Cannot create directory C:/Program Files (x86)/Common Files/SSL: No such file or directory

[kohldampfer]

I am building OpenSSL on a Windows machine. When I run the configure script, I am doing it like this:

path\to\perl.exe Configure VC-WIN32 enable-static-engine no-zlib --prefix="D:\target\dir"

After invoking nmake install VERBOSE=1, OpenSSL compiles and links and afterwards, I get at some point this error message and the build stops:

Cannot create directory C:/Program Files (x86)/Common Files/SSL: No such file or directory

It's OK that the build stops at this point. In my opinion, when I use the --prefix option, then the install part should not install / copy some files into another directory than I set through the --prefix option. So, for me, this is a bug.

What do you think about this?

Edit:
I compile OpenSSL version 1.1.0h.

[kohldampfer]

Possible workaround is to add the parameter --openssldir="D:\target\dir\SSL" when calling the perl.exe command.

[levitte]

Yes. Since 1.1.0, --openssldir no longer depends on --prefix.

[al1970]

There's another solution:
start the 'mingw64.exe' or the 'cmd.exe' (depending on the build toolchain) with administration privileges.
The problem in directory creation is due to lack of administration right.

[liku-amare]

I got the same error doing the same in VS2019. I ran Developer cmd for VS2019 with administrative privilege and it worked fine.

[AntonDueck]

only admin can write to C:/Program Files (x86)/Common Files/SSL. so you habe to define the --openssldir or have the acces rights