Building node.js on Cygwin (Windows)

Building node.js on Cygwin (Windows)

1. Install Cygwin and use setup.exe to install the following required packages:

   • devel -> gcc-g++
   • devel -> git
   • devel -> make
   • devel -> openssl
   • devel -> pkg-config
   • devel -> zlib-devel
   • python -> python

2. Clone the repository and build node.js. Open Start -> Cygwin -> Cygwin Bash Shell and run the following commands:

   $ cd ~
   $ git clone git://github.com/ry/node.git
   $ cd node
   $ git fetch --all
   $ git tag
   $ git checkout [latest-stable-tag]
   $ ./configure
   $ make
   $ make install
   

   It is recommended you checkout a stable tag since most of the time building master on Cygwin fails.

3. Set up Domain Name Resolution (DNS)

   Cygwin internally uses Windows for DNS queries. node.js uses the c-ares library that relies on /etc/resolv.conf. Cygwin ships with an empty /etc/resolv.conf. In order to enabled networking from your scripts, add these IPs to the file (Google Public DNS):

   $ vim /etc/resolv.conf
   
   nameserver 8.8.8.8
   nameserver 8.8.4.4
   

Build Problems

python.exe: can't open file 'waf-light':

This is not an issue with node.js. You are using the Windows version of python in Cygwin. It doesn't know how to process Cygwin style path names. You need to remove the Windows version (or make sure is not in the PATH) and install the Cygwin version of Python using setup.exe.

# Full error details
C:\Program Files\Python27\python.exe: can't open file '/cygdrive/c/node/tools/waf-light': [Errno 2] No such file or directory

unable to remap to same address as parent

This is not an issue with node.js either. Install base -> rebase first then close all Cygwin instances. Using dash or ash as a shell run:

$ /bin/rebaseall -v

It will tell you what to do further.

# Full error details
fatal error – unable to remap \\?\C:\cygwin\lib\python2.6\lib-dynload\time.dll to same address as parent: 0×360000 != 0×3E0000

Help! I've done EVERYTHING above and I'm still having trouble

If you have tried all of the above steps and you still need some help, pop into the #node.js chat channel on irc.freenode.net.