build: include C:\mingw\bin in Windows PATH by default

[bradfitz]

Proposal: all.bat on windows should automatically include "c:\mingw\bin
in PATH if c:\mingw\bin\gcc.exe exists and isn't otherwise found in path.
then new builder setup is just clicking OK OK OK on default installers
and doesn't require any config file editing

Then I don't need to manually remember to run:

set PATH=c:\mingw\bin;%PATH%

Russ says: "if you're writing the CL, sure"

--------

Help wanted, or I can learn bat files one day.

[alexbrainman]

Comment 1:

I can see your problem (gcc is not in your PATH), but I am not clear with your proposal.
You are proposing to change all.bat to:
1) check that c:\mingw\bin is not in the PATH
2) check that c:\mingw\bin\gcc.exe exists
3) then change PATH=c:\mingw\bin;%PATH% for the time of all.bat run
This can be confusing and difficult to do.
Confusing: I have 2 mingw installations in c:\mingw and c:\mingw64. Sometimes I want to
use one, other time I use the other. If I go with c:\mingw64, I do not want all.bat
magically ignore my choice and go for the alternative.
Difficult to do: I do not know how to achieve 1) or 2) in batch. I am certain it can be
done, but why bother with complexity.
A) I think you should do what I do instead. I have created batch file on my desktop
(called a.bat or something) that has this:
set GOROOT=c:\go\root
set GOPATH=c:\go\path\others;c:\go\path\mine
set GITDIR=c:\bin\git
set PATH=%PATH%;c:\go\mingw\bin;%GOROOT%\bin;%GITDIR%\cmd
cd %GOROOT%\src
CMD
I double click on that file and it opens new command window with all my environment set
and proper directory current - all ready to go. Super easy. You could remove GOPATH and
GITDIR, if you only going to develop inside GOROOT.
B) Alternatively, you could change global PATH environment variable to include
c:\mingw\bin there. Then every command window will have gcc. If you need help with that,
I will tell you how.
C) If you dead against A) or B), then we could just do 3), but that still makes it
confusing and surprising for some users.
> Russ says: "if you're writing the CL, sure"
Russ is a smart man. You should always think twice before you follow his advise. :0)
> Help wanted, or I can learn bat files one day.
We are in the same boat. I would have to learn how to do it myself. I prefer, you just
go with my proposal A) instead.
Alex

[mxk]

Comment 2:

For what it's worth, the following script checks if gcc.exe is already available from
PATH, and then searches C:\MinGW64 and C:\MinGW.
@echo off
setlocal
for %%i in (gcc.exe) do set GCC=%%~$PATH:i
if exist "%GCC%" goto :HAVEGCC
set GCC=%SystemDrive%\MinGW64\bin\gcc.exe
if exist "%GCC%" goto :ADDPATH
set GCC=%SystemDrive%\MinGW\bin\gcc.exe
if exist "%GCC%" goto :ADDPATH
echo GCC not found
goto :EOF
:ADDPATH
echo Updating PATH
for %%i in (%GCC%) do set PATH=%%~dpi;%PATH%
:HAVEGCC
echo GCC is %GCC%
gcc.exe --version

[alexbrainman]

Comment 3:

Thank you for your code max. Perhaps it works. But there is too much magic for me here.
Feel free to send CL with a change. But I think we are solving problem that does not
exist.
Alex

[rsc]

Comment 4:

I don't think we necessarily need all that.
    set PATH=%PATH%;c:\mingw\bin
would work: if gcc is in the path before that, no harm done. If not,
maybe looking in mingw will help.
I'm still not 100% sure this is the right thing to do, but it's super easy.

[rsc]

Comment 5:

Labels changed: added go1.1.

[rsc]

Comment 6:

Brad, can you check if just adding
set PATH=%PATH%;c:\mingw\bin
works?

Labels changed: added go1.1maybe, removed go1.1.

Owner changed to @bradfitz.

[rsc]

Comment 7:

[The time for maybe has passed.]

Labels changed: removed go1.1maybe.

[rsc]

Comment 8:

Brad, do you still care about this? If so, see comment 6.

[rsc]

Comment 9:

Labels changed: added go1.3maybe.

[dsymonds]

Comment 10:

Labels changed: added os-windows.

[rsc]

Comment 11:

Labels changed: added release-none, removed go1.3maybe.

[rsc]

Comment 12:

Labels changed: added repo-main.