[GNC-dev] Building on Windows

[Dale Phurrough]

If your goal is to use a Windows computer to run and/or develop GnuCash,
then an option is to...
Execute GnuCash in Linux
Display GnuCash in Windows

I do not recommend deep investment into the current WSL. The drastically
different WSL2 is already in preview and will be available within ~6-9
months. At that point, there will be a full Linux kernel available. If it
works in WSL1, it will probably work in WSL2...but you will likely have
many workarounds/hacks that will be obsolete.
Do Linux work in a Docker container. Host that container either on Windows
or on any Linux machine you have that can run Docker.
Use X Windows to remote the GnuCash display from the Docker container to
your Windows machine. This is standard XWindows remoting.
Now you have GnuCash GUI being displayed on a Windows machine, GnuCash
executable running in the Docker container wherever it is, and the X
Windows protocol connecting the two together.
I do this often, across many Linux OS, all remoted to my same Windows 10
computer.
And yes, you can run the Docker container on same same Windows computer
showing the GUI.

1. Get a working Docker install. This is easy. Available for Windows and
every Linux distribution https://docs.docker.com/install/
2. Get a working XWindows install for Windows. I use cygwin's XWin because
setup was easy and it is free. https://x.cygwin.com/
3. Get a working GnuCash Docker container. This is easy
https://github.com/diablodale/gnucash-dev-docker

--Dale

On Tue, Aug 27, 2019 at 7:15 AM Adrien Monteleone <
adrien.monteleone at lusfiber.net> wrote:

>
> > On Aug 26, 2019 w35d238, at 11:28 PM, Sumit Bhardwaj <
> bhardwajs at outlook.com> wrote:
> >
> > WSL would provide a Linux binary, not a Windows binary. Is that what you
> are thinking of building? I am also not sure how to get GUI running for
> WSL. (WSL is really good tool.)
>
> That’s what I was thinking too, but maybe John knows something we don’t.
> If the goal of being able to build via VSCode is reached, then you can use
> one machine and do both builds, one for Linux, the other for Windows. I’ve
> not heard that the Linux version of VSCode can build a Windows binary.
> (would be great if it could)
>
> As for the GUI, some people have done it, though MS doesn’t support it.
> (even running GnuCash!) But I haven’t tried it myself. I’m just getting
> ready to play with Win10 for a client (I don’t use Win systems regularly
> anymore) so I might give it a go in a month or so.
>
> Regards,
> Adrien
>
>
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