Compile ZDoom on Windows

To build ZDoom on Windows, you have two options:

• Use Visual C++ 2005 (Visual C++ General Information)
• Use MinGW

If you have Windows 2000 or better, you should use Visual C++ 2005, because this is the compiler the release versions of ZDoom are built with. If you choose, you can still use MinGW.

Note: if you have Visual C++ 2008, you can of course use it. However, this article keeps the 2005 version because the newer 2008 version requires users to register on Microsoft Live, and always produces executables that cannot be run on older versions of Windows. The steps for compiling with VC++ 2008 should be mostly the same as those listed for VC++ 2005. Versions after VC++ 2008 can cause conversion problems as well as the previously stated issues. It is recommended that Visual C++ 2005 is used over 2008, 2010, and Visual Studio 11.

If you only have Windows 95/98/ME, then you must use MinGW.

Required downloads for both Visual C++ and MinGW

• NASM -- Note: in order to compile the latest code, you need to use v2.00 and above.
• FMOD Ex
• The ZDoom source code, either from an official release or from the Subversion repository.
• Subversion client -- This is only needed during the compilation process to update the revision number in the version string. The revision number will be set to 0 if you don't have these tools, and this can break savegames. (Starting from ^r2997, the revision number if the real value cannot be obtained will be set to 999999 instead of 0.)

Note: If compiling GZDoom, you will need to download glext.h and wglext.h in a directory which will be included during compilation. To solve compilation problems of gl_clock.cpp with _interlockedbittestandset and _interlockedbittestandreset, see this thread.

Visual C++ 2005

Compiling ZDoom on Windows is essentially easier than compiling it on Linux. All it takes is a few simple downloads and changing settings on Visual C++ 2005. Remember, this is directed to someone who never used Visual C++ 2005 before.

Downloads for Visual C++ 2005

First off, you must download some utilities to get started. These utilities are all free.

• Visual C++ 2005 Express Edition -- This is the ISO download for Visual C++ Express Edition, and offers many of the same features as the paid version.
• Windows Platform SDK -- The Express Edition of Visual C++ does not come with support for building native Windows applications out-of-the-box. As such, you must also download and install the Platform SDK before you can build ZDoom with it.
• DirectX SDK -- You will need the Feb 2010 Microsoft DirectX SDK package as well. Starting with the June 2010 package, DirectDraw is no longer supported, preventing compilation of ZDoom.

After the downloads

After you've downloaded everything, you must install all of them. You must remember the directories you've installed NASM and the Subversion tools into. DirectX and FMOD Ex installs by default in the Program Files directory.

Set up directories

When you're done installing, open Visual C++ 2005. (Start -> All Programs -> Visual C++ 2005 Express Edition -> Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 Express Edition)

When opened, go to Tools -> Options in the menu bar, you should get a dialog box that says "Options" in the title bar. Click the plus sign that's next to "Projects and Solutions" and click "VC++ Directories".

If the drop-down box under the label that says "Show Directories For" says "Executable Files", you have to set up NASM here (if not, select it now). Click the button that has a picture of a folder on it and select the new line it creates, and press the button that says "..." on it. In the Open Folder Dialog, select the directory where you unzipped NASM (such as, perhaps, C:\nasm-2.00), and another entry for the Subversion tools (in case you installed them). Make sure it points to the location of the executables (i.e. 'nasm.exe', 'svnversion.exe'), and not the root directory (unless the executables are there).

Then select drop-down box under the label that says "Show Directories For" and select "Include Files". Check to see that "$(DXSDK_DIR)Include" and "C:\Program Files\FMOD SoundSystem\FMOD Programmers API Win32\api\inc" are there. If they aren't, add them. Next, go to "Library Files" in the drop-down box and make two more new lines. Enter "$(DXSDK_DIR)Lib\x86" for one and "C:\Program Files\FMOD SoundSystem\FMOD Programmers API Win32\api\lib" for the other.

If you installed the FMOD SDK somewhere else, change "C:\Program Files\FMOD SoundSystem\FMOD Programmers API Win32" for the include and library files lists to the appropriate directory. %DXSDK_DIR% is an environment variable that is created when you install the DirectX SDK that points to the directory where you installed it. By using this variable (you must type it in by hand; you cannot use the open folder dialog), you can easily upgrade your DirectX SDK at anytime without having to change these directories again.

Select "OK" on the dialog box, then try to compile ZDoom (Build -> Build Solution or F7). If successful, it should compile error-less.

Troubleshooting

Note: If it doesn't build correctly, try adding the Windows SDK library and include files to the directories as well.

Also, if your sound/music does not work, try putting fmodex.dll in your ZDoom directory

MinGW

Downloads for MinGW

• The MinGW installer
• TDM's updated build of MinGW with GCC
• The MSYS installer (optional for Windows 2000 or better)
• The GCC win32api files
• Minimal DirectX 8 headers from Allegro
• CMake

Installing everything

• Run the MinGW installer. When it asks which MinGW package you wish to install, you can choose either "Current" or "Candidate". "Candidate" is recommended because it is newer. When you need to choose the components, you must install at least the "MinGW base tools" and "g++ compiler." If you are not using MSYS, then you must also install "MinGW Make." Then unpack the 4.3.0 alpha binaries on top of your MinGW directory.
• If you downloaded the MSYS installer, run it now.
• Unpack the win32api files on top of your MinGW directory. If you didn't change it when you installed, this will be c:\mingw. The win32api headers are missing some definitions that ZDoom needs. Open mingw\include\commctrl.h and search for PBS_VERTICAL. Add these lines just underneath its definition:

#if (_WIN32_WINNT >= 0x0501)
#define PBS_MARQUEE     0x08
#define PBM_SETMARQUEE  (WM_USER+10)
#endif

• Unzip the DirectX 8 headers on top of your MinGW directory as well.
• You can unzip NASM anywhere you want. To keep everything in one place, a good place to put nasmw.exe and ndisasmw.exe is inside your MinGW directory at c:\mingw\bin.

Preparing for compiling

• Unpack the ZDoom source code wherever you like.
• Run cmake-gui. You can find it in the start menu after installing CMake.
  • In the box labeled "Where is the source code:" point it to the directory where you put the source code. (e.g. E:/zdoom/trunk)
  • In the box labeled "Where to build the binaries:" create a subdirectory in the path to the source code to contain the build files (e.g. E:/zdoom/trunk/release).
  • Click the Configure button at the bottom of the window. If the build directory does not exist, it will ask to create it. Let it.
  • You will be asked which generator to use. If you are using Windows 9x, then you must select MSYS Makefiles. If are are using Windows 2000 or later, then you may select either MSYS Makefiles or MinGW Makefiles. Make sure Use default native compilers is selected and click Finish.
  • Check the configuration options to make sure they are to your liking. In particular, pay attention to:
    • CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE: This defaults to Debug. You probably want to change it to Release.
    • DYN_FLUIDSYNTH: If you want support for fluidsynth.dll, check this.
    • FMOD_INCLUDE_DIR: Make sure this points to *Where you installed FMOD*/api/inc
    • FMOD_LIBRARY: Make sure this points to *Where you installed FMOD*/api/lib/libfmodex.a
  • If you made any changes, press Configure again.
  • Now press Generate. This will create a Makefile in the build directory.

Compiling with MSYS

If you selected MSYS Makefiles as the generator above, then you must compile using MSYS.

• Run MSYS. The installer should have created a start menu shortcut for you.
• Change to the directory you chose as the build directory. e.g. For the example above

  cd e:/zdoom/trunk/release

• Compile the code from inside the build directory.

  make

• This will leave a zdoom.exe in the build directory.

Compiling without MSYS

If you selected MinGW Makefiles as the generator above, the process for compiling is as essentially the same as for MSYS Makefiles, except that you use a regular command prompt window instead of MSYS.

• Open a Command Prompt window. You can either use Start -> Run... and type "cmd" or you can find it in Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> Command Prompt.
• C:\mingw\bin should be in your path. To set this for just the current command prompt, use the command

  set PATH=c:\mingw\bin;%PATH%

  To make this automatic for all command prompts, you need to edit the Environment Variables on the Advanced tab of the System Properties control panel.
• Change to the directory you chose as the build directory. e.g. For the example above

  cd e:\zdoom\trunk\release

• Compile the code from inside the build directory

  mingw32-make

  You can also use a multithreaded make to speed up compilation:

  mingw32-make -j2

  Just replace the 2 with however many threads you want to use.
• This will leave a zdoom.exe in the build directory.