How can I compile OpenTelemetry C++ on Windows?

[gabguy]

Hey, I’ve tried to compile OpenTelemetry C++ on Windows in order to integrate it with my C++ application.

I used this command:
cmake -DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS=ON -DWITH_OTLP=ON -DWITH_PROMETHEUS=ON -DBUILD_TESTING=ON -DWITH_EXAMPLES=ON -DWITH_JAEGER=ON ..

and got this error:
Determining if the include file pthread.h exists failed with the following output:
Change Dir: C:/Users/shlomo/Desktop/source/opentelemetry-cpp/build/CMakeFiles/CMakeTmp

Run Build Command(s):C:/Program Files (x86)/Microsoft Visual Studio/2019/Professional/MSBuild/Current/Bin/MSBuild.exe cmTC_fe615.vcxproj /p:Configuration=Debug /p:Platform=x64 /p:VisualStudioVersion=16.0 /v:m && Microsoft (R) Build Engine version 16.7.0+b89cb5fde for .NET Framework

Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Microsoft (R) C/C++ Optimizing Compiler Version 19.27.29111 for x64

CheckIncludeFile.c

Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

cl /c /Zi /W3 /WX- /diagnostics:column /Od /Ob0 /D WIN32 /D _WINDOWS /D "CMAKE_INTDIR="Debug"" /D _MBCS /Gm- /RTC1 /MDd /GS /fp:precise /Zc:wchar_t /Zc:forScope /Zc:inline /Fo"cmTC_fe615.dir\Debug" /Fd"cmTC_fe615.dir\Debug\vc142.pdb" /Gd /TC /errorReport:queue "C:\Users\shlomo\Desktop\source\opentelemetry-cpp\build\CMakeFiles\CMakeTmp\CheckIncludeFile.c"

C:\Users\shlomo\Desktop\source\opentelemetry-cpp\build\CMakeFiles\CMakeTmp\CheckIncludeFile.c(1,10): fatal error C1083: Cannot open include file: 'pthread.h': No such file or directory [C:\Users\shlomo\Desktop\source\opentelemetry-cpp\build\CMakeFiles\CMakeTmp\cmTC_fe615.vcxproj]

Performing C++ SOURCE FILE Test COMPILER_HAS_DEPRECATED_ATTR failed with the following output:
Change Dir: C:/Users/shlomo/Desktop/source/opentelemetry-cpp/build/CMakeFiles/CMakeTmp

Run Build Command(s):C:/Program Files (x86)/Microsoft Visual Studio/2019/Professional/MSBuild/Current/Bin/MSBuild.exe cmTC_e614a.vcxproj /p:Configuration=Debug /p:Platform=x64 /p:VisualStudioVersion=16.0 /v:m && Microsoft (R) Build Engine version 16.7.0+b89cb5fde for .NET Framework

Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Microsoft (R) C/C++ Optimizing Compiler Version 19.27.29111 for x64

src.cxx

Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

cl /c /Zi /W3 /WX- /diagnostics:column /Od /Ob0 /D WIN32 /D _WINDOWS /D COMPILER_HAS_DEPRECATED_ATTR /D "CMAKE_INTDIR="Debug"" /D _MBCS /Gm- /EHsc /RTC1 /MDd /GS /fp:precise /Zc:wchar_t /Zc:forScope /Zc:inline /GR /Fo"cmTC_e614a.dir\Debug" /Fd"cmTC_e614a.dir\Debug\vc142.pdb" /Gd /TP /errorReport:queue /Zc:__cplusplus "C:\Users\shlomo\Desktop\source\opentelemetry-cpp\build\CMakeFiles\CMakeTmp\src.cxx"

C:\Users\shlomo\Desktop\source\opentelemetry-cpp\build\CMakeFiles\CMakeTmp\src.cxx(1,16): error C2065: 'deprecated': undeclared identifier [C:\Users\shlomo\Desktop\source\opentelemetry-cpp\build\CMakeFiles\CMakeTmp\cmTC_e614a.vcxproj]

C:\Users\shlomo\Desktop\source\opentelemetry-cpp\build\CMakeFiles\CMakeTmp\src.cxx(1,31): error C4430: missing type specifier - int assumed. Note: C++ does not support default-int [C:\Users\shlomo\Desktop\source\opentelemetry-cpp\build\CMakeFiles\CMakeTmp\cmTC_e614a.vcxproj]

C:\Users\shlomo\Desktop\source\opentelemetry-cpp\build\CMakeFiles\CMakeTmp\src.cxx(1,37): error C2448: 'attribute': function-style initializer appears to be a function definition [C:\Users\shlomo\Desktop\source\opentelemetry-cpp\build\CMakeFiles\CMakeTmp\cmTC_e614a.vcxproj]

Source file was:
attribute((deprecated)) int somefunc() { return 0; }
int main() { return somefunc();}

Can anyone please help?

[lalitb]

@gabguy -
Please refer to this:
https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-cpp/blob/main/INSTALL.md#building-shared-libs-for-windows

Building DLL is not supported on Windows. You would have to build a static library. Does it answer your question?

[esigo]

You may use the -DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS=OFF option to build a static library.

[gabguy]

The issue is that CMAKE does not even create solution and vcproj files for me. So I can't move on, any help with that guys?

[esigo]

Here is what we use in our CI:

opentelemetry-cpp/ci/do_ci.ps1

Lines 31 to 45 in 31d888a

	"cmake.test" {
	cd "$BUILD_DIR"
	cmake $SRC_DIR `
	-DVCPKG_TARGET_TRIPLET=x64-windows `
	"-DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=$VCPKG_DIR\scripts\buildsystems\vcpkg.cmake"
	$exit = $LASTEXITCODE
	if ($exit -ne 0) {
	exit $exit
	}
	cmake --build .
	$exit = $LASTEXITCODE
	if ($exit -ne 0) {
	exit $exit
	}
	ctest -C Debug

and the CI environment:

opentelemetry-cpp/.github/workflows/ci.yml

Lines 328 to 330 in 31d888a

	./ci/setup_windows_cmake.ps1
	./ci/setup_windows_ci_environment.ps1
	./ci/install_windows_protobuf.ps1

[esigo]

you may also try installing OpenTelemetry using vcpkg:
https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-cpp/blob/main/docs/building-with-vcpkg.md

[gabguy]

@esigo Thanks for your help. I tried following your instructions, unfortunately, I'm getting this error:

Determining if the include file pthread.h exists failed with the following output:
Change Dir: C:/opentelemetry-cpp/build/CMakeFiles/CMakeTmp

Run Build Command(s):C:/Program Files (x86)/Microsoft Visual Studio/2019/Professional/MSBuild/Current/Bin/MSBuild.exe cmTC_bf3c7.vcxproj /p:Configuration=Debug /p:Platform=x64 /p:VisualStudioVersion=16.0 /v:m && Microsoft (R) Build Engine version 16.7.0+b89cb5fde for .NET Framework

Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Microsoft (R) C/C++ Optimizing Compiler Version 19.27.29111 for x64

CheckIncludeFile.c

Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

cl /c /I"C:\vcpkg\installed\x64-windows\include" /Zi /W3 /WX- /diagnostics:column /Od /Ob0 /D WIN32 /D _WINDOWS /D "CMAKE_INTDIR="Debug"" /D _MBCS /Gm- /RTC1 /MDd /GS /fp:precise /Zc:wchar_t /Zc:forScope /Zc:inline /Fo"cmTC_bf3c7.dir\Debug\" /Fd"cmTC_bf3c7.dir\Debug\vc142.pdb" /Gd /TC /errorReport:queue "C:\opentelemetry-cpp\build\CMakeFiles\CMakeTmp\CheckIncludeFile.c"

C:\opentelemetry-cpp\build\CMakeFiles\CMakeTmp\CheckIncludeFile.c(1,10): fatal error C1083: Cannot open include file: 'pthread.h': No such file or directory [C:\opentelemetry-cpp\build\CMakeFiles\CMakeTmp\cmTC_bf3c7.vcxproj]

Do you know anything about this?

[malkia]

I was able to compile it through vcpkg, as for DLL, I did something nasty, after the static libs were created, I did a script that dumps all symbols and the one with opentelemetry in them (~) were placed in .def file, then relinked with it. It exported ~3000 symbols, but it worked. Had to remove some symbols by hand. Ideally though there should be OPENTELEMETRY_API for each class (I hope).

[meastp]

Hi all - I have an (experimental) fork for compiling on windows as dll/shared libs here on my github account.

The only real issue with merging this is that it requires that the api is a compiled library - not a header-only library as it is today. There are workarounds to make it possible to compile otel-cpp as either header-only or compiled library, but it places a large burden on the maintainers of otel-cpp.