Unofficial Code::Blocks installers for Windows x86 & x64 Janurary 2022

[AndrewCot]

Updated for the release on 23-Jan-2022.

The installers references in this post are *not* official Code::Blocks releases, nor are they thoroughly tested like the official builds done by the Code::Blocks Team.
The installers do, however include changes that make the Code::Blocks installation and setup/configuration on Windows allot easier compared to the official C::B 20.03 installers.

Installer download link:

https://sourceforge.net/projects/unofficial-cb-installers/

C::B exe/dll changed/update highlights compared to the last nightly SVN 12673 release (23-Jan-2022):

    1. Incorporated SVN changes up to and including SVN 12673. See https://sourceforge.net/p/codeblocks/code/12673/log/ for change info.
    2. Does not include the CBFortan Plugin or other plugins that are SVN externals.
    3. Has auto-detect/auto add GDB support when options*.xml include GDB info. (SF Ticket 1114)
    4. Auto-detect POP up condition on startup has changed. After initial install will only pop up if the default compiler has issues. (SF Ticket 1117)
    5. Auto-detect compiler dialog has the option to show the installed or all the compilers. (SF Ticket 1117).
    6. The compiler selection dialog has the option of showing the detected compilers or all the compilers. Fix a number of compiler selection dialog bugs. (SF Ticket 1111)
    7. Moved Help->About->Information to Help->"System Information" and added allot of extra info on the CB and PC setup. Added copy to clipboard button that anonymizes the data when copied to the clipboard. (SF Ticket 748)
    8. Add ability to copy debug watch variable content to clipboard. Add three extra watches dialog context menu options: copy data, copy symbol and data and copy the symbol tree. (SF Ticket 654)
    9. Added Pecan's experimental CB-clangd_client. See https://sourceforge.net/projects/cb-clangd-client (updated to V2.0.10 as of 23JAN2022)
    10. Fix SVN 12662 change so batch mode build works again (fixed on 23-Jan-2022)

Updated installer highlights compared to the C::B 20.03 NSIS installer:
    1. Option to download and run the following compiler installers from the internet:
            MinGW-W64
            TDM
            MSSY2
            Cygwin
    2. Optionally remove user application data if found on an unnstall.
    3. Option to un-install if already found when installing.
    4. Optionally checks for fortan plugin and if found adds it to the installer.
    5. Output filename includes date and 32 or 64 bit and version.
    6. Added missing files that are included in the nightly build.
    7. Inno setup only does a full install.
    8. Updated start menu links.
    9. Ability to specify the start menu directory.
    10. Ability to specify the install directory.
    11. On an un-install allot more registry entries are removed (NSIS still leaves a few). Not all entries are removed.
    12. To many other changes to mention....
    13. Check out the https://sourceforge.net/projects/unofficial-cb-installers/files/Installer_Pages.odt file for the installer pages.
    14. Now installs Code::Blocks in the "C:\Program Files" directory for the 64 bit installer.
    15. Inno installer uses InnoSetup Compiler(ISS) (http://www.jrsoftware.org) aka ISS V6.2.0
    16. NSIS installer uses NSIS compiler (http://nsis.sourceforge.net) V3.7.0
    17. Inno installer script file is "Installer_ISS_full_only.iss"
    18. NSIS installer script file is "Installer_NSIS.nsi"
    19. NSIS only - Added XP SP 3 x86 and x64 support - different set of files from https://sourceforge.net/p/codeblocks/code/11196/tree/trunk/src/exchndl /win32/bin and /win64/bin.. NOTE: Inno setup 6 does not support XP anymore. x66 works, but x64 has issue with mscrt.dll function missing.
    20. Both Installer can install using non admin (user) account. Admin is needed to install in the C:\Program file.... directory. If you run normally you install as a user, but if you run as admin you are asked which type of installation  you want.
    21. Both Installer can optionally open the https://github.com/ssbssa/gdb/releases web page as a sub checkbox in the compiler install page under the MINGW checkbox. This qallows the user to manually install a later GDB for MINGW that works. (SF ticket 1020)
    22. Installer code is not a separate repo, but a directory in the C::B GitHub source repo tree. (SF Ticket 1119)
    23. Massive NSIS changes (Including updating parts to the new NSIS 3 way of working) (SF Ticket 1119)
    24. Inno Setup installer created and tested (SF Ticket 1119)
    25. Graphics changes included in the installers (I am not a graphical arteist if you get it!) (SF Ticket 1119)
    26. Installer script files support both 32 and 64 bit in the one script file. (SF Ticket 1119)
    27. Can build the installer(s) from a batch file now. (SF Ticket 1119)
    28. On Windows initial install auto detect GDB installation and configure it for use. (SF Ticket 1114)
    29. Asks if you want to uninstall previopus version before installing new version.
    30. Install and uninstall checks to see you are running as admin or normal user so the install/uninstall uses the same priveleges as last one.
    31. Modified nsi to only show the download compiler page if an internet connection is detected.
    32. Modified nsi to support installing the following if they are in the same directory as the installer:
            * i686-8.1.0-release-posix-dwarf-rt_v6-rev0.7z
            * x86_64-8.1.0-release-posix-seh-rt_v6-rev0.7z
          These can be downloaded from https://sourceforge.net/projects/mingw-w64/files/Toolchains%20targetting%20Win32/Personal%20Builds/mingw-builds/8.1.0/


SOURCE/Compiler Info:
1. The source code repo used to produce the installers is currently:
    https://github.com/acotty/codeblocks_sf/tree/AC-WindowsInstaller
2. C::B x64 built with MSYS2 mingw64 GCC 11.2 using the latest MSYS 2 release (GCC 10.3 => 11.2 ON 24Oct2021)
3. C::B x86 built with MingGW-32 installer using "GCC 8.1.0 , i686, posix threading, dwarf exception handing and 0 build revision" configuration.


NOTES:
If you want to check these installers out then I would advise backing up your Code::Blocks install and user data directories before running the installer so you can go back to your current configuration.
You can also rename Code::Blocks install and user data directories instead of backing them up if you want.

[AndrewCot]

32 bit installers are now available if anyone wants to give them a go, but be aware the 32 bit release have only had a quick test to see that the installers work and that CB will start and run.

[AndrewCot]

Updated 64 bit installers available with the following changes:

04-Aug-21 Ticket 808 - Updated the default compiler background color to red if invalid. With 1117 this should resolve 808.
05-Aug-21 Ticket 748 - Moved Help->About->Information to Help->"System Information" and added allot of extra info on the CB and PC setup for helping with issues and bugs.
05-AUG-21 Added extra help plugin menu items for the updated documentation included in the installation. These appear as sub menu items in the Help menu.

[ollydbg]

Nice work!

I would suggest you can add the build information of the C::B binary, such as what compiler do you use to build the C::B.

Also, is it possible to to support portable mode, I mean we have a "CBlauncher.exe", which can run C::B in portable mode, in this mode, all the options are stored in a local sub folder.

[AndrewCot]

The x64 info is included in the original post above. The readme on the Sourceforge file download page is the latest and includes the build info for x86, which was updated when I did the x86 installers.

All of the installers include the CbLauncher.exe as the installers include everything the existing ones do plus some more files.  Looks like I need to do a cross check on the start menu shortcuts between the NSIS and ISS scripts as the ISS script does not include adding a shortcut like the NSIS installer does.

Do you mean by "support portable" mode by adding the shortcut into the ISS installers?  If not, can you please elaborate or point me where I can find out what I need to do to add the mode in.

[ollydbg]

The x64 info is included in the original post above. The readme on the Sourceforge file download page is the latest and includes the build info for x86, which was updated when I did the x86 installers.

OK, I see it, it is "Built with MSYS2 mingw64 GCC 10.3 using the latest MSYS 2 release".

All of the installers include the CbLauncher.exe as the installers include everything the existing ones do plus some more files.  Looks like I need to do a cross check on the start menu shortcuts between the NSIS and ISS scripts as the ISS script does not include adding a shortcut like the NSIS installer does.

Do you mean by "support portable" mode by adding the shortcut into the ISS installers?  If not, can you please elaborate or point me where I can find out what I need to do to add the mode in.

I mean in the install page, you can tell the user, if they want to use C::B in portable mode, they should run "CbLauncher.exe", otherwise, they can run "CodeBlocks.exe". Or maybe, a better idea is to add a new shortcuts as "run Code::Blocks in portable mode".

Generally, I think most people don't know running CbLauncher.exe will run C::B as portable mode.

Thanks.

[AndrewCot]

Thanks for the explanation.

I have added this to my list to look at when I get to the issue of updating the installers to work with a non admin user account as the current installers need admin rights to installed that apps in the program files directory. Currently you need admin rights to run the cblauncher for it to work, which is not acceptable IMHO.

[AndrewCot]

Updated 64 bit installers available with the following changes since the last relase:

06-Aug-21 Ticket 748 - In Help->"System Information" copy to clipboard button now anonymize's the data when copied to the clipboard and shows the spinning cursor while the data is being worked on.
06-AUG-21 Added missing INNO installer shortcuts that were in the NSIS installer.
06-AUG-21  NSIS only - Added XP SP 3 x86 and x64 support - different set of files from https://sourceforge.net/p/codeblocks/code/11196/tree/trunk/src/exchndl /win32/bin and /win64/bin.. NOTE: Inno setup 6 does not support XP anymore.  Needs to be tested as I do not have XP anymore!!!!

[AndrewCot]

Updated 64 bit installers available with the following changes since the last release:

07-AUG-21 Ticket 654 - Copy Debug Watch variable content to clipboard. Add three extra watches dialog context menu options: copy data, copy symbol and data and copy the symbol tree.


Note:
Windows XP 32 bit installer has been tested and runs on XP x86 & x64, but the XP x64 does not run CB X64 build.

[AndrewCot]

Updated all of the installers available with the following changes since the yesterday:

08-Aug-21 Inno ans NSIS Installer can install using non admin (user) account. Admin is needed to install in the C:\Program file.... directory. If you run normally you install as a user, but if you run as admin you are asked which type of installation  you want.
08-Aug-21 Updated the Installer_Pages.odt for installer user install changes.
08-Aug-21 Ticket 1122 - pull upstream changes, so incorporated this change to fix compilation with wx-master
08-Aug-21 Ticket 1113 - pull upstream changes, so incorporated this change to fix Linux: xfce4 and gnome terminal can not be terminated
08-Aug-21 no ticket ref# - pull upstream changes, so incorporated this change for scripting change to Print more information when someone calls a native function from squirrel incorrectly.

[AndrewCot]

Updated all of the installers available with the following changes since the yesterday:

09-Aug-21 Ticket 1125 - Only show valid compilers in the Compiler Selection dialog (if you load a project with invalid compiler [YOUR ANSWER IS ALREADY THERE. SEARCH THE FORUMS!] and go to the build options). The function is CompilerFactory::SelectCompilerUI(msg).
09-Aug-21 Ticket 1126 - Add compiler validation checking when loading a project.
09-Aug-21 Potentially Ticket 1020 - Both Installer can optionally open the https://github.com/ssbssa/gdb/releases web page as a sub check box in the compiler install page under the MINGW check box. This allows the user to manually install a later GDB for MINGW that works.

The x86 installers are available now and the x86 should be available in the next hour once the build finishes.

[oBFusCATed]

FYI: The licenses of most of the code is GPLv3/LGPLv3. This means that you're obliged to provide the source code used to build the binary in some form. Either as part of the installer or as separate archive or link to github repo.

[AndrewCot]

As expected you did not read and follow the info supplied.

[stahta01]

FYI: The licenses of most of the code is GPLv3/LGPLv3. This means that you're obliged to provide the source code used to build the binary in some form. Either as part of the installer or as separate archive or link to github repo.

Likely link https://github.com/acotty/codeblocks_sf/tree/AC-WindowsInstaller

[AndrewCot]

At least one person reads the info.

There could be a up to a 2 hour lag either way with regards to a new installer upload and the changes landing in the Github repo. I usually push to github when I think a piece of work is done and my initial testing passes, which is usually more often than the updates to the installer.

I expect the next update to not occur until the next SVN change(s) make it into the trunk, unless bugs or issues are found or I spot another Windows install/setup quirk that should be fixed in order to reduce the newbies asking questions as to why the install /setup does not work (okay I know my changes will not fix 100% of the issues, but it should reduce them).