Is building SM under [native] Windows a dead issue?

[RDaneel]

When last I tried to build SM - maybe 5-7 years ago? - I could still build using Visual Studio tools... sure, Rust and Python were required, but it kinda sorta worked.

Now - and this could have some connection to dropping Visual Studio build tools in favor of "all clang, all the time" (at least on Bills boxes) - there aren't even Windows-specific prereqs/build instructions.

I assume it was all just too much trouble for our dwindling pool of hard-working devs, and they preferred to build on Linux systems, and it is easier to cross-compile for Windows from that env?

In my case, I only care about doing 64-bit Windows builds - building and targeting - so I have to ask: has anything been ripped out, such that this would be precluded now?

So, if I install [Windows builds of] clang, rust, python, and whatever else is needed, is it likely that I could complete a Windows 64-bit build of SM?

Related "extra-credit" [possibly dumb-sounding] questions:

0) more of an observation - I used to be able to find bash executables that were actually Windows executables - now all I see is "bash on Windows" means WSL...

1) has Python somehow replaced "make" as the core of the build system?

2) would I be better advised to just suck it up and do Linux-based builds under WSL 2 on Windows, given that I am not likely to create a native (bootable) Linux build env?

[frg]

No problem. VS2017 VS2019 VS2022 and clang are supported under Windows. Latest mozilla build 3.4
Install mozilla build download mozilla central and do a mach boostrap. Then 2.53 should be ready to go too. Windows 10 sdk and VS20xx for the tools is needed for both.

I usually build under Server 2016 but anything from 7 and up should work.

Shoot me an email and I can send you a draft buld env guide.

FRG

[frg]

Before I forget. Cross compiling for Windows under Linux is not working for 2.53.x. Given that I find the mozilla solution rather meh because it needs Wine and some native build tools extracted from the real VS2017 toolset and the Windows sdk too I am not in a hurry to make this work.
Mozilla dropped VS2015 and VS2017 for building but still needs the tools. Another questionable decision because while I hate the now and then MS buggy compiler release (e.g. current VS2022 needs a patch in the source or it will end up with an ICE) I still like to have a second compiler around to verify bad behaviour.

If using ac_add_options --with-visual-studio-version=20xx (xx = installed VS version) the build will use the MS compiler and not clang. While this works for the x64 build the x86 ones ends with a linker error in the latest VS releases and also SeaMonkey x86 is crashy if older compiler. We use clang for x86 release builds because of this. The x64 is currently produced using the latest VS2019 compiler.