Set up Portable MinGW (GCC) compiler with CMake

MinGW (Minimalist GNU for Windows) is a native Windows port of the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC). It includes freely distributable import libraries and header files used for building native Windows applications and libraries.

CMake is a free, cross-platform, open-source tool that automates build processes, testing, packaging, and software installation using a compiler-independent architecture.

MSYS is a collection of tools and libraries that provides an easy-to-use environment for building, installing, and running native Windows software.

Why Use a Portable MinGW Installation?

A portable installation offers several advantages over a traditional installation:

• Easy removal: Simply delete the folder when no longer needed.
• No system changes: Avoid modifying system files, the registry, or environment variables.
• Flexibility: Copy the installation to a USB drive and use it on any PC.

Installing MinGW (GCC)

1. Download MinGW:

   Download the latest version of MinGW from the official MinGW page. The current version is mingw-18.0.exe.

2. Extract the Files:

   • Open the downloaded .exe file (essentially a self-extracting ZIP file).
   • Choose a location for extraction and click Extract.
   • The files will be extracted to the specified location.

3. Locate the Batch Files:

   Inside the extracted folder, you’ll find two batch files:

   • set_distro_paths.bat: Use this to set up the paths in an existing Command Prompt session.
   • open_distro_window.bat: Use this to open a new Command Prompt session with the paths pre-configured.

Adding CMake

1. Download CMake:

   Download the latest version of CMake (Windows x64 ZIP) from the CMake download page. The current version is cmake-3.24.1-windows-x86_64.zip.

2. Extract CMake Files:

   • Extract the ZIP file to a temporary directory.
   • Create a new folder named cmake inside your MinGW installation folder.
   • Copy all files from the extracted CMake folder into the cmake folder you just created.

3. Verify the CMake Directory:

   The contents of the cmake folder should look like this:

   

Updating the Batch File

To ensure the paths for CMake are correctly configured, update the set_distro_paths.bat file:

1. Open the Batch File:

   Open set_distro_paths.bat in a text editor.

2. Modify the PATH Variable:

   Locate the line:

   set PATH=%~dp0bin;%PATH%

   Replace it with:

   set PATH=%~dp0bin;%~dp0cmake\bin;%PATH%

3. Save the File:

   Save your changes and close the editor.

Final Steps

You’re all set! Use the open_distro_window.bat file to launch a Command Prompt with the MinGW and CMake paths configured. You can now build projects using the GCC compiler and CMake without modifying your system settings.