Can't find lz4.lib file error in Windows with meson

[danyeaw]

Describe the bug

When trying to build lz4 in Windows with meson I am getting the following error:

(tar) Extracting C:\gtk-build\src\lz4-1.9.3.tar.gz
Forcing extraction of C:\gtk-build\src\lz4-1.9.3.tar.gz
Extracting C:\gtk-build\src\lz4-1.9.3.tar.gz to C:\gtk-build\build\Win32\release\lz4
Copying files from C:\gtk-build\github\gvsbuild\patches\lz4 to C:\gtk-build\build\Win32\release\lz4
(tar) Exporting lz4
(tar) Exporting C:\gtk-build\src\lz4-1.9.3.tar.gz
Building project lz4 (1.9.3)
Generating meson directory
The Meson build system
Version: 0.59.4
Source dir: C:\gtk-build\build\Win32\release\lz4
Build dir: C:\gtk-build\build\Win32\release\lz4\_gvsbuild-meson
Build type: native build
Project name: lz4
Project version: DUMMY
C compiler for the host machine: cl (msvc 19.31.31105 "Microsoft (R) C/C++ Optimizing Compiler Version 19.31.31105 for x86")
C linker for the host machine: link link 14.31.31105.0
Host machine cpu family: x86
Host machine cpu: x86
Program GetLz4LibraryVersion.py found: YES (C:\gtk-build\tools\pythonx86.3.10.4\tools\python.exe C:\gtk-build\build\Win32\release\lz4\meson\GetLz4LibraryVersion.py)
Message: Project version is now: 1.9.3
Compiler for C supports arguments -Wcast-qual: NO 
Compiler for C supports arguments -Wcast-align: NO 
Compiler for C supports arguments -Wshadow: NO 
Compiler for C supports arguments -Wswitch-enum: NO 
Compiler for C supports arguments -Wdeclaration-after-statement: NO 
Compiler for C supports arguments -Wstrict-prototypes: NO 
Compiler for C supports arguments -Wundef: NO 
Compiler for C supports arguments -Wpointer-arith: NO 
Compiler for C supports arguments -Wstrict-aliasing=1: NO 
Compiler for C supports arguments -DLZ4_DEBUG=1: YES 
Build targets in project: 2

Option buildtype is: debugoptimized [default: release]
Found ninja-1.8.2 at C:\gtk-build\tools\ninja-1.8.2\ninja.EXE
[6/7] Installing files.
Installing meson\lib\lz4.dll to C:\gtk-build\gtk\Win32\release\bin
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\gtk-build\tools\meson-0.59.4\mesonbuild\mesonmain.py", line 228, in run
    return options.run_func(options)
  File "C:\gtk-build\tools\meson-0.59.4\mesonbuild\minstall.py", line 720, in run
    installer.do_install(datafilename)
  File "C:\gtk-build\tools\meson-0.59.4\mesonbuild\minstall.py", line 512, in do_install
    self.install_targets(d, dm, destdir, fullprefix)
  File "C:\gtk-build\tools\meson-0.59.4\mesonbuild\minstall.py", line 615, in install_targets
    raise RuntimeError(f'File {t.fname!r} could not be found')
RuntimeError: File 'meson\\lib\\lz4.lib' could not be found
FAILED: meson-install 
"C:\gtk-build\tools\pythonx86.3.10.4\tools\python.exe" "C:\gtk-build\tools\meson-0.59.4\meson.py" "install" "--no-rebuild"
ninja: build stopped: subcommand failed.
Error: lz4 build failed

Expected behavior
meson build completes.

To Reproduce

meson setup --buildtype=debugoptimized -Ddefault_library=shared _gvsbuild-meson
cd _gvsbuild-meson
ninja
ninja install

System (please complete the following information):

• OS: Windows
• Version: 11
• Compiler: Visual Studio 2022
• Build System: meson
• Other hardware specs: Core i5

Additional context
Add any other context about the problem here.

[Cyan4973]

I presume this is the issue fixed by #1077 ?

[danyeaw]

Hi @Cyan4973!
This is the next error after #1077 is fixed.

[Cyan4973]

Is this issue fixed ?

[danyeaw]

I don't think so. I am open to making a PR, but I wasn't sure where meson\\lib\\lz4.lib was being referenced from.

[Cyan4973]

I reproduced the exact list of commands listed under "to reproduce" section within a Windows msys2 environment using latest dev branch of lz4,
and all steps seem to execute perfectly. There is no error nor warning output.

To be more specific, here is the output of ninja install, which seems to be the failing step in the initial report :

 ninja install
[0/1] Installing files.
Installing meson/lib/msys-lz4-1.dll to /usr/local/bin
Installing meson/lib/liblz4.dll.a to /usr/local/lib
Installing /home/Cyan/dev/lz4/github/contrib/meson/meson/lib/../../../../lib/lz4.h to /usr/local/include/
Installing /home/Cyan/dev/lz4/github/contrib/meson/meson/lib/../../../../lib/lz4hc.h to /usr/local/include/
Installing /home/Cyan/dev/lz4/github/contrib/meson/meson/lib/../../../../lib/lz4frame.h to /usr/local/include/
Installing /home/Cyan/dev/lz4/github/contrib/meson/_gvsbuild-meson/meson-private/liblz4.pc to /usr/local/lib/pkgconfig

[eli-schwartz]

The original report used MSVC cl.exe, so the msys2 behavior isn't really a guarantee.

[Cyan4973]

Right. There are really too many way to setup a system on Windows.

[eli-schwartz]

Meson wrapdb test case:

lz4| C compiler for the host machine: cl (msvc 19.32.31332 "Microsoft (R) C/C++ Optimizing Compiler Version 19.32.31332 for x64")
lz4| C linker for the host machine: link link 14.32.31332.0

[...]

[5/5] "link"  /MACHINE:x64 /OUT:subprojects/lz4-1.9.3/contrib/meson/meson/lib/lz4-1.dll subprojects/lz4-1.9.3/contrib/meson/meson/lib/lz4-1.dll.p/.._.._.._.._lib_lz4.c.obj subprojects/lz4-1.9.3/contrib/meson/meson/lib/lz4-1.dll.p/.._.._.._.._lib_lz4frame.c.obj subprojects/lz4-1.9.3/contrib/meson/meson/lib/lz4-1.dll.p/.._.._.._.._lib_lz4hc.c.obj subprojects/lz4-1.9.3/contrib/meson/meson/lib/lz4-1.dll.p/.._.._.._.._lib_xxhash.c.obj "/nologo" "/release" "/nologo" "/DEBUG" "/PDB:subprojects\lz4-1.9.3\contrib/meson/meson\lib\lz4-1.pdb" "/DLL" "/IMPLIB:subprojects\lz4-1.9.3\contrib/meson/meson\lib\lz4.lib" "kernel32.lib" "user32.lib" "gdi32.lib" "winspool.lib" "shell32.lib" "ole32.lib" "oleaut32.lib" "uuid.lib" "comdlg32.lib" "advapi32.lib"
   Creating library subprojects\lz4-1.9.3\contrib/meson/meson\lib\lz4.lib and object subprojects\lz4-1.9.3\contrib/meson/meson\lib\lz4.exp

[...]

Installing subprojects\lz4-1.9.3\contrib/meson/meson\lib\lz4-1.dll to D:\a\wrapdb\wrapdb\_build\pkg\bin
Installing subprojects\lz4-1.9.3\contrib/meson/meson\lib\lz4.lib to D:\a\wrapdb\wrapdb\_build\pkg\lib
Installing subprojects\lz4-1.9.3\contrib/meson/meson\lib\lz4-1.pdb to D:\a\wrapdb\wrapdb\_build\pkg\bin
Installing D:\a\wrapdb\wrapdb\subprojects\lz4-1.9.3\contrib/meson/meson\lib\../../../../lib/lz4.h to D:\a\wrapdb\wrapdb\_build\pkg\include\
Installing D:\a\wrapdb\wrapdb\subprojects\lz4-1.9.3\contrib/meson/meson\lib\../../../../lib/lz4hc.h to D:\a\wrapdb\wrapdb\_build\pkg\include\
Installing D:\a\wrapdb\wrapdb\subprojects\lz4-1.9.3\contrib/meson/meson\lib\../../../../lib/lz4frame.h to D:\a\wrapdb\wrapdb\_build\pkg\include\
Installing D:\a\wrapdb\wrapdb\_build\meson-private\liblz4.pc to D:\a\wrapdb\wrapdb\_build\pkg\lib\pkgconfig

[t-mat]

I think we must be on the same page.

I mean that it seems there're different results because we didn't have "standard" testing method for meson on Windows + Visual Studio (and GH-Actions).

---

First of all, I'd like to refer the official document of Meson:

https://mesonbuild.com/Using-with-Visual-Studio.html

Using with Visual Studio
In order to generate Visual Studio projects, Meson needs to know the settings of your installed version of Visual Studio.
The only way to get this information is to run Meson under the Visual Studio Command Prompt.

Therefore, we must invoke meson from the Visual Studio Command Prompt. Though I personally hope they'll adopt vswhere properly 😞

---

I tested this issue with the following commands in standard "Windows Command prompt" (Win+X > R > "cmd")

git --version
meson --version

cd /d "%USERPROFILE%\Documents"
git clone https://github.com/lz4/lz4.git lz4-issue-1078
cd lz4-issue-1078
start .\build\VS2017\lz4.sln

Above command launches Visual Studio 2022. And here, invoke Visual Studio 2022 Menu > Tools > Visual Studio Command Prompt.

In this command prompt window, input the following commands:

cd /d "%USERPROFILE%\Documents\lz4-issue-1078"
cd .\contrib\meson
meson setup --buildtype=debugoptimized -Ddefault_library=shared _gvsbuild-meson
cd _gvsbuild-meson
ninja
ninja install
tree /A /F

Result (failure)

[0/1] Installing files.Installing meson\lib\lz4-1.dll to c:/bin

ERROR: File 'meson\\lib\\lz4.lib' could not be found

FAILED: meson-internal__install
"meson.exe" "install" "--no-rebuild"
ninja: build stopped: subcommand failed.

C:.
|   .gitignore
|   .hgignore
|   .ninja_deps
|   .ninja_log
|   build.ninja
|   compile_commands.json
|
+---meson
|   \---lib
|       |   lz4-1.dll
|       |   lz4-1.pdb
|       |
|       \---lz4-1.dll.p
|               .._.._.._.._lib_lz4.c.obj
|               .._.._.._.._lib_lz4.c.pdb
|               .._.._.._.._lib_lz4frame.c.obj
|               .._.._.._.._lib_lz4frame.c.pdb
|               .._.._.._.._lib_lz4hc.c.obj
|               .._.._.._.._lib_lz4hc.c.pdb
|               .._.._.._.._lib_xxhash.c.obj
|               .._.._.._.._lib_xxhash.c.pdb
|
+---meson-info
|       intro-benchmarks.json
|       intro-buildoptions.json
|       intro-buildsystem_files.json
|       intro-dependencies.json
|       intro-installed.json
|       intro-install_plan.json
|       intro-projectinfo.json
|       intro-targets.json
|       intro-tests.json
|       meson-info.json
|
+---meson-logs
|       install-log.txt
|       meson-log.txt
|
+---meson-private
|       build.dat
|       cmd_line.txt
|       coredata.dat
|       incdetect.c
|       incdetect.obj
|       install.dat
|       liblz4.pc
|       meson.lock
|       meson_benchmark_setup.dat
|       meson_test_setup.dat
|       sanitycheckc.c
|       sanitycheckc.exe
|       sanitycheckc.obj
|
\---meson-uninstalled
        liblz4-uninstalled.pc