[Users] Building CM on Windows 11 with MSys2 MinGW

[Jonathan Boeing]

On Wed, 23 Nov 2022 23:05:49 +0600
Enan Ajmain <3nan.ajmain at gmail.com> wrote:

> I have been trying to build Claws on Windows 11, but coming up short.
> The README doesn't provide any info on it. I searched for build
> process for Windows in mailing list archive but didn't find anything
> useful. Maybe the people who maintain the 'Claws Mail for Windows'
> part of this software can help me -- that's why I'm writing here.
> 
> What I've tried so far:
>   • Checkout git branch win32
>     • It's not up to date
>     • Abandon
>   • Try and build the master branch with Msys2/MinGW
>     • Error in `autogen.sh`: `libetpan` not found
>     • Try to build `libetpan` from source
>     • Error building `libetpan` (I can't remember exactly what error)
>     • Abandon
>   • Try building 'Claws Mail for Windows'
>     • Download claws-mail-win32-4.1.1-1.tar.xz
>     • Follow README
>     • Error in `autogen.sh`: `docbook2html` not found
>     • Search for `docbook2html` in Msys repository
>     • Learn that `docbook2html` belongs to `docbook-utils` in
>       Arch/Ubuntu repositories
>     • Learn that `docbook-utils` doesn't exist in Msys repo
>     • Abandon hope of building CM in Windows
> 
> P.S. I need to build from source because I need to patch something.
> https://lists.claws-mail.org/pipermail/users/2022-November/031335.html
> 

You want the claws-win32-installer repo
https://git.claws-mail.org/?p=claws-win32-installer.git;a=summary

The build instructions are in the README, and I'd recommend building
from Debian 11 (a VM is fine) rather than Msys2.

Regards,

Jonathan