Summary
The first command a new Windows contributor is told to run in README.md's main "Build and Install from Source" quickstart fails immediately, with no signal that Windows needs different handling and no link to the doc page that has it.
Reproduction
- Interface: Fortran/C (build)
- Minimal input / steps: On Windows, follow README.md's "Build and Install from Source" verbatim.
- Command or API call used:
mkdir build && cd build
cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=<install_dir> -DCEA_BUILD_TESTING=OFF ..
Expected behavior
Configures the project — README frames this as "the basic installation process," implying it works as-is.
Actual behavior
-- Building for: NMake Makefiles
Running 'nmake' '-?' failed with: no such file or directory
CMake Error: CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER not set, after EnableLanguage
With no -G flag and no Visual Studio installed, CMake silently defaults to the NMake Makefiles generator and fails immediately. README.md never mentions this and never links to docs/source/installation.rst's Windows Notes / "Windows + Intel oneAPI (Step-by-Step)" sections, which do contain working Windows instructions.
Environment
- OS: Windows 11
- CEA version/commit: 6d246a1 (main)
- Compiler or Python version: N/A (fails at configure time, before any compiler is invoked)
Additional context
docs/source/installation.rst already has substantial, apparently-validated Windows guidance (an explicit Visual Studio generator flow, an Intel oneAPI step-by-step with a PowerShell installer script, a WSL alternative) that README.md's quickstart path never surfaces or links to.
Summary
The first command a new Windows contributor is told to run in README.md's main "Build and Install from Source" quickstart fails immediately, with no signal that Windows needs different handling and no link to the doc page that has it.
Reproduction
Expected behavior
Configures the project — README frames this as "the basic installation process," implying it works as-is.
Actual behavior
With no
-Gflag and no Visual Studio installed, CMake silently defaults to the NMake Makefiles generator and fails immediately. README.md never mentions this and never links todocs/source/installation.rst's Windows Notes / "Windows + Intel oneAPI (Step-by-Step)" sections, which do contain working Windows instructions.Environment
Additional context
docs/source/installation.rstalready has substantial, apparently-validated Windows guidance (an explicit Visual Studio generator flow, an Intel oneAPI step-by-step with a PowerShell installer script, a WSL alternative) that README.md's quickstart path never surfaces or links to.