1. Install [xmake](https://xmake.io/) and [XMake extension](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=tboox.xmake-vscode).
2. Install [C/C++ extension](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-vscode.cpptools) for language and debugging support.
3. Optionally install [clangd](https://clangd.llvm.org/) and [clangd extension](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=llvm-vs-code-extensions.vscode-clangd) for better analysis.
4. Config workspace:
- Compile commands: `.vscode/compile_commands.json` (“C/C++: Edit Configurations (UI)” from the Command Palette);
- With the [ARM32 deprecation in Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25905](https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2023/07/12/announcing-windows-11-insider-preview-build-25905/), ARM32 support will never be added.
- Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition (a.k.a. Windows XP x64 Edition) SP2 or later.
- Windows 7 x64 or later required as build host.
- Here is [a script](packages/windows/build-qt5.6-mingw-static.sh) for building Qt 5.6 from source alongside official Qt installation (with Qt.io MinGW GCC 8.1.0).
## MSYS2 Qt Library with MinGW Toolchain (Recommended)
Red Panda C++ should work with any MinGW toolchain from MSYS2, including GCCs and Clangs in three GNU-based environments (MINGW32, MINGW64 and UCRT64), and Clangs in three LLVM-based environments (CLANG32, CLANG64 and CLANGARM64; see also [MSYS2’s document](https://www.msys2.org/docs/environments/)), while the following toolchains are frequently tested:
- MINGW32 GCC,
- MINGW64 GCC,
- UCRT64 GCC (recommended for x64)
- CLANGARM64 Clang (the only and recommended toolchain for ARM64).
Official distributions of Red Panda C++ are built with MINGW32 GCC and MINGW64 GCC.
Prerequisites:
0. Windows 8.1 x64 or later, or Windows 11 ARM64.
1. Install MSYS2.
2. In selected environment, install toolchain and Qt 5 library:
## Qt.io Qt Library with MinGW Toolchain or MSVC Toolchain
Prerequisites:
0. Windows 7 x64 or later. ARM64 is not supported.
1. Install Qt with online installer from [Qt.io](https://www.qt.io/download-qt-installer-oss).
- Select the library (in _Qt_ group, _Qt 5.15.2_ subgroup, check at lease one of _MinGW 8.1.0 32-bit_, _MinGW 8.1.0 64-bit_, _MSVC 2019 32-bit_ or _MSVC 2019 64-bit_).
- For MinGW toolchain, select the toolchain (in _Qt_ group, _Developer and Designer Tools_ subgroup, check _MinGW 8.1.0 32-bit_ or _MinGW 8.1.0 64-bit_, matching the library).
- Optionally select Qt Creator (in _Qt_ group, _Developer and Designer Tools_ subgroup; recomended for MSVC toolchain for parallel build support).
2. For MSVC toolchain, install Visual Studio 2019 or later, or Visual Studio Build Tools 2019 or later, with _Desktop Development with C++_ workload.
- In _Installation Details_ panel, under the _Desktop Development with C++_ workload, select at least one _MSVC x86/x64 build tools_ and one _Windows SDK_.
## Advanced Option: vcpkg Qt Static Library with MSVC Toolchain
Prerequisites:
0. Windows 7 x64 or later. ARM64 is not supported.
- For a fresh installation of Windows 7, install following components in order:
1. SHA-2 code signing support (prerequisite of .NET Framework 4.8),
2. .NET Framework 4.8 (prerequisite of Windows Management Framework 5.1 and Visual Studio; also optional dependency of Git for Windows),
3. Windows Management Framework 5.1 (prerequisite of vcpkg bootstrapping).
1. Install Visual Studio 2017 or later, or Visual Studio Build Tools 2017 or later, with _Desktop Development with C++_ workload.
- In _Installation Details_ panel, under the _Desktop Development with C++_ workload, select at least one _MSVC x86/x64 build tools_ and one _Windows SDK_.
- As of 2023.08.09, [a patch](./packages/windows/vcpkg-win7-2023.08.09.patch) is required for Windows 7 to use compatible version of Python. Affected files will change over time, so manually edit them to apply the patch.
3. Install Qt with vcpkg.
```ps1
$TARGET = "x64-windows-static" # or "x86-windows-static"
The package `redpanda-cpp-bin` is roughly “AppImage repack”. The binary is actually built in a container. Thus the build host is not necessarily Ubuntu 20.04; any Linux distribution with Podman and dpkg should work.
Dockerfiles are available in [redpanda-cpp/appimage-builder](https://github.com/redpanda-cpp/appimage-builder). Available architectures: `x86_64`, `aarch64`, `riscv64`.