x86_64-windows-msvc: 'Unable to provide a libc for the chosen target'

[kilgariff]

After trying to upgrade my project from zig 0.3.0 to 0.4.0 it's no longer able to build. I'm running 64-bit windows 10. zig targets says my native triple is x86_64-windows-msvc.

Here's the full output from zig build. It says The target is non-native which seems wrong as the host and the target are both 64-bit windows 10.

Zig is unable to provide a libc for the chosen target 'x86_64-unknown-windows-msvc'.
The target is non-native, so Zig also cannot use the native libc installation.
Choose a target which has a libc available, or provide a libc installation text file.
See `zig libc --help` for more details.
The following command exited with error code 1:
C:\Users\Ross\Desktop\zig-stuff\zig-windows-x86_64-0.4.0+381c6a38\zig.exe build-exe C:\Users\Ross\Desktop\game_sketches\sketch_2\src\main.zig --library c --library kernel32.lib --library User32.lib --library Gdi32.lib --library Shell32.lib --object C:\Users\Ross\Desktop\game_sketches\sketch_2\c-compat\glfw3.lib --object C:\Users\Ross\Desktop\game_sketches\sketch_2\c-compat\glad.lib --object C:\Users\Ross\Desktop\game_sketches\sketch_2\c-compat\cimgui.lib --cache-dir C:\Users\Ross\Desktop\game_sketches\sketch_2\zig-cache --name sketch -target x86_64-windows-msvc -isystem C:\Users\Ross\Desktop\game_sketches\sketch_2\c-compat --library-path c-compat --cache on
exec failed
C:\Users\Ross\Desktop\zig-stuff\zig-windows-x86_64-0.4.0+381c6a38\lib\zig\std\build.zig:772:36: 0x7ff737ac12a4 in std.build.Builder::std.build.Builder.exec (build.obj)
                    std.debug.panic("exec failed");
                                   ^
C:\Users\Ross\Desktop\zig-stuff\zig-windows-x86_64-0.4.0+381c6a38\lib\zig\std\build.zig:1594:52: 0x7ff737abac84 in std.build.LibExeObjStep::std.build.LibExeObjStep.make (build.obj)
            const output_path_nl = try builder.exec(zig_args.toSliceConst());
                                                   ^
C:\Users\Ross\Desktop\zig-stuff\zig-windows-x86_64-0.4.0+381c6a38\lib\zig\std\build.zig:1895:24: 0x7ff737aab700 in std.build.Step::std.build.Step.make (build.obj)
        try self.makeFn(self);
                       ^
C:\Users\Ross\Desktop\zig-stuff\zig-windows-x86_64-0.4.0+381c6a38\lib\zig\std\build.zig:313:19: 0x7ff737aaa3d8 in std.build.Builder::std.build.Builder.makeOneStep (build.obj)
        try s.make();
                  ^
C:\Users\Ross\Desktop\zig-stuff\zig-windows-x86_64-0.4.0+381c6a38\lib\zig\std\build.zig:303:29: 0x7ff737aaa36e in std.build.Builder::std.build.Builder.makeOneStep (build.obj)
            self.makeOneStep(dep) catch |err| {
                            ^
C:\Users\Ross\Desktop\zig-stuff\zig-windows-x86_64-0.4.0+381c6a38\lib\zig\std\build.zig:261:33: 0x7ff737aa5427 in std.build.Builder::std.build.Builder.make (build.obj)
            try self.makeOneStep(s);
                                ^
C:\Users\Ross\Desktop\zig-stuff\zig-windows-x86_64-0.4.0+381c6a38\lib\zig\std\special\build_runner.zig:137:17: 0x7ff737aa2c77 in main (build.obj)
    builder.make(targets.toSliceConst()) catch |err| {
                ^
C:\Users\Ross\Desktop\zig-stuff\zig-windows-x86_64-0.4.0+381c6a38\lib\zig\std\special\bootstrap.zig:65:49: 0x7ff737aa160a in ??? (build.obj)
    std.os.windows.kernel32.ExitProcess(callMain());
                                                ^
???:?:?: 0x7fff72554034 in ??? (???)

???:?:?: 0x7fff73cb3691 in ??? (???)

Build failed. The following command failed:
C:\Users\Ross\Desktop\game_sketches\sketch_2\zig-cache\o\NCiTOwSf19YjsKbMdz2_faBtsAWPk4laPJ9vPztz2XB5JXDQ0m0Uvitdu02ezJrd\build.exe C:\Users\Ross\Desktop\zig-stuff\zig-windows-x86_64-0.4.0+381c6a38\zig.exe C:\Users\Ross\Desktop\game_sketches\sketch_2 C:\Users\Ross\Desktop\game_sketches\sketch_2\zig-cache

If I don't set the target, zig build gets further but it can't find the Windows SDK include path for windows.h or GL/gl.h.

[emekoi]

the message about not being native is correct. when you explicitly set the target triple zig always identifies that as non-native and you'll need an explicit libc file for that.

[andrewrk]

@emekoi's advice is good - try making the target native.

Note that once #514 is done, zig will have a libc available on windows regardless of whether compiling non-natively.

I'm closing this, but if the advice does not work feel free to comment and I'll re-open.