ANY* questions and problems, not things about the internals. Believe it or not - doesn't matter to me - I was a systems programmer for over 20 years, and I know the difference between someone asking me a question out of ignorance [used to mean lack of knowledge] versus stupidity [meaning they couldn't understand no matter what].  If this list is supposed to be about the internals and not for "users", then the list name is misleading and another means of support needs to be offered.

Try looking on the web sometime for Windows gcc pkg-config - you'll be suprised what you DON"T get.  Try the same thing for Windows gcc specs file line length limit - you get bupkus.  I know how to search the web, I know how to read, and I know how to interpret.  Forgive me if you think that makes me a fool.

With these types of responses from both of my posts, I plan not to use mingw or msys again and find another means for cross-platform compilation.  I don't need the grief - just answers.