Sourceware Infrastructure MS Windows Buildbots

[Brian.Inglis@SystematicSW.ab.ca]

On 2025-09-03 15:18, Mark Wielaard wrote:
> Hi Brian,
> 
> It has been at least a decade since I used Cygwin under Windows and
> then I had someone else set it up for me. So apologies if my answers
> don't make any sense.
> 
> On Fri, Aug 15, 2025 at 04:52:39PM -0600, Brian Inglis via Overseers wrote:
>> On 2025-07-03 09:43, Corinna Vinschen via Cygwin-apps wrote:
>>> On Jul  2 18:01, Brian Inglis via Cygwin-apps wrote:
>>>> I have often thought why are we not leveraging Sourceware Infrastructure
>>>> Services and/or SFC Services more?
>>>>
>>>> Does Sourceware Infrastructure support any BuildBots with Windows builders
>>>> for other (GNU?) projects, or could we get Windows containers/VMs added, and
>>>> Scallywag running under those, getting off the GitHub and Appveyor servers?
>>>
>>> If that's possible, great.  I don't have any preferences and I have no
>>> idea if github provides stuff which can't be provided by sware infra.
>>> Might be worth a try to ask.
>>
>> We in the Cygwin project are wondering if you currently host any MS
>> Windows builders, for other projects which support builds or
>> execution on MS Windows hosts, or could do so, or if there are any
>> blockers which would prevent such hosting?
> 
> I think the closest currently is the cross build for gcc mingw:
> https://sourceware.org/cgit/builder/tree/builder/master.cfg#n4058
> https://sourceware.org/cgit/builder/tree/builder/containers/Containerfile-fedora-mingw
> I assume we could setup such a cross build to produce cygwin binaries.
> But we never managed to actually run the testsuite (under wine), so it current is just a build service, not really CI.

 From comments on the Cygwin lists, Redhatters make Cygwin builds on Fedora, but 
I don't know if they can use Wine for testing, although from other comments, 
Cygwin runs under Wine, and there appears to be cooperation with Mingw64, Msys2, 
Wine, and ReactOS.

>> We previously ran Cygwin CI under Appveyor, and that is still
>> supported, for those who prefer not to have Github accounts.
>> Most developers and maintainers now use Cygwin CI under Github, and
>> that has also been integrated with deployment, and distribution
>> through the mirrors.
>> Many developers and maintainers now use that, when clean builds can
>> be achieved with upstream tests.
> 
> Do those services provide CI under Windows? Sourceware currently does
> provide any Microsoft Windows setups. We might be able to setup Wine
> (if cygwin python buildbot runs under wine). But I am not sure that
> provides a good enough environment?

Current CI run Cygwin build-requires util/lib/-dev/-devel package installs using 
Cygwin Setup under MS Windows, run the cygport builds, installs, and packaging 
under Cygwin bash, as well as the make check/test processes.

Python is used for the Linux (Fedora?) server hosted package management and 
distribution to the mirrors.

>> When CI tests fail, we still fallback on SFTP uploads, from local
>> builds where tests may pass, to the Cygwin archives and main mirror
>> for distribution.
>>
>> So we are not totally reliant on any external CI, but would prefer
>> to be more so; also if the infrastructure could be based on more
>> free and open software; with providers more involved in those
>> spaces, as we all are.
> 
> We are happy to help. But we (I at least) don't really know what is
> needed or how to provide it.

Hopefully others with background can chime in to fill my lack of knowledge.

-- 
Take care. Thanks, Brian Inglis              Calgary, Alberta, Canada

La perfection est atteinte                   Perfection is achieved
non pas lorsqu'il n'y a plus rien à ajouter  not when there is no more to add
mais lorsqu'il n'y a plus rien à retrancher  but when there is no more to cut
                                 -- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry