This same layer is what allows all your favorite POSIX build tools to run in the MinGW environment.

This is accomplished by an emulation layer that allows native POSIX tools to run on Windows.

Need Make or AutoTools, it’s already installed – if you are using an environment like MSYS2 nearly every tool you might need is only a single package management command away.įinally, some MinGW distributions such as MSYS2 allow you to build native POSIX software on Windows without porting the code to Win32. These development environments allow cross-platform projects to build on Windows with few if any modifications to their build logic. MinGW environments are not just a compiler, but include entire POSIX build environments. There is, however, an even more compelling reason to use MinGW than source compatibility with GCC. With MinGW you can be up and running in minutes instead of days.

Porting these codebases to support MSVC can be a costly endeavor when all you want to do is get up and running with your code. This is especially true for many cross-platform projects. We all love MSVC, but the reality is that some codebases are designed from the ground up under the expectation that they will be built with GCC. The first is simply compiler compatibility. There are three reasons why you might want to use MinGW on Windows. You can learn more about Open Folder on the Microsoft docs site. You will need to also make sure you install the Linux Tools for C++ workload in addition to Desktop C++ to use these new features. Please download the preview and try out the latest C++ features. MinGW build environments often contain an entire POSIX development environment that can be used to develop both native Windows software using POSIX build tools and POSIX software that runs on Windows with the help of an emulation layer.

Most distributions of MinGW include a whole host of other tools that can be used to build and assemble software on Windows using the familiar GNU toolset. Most MinGW installations, however, include much more than just a compiler. If you are interested in a quick rundown of this new functionality, check out our latest GoingNative episode on Channel 9. MinGW ( Minimalist GNU for Windows), in case you are not familiar with it, is a compiler in the GCC family designed to run natively on Windows. The latest preview improves support for alternative compilers and build environments such as MinGW and Cygwin. Building cross-platform C and C++ code is easier than ever with Visual Studio 15.3 Preview 4.

Cygwin tutorial