Bazel on Windows: improve first-time experience

[laszlocsomor]

In the spirit of #5208, I'd like to collect ideas to improve the experience of first-time Bazel on Windows users. Some ideas may be Windows-specific, some may cover all platforms. I believe the experience is bumpier than it could be.

I'm opening this bug with the intent of collecting these ideas -- mine and everyone else's -- and use it as a burn-down list of improvements. Please feel free to add your ideas. I'll keep updating the list as tasks are completed.

---

• Website, "Get Bazel" button: make it point directly to the binary.
• Make it so that the user doesn't have to rename the Bazel binary to bazel.exe.
  • Done by using the .msi installer, see Windows, release pipeline: build .msi package continuous-integration#745
• Consider turning the downloadable file into an installer: that'd remove the need to rename the binary, to set up the PATH manually, and to install the VC runtime DLLs separately.
  • Done: Windows, release pipeline: build .msi package continuous-integration#745
• Website, somewhere near download link: say it's a command line tool, there's no installer. Or: turn Bazel into an installer.
  • Done: Windows, release pipeline: build .msi package continuous-integration#745
• Website, installation:
  • clarify which versions of MSYS Bazel needs. (Any versions, and hopefully not needing for long.)
    • Obsolete: Bazel works with any version.
  • clarify which versions of VC redistributable DLLs Bazel needs.
    • Done, link is on https://docs.bazel.build/versions/0.28.0/install-windows.html
  • document how to set the PATH
    • Done, in https://docs.bazel.build/versions/0.28.0/install-windows.html#problem-bazel-does-not-find-bash-or-bashexe
• Workspace path may not contain space. Should be supported.
• Renaming the workspace fails because the Bazel server is running in it.
• No VC installed, but Bazel gives warnings (or status messages?) about VC discovery.
• Document {java,py}_binary outputs, the fact that they generate an .exe file
• java_binary:
  • Document that deploy jars are self-contained and can be executed with java -jar foo_deploy.jar
  • Do not hardcode the JVM's path into the .exe files
• Runfiles manifest:
  • Review contents of runfiles manifest for data-less java_binaries: probably doesn't need to contain things like the JDK
  • The $0.exe.runfiles directory's presence with just a runfiles manifest is weird, not documented anywhere. Consider removing this runfiles directory and just keep the $0.runfiles_manifest file.

Update(2018-07-03):

• BAZEL_VC or BAZEL_VS still needs to be defined (at least on my GCP Windows VM -- maybe I'm not admin?). An installer could do this so the user doesn't have to.
• Cryptic error messages when a genrule/sh_* uses zip, Bazel uses Git Bash, but MSYS is first on the PATH. (Related bug: shell toolchain, design: including common bintools #5265)
• Bazel client is slow to extract the embedded binaries. (See Windows: Bazel client is slow #5444)
  • Done in Windows,Bazel client: multithreaded file writing #5600

[laszlocsomor]

/cc @meteorcloudy @dslomov @ulfjack

[laszlocsomor]

Update(2018-07-03):

• BAZEL_VC or BAZEL_VS still needs to be defined (at least on my GCP Windows VM -- maybe I'm not admin?). An installer could do this so the user doesn't have to.
• Cryptic error messages when a genrule/sh_* uses zip, Bazel uses Git Bash, but MSYS is first on the PATH. (Related bug: shell toolchain, design: including common bintools #5265)
• Bazel client is slow to extract the embedded binaries. (See Windows: Bazel client is slow #5444)

[meteorcloudy]

If users don't define BAZEL_VC and BAZEL_VS, Bazel will detect VC installation on the machine, if not found a fake crosstool will be generated. So I guess they are not mandatory, are they?

[laszlocsomor]

I have a Windows VM on which the auto-detection does not find VC, and I have to manually set the envvar.

[meteorcloudy]

Just tested on the VM with 0.15.0. If I build a sh_binary, it worked without setting BAZEL_VC or BAZEL_VS. If I build a cc_binary, it threw an error asking me to install VC. This is working as expected.
But in both case it gives some warning about setting BAZEL_VC, I guess that what we should improve?

pcloudy@laszlocsomor-windows-testing MSYS ~/workspace/test
$ vim BUILD

pcloudy@laszlocsomor-windows-testing MSYS ~/workspace/test
$ vim bin.sh

pcloudy@laszlocsomor-windows-testing MSYS ~/workspace/test
$ ./bazel-0.15.0-windows-x86_64.exe build :bin
Loading:
Loading: 0 packages loaded
DEBUG: C:/users/pcloudy/_bazel_pcloudy/hyl7dsma/external/bazel_tools/tools/cpp/lib_cc_configure.bzl:115:5:
Auto-Configuration Warning: 'BAZEL_VC' is not set, start looking for the latest Visual C++ installed.
DEBUG: C:/users/pcloudy/_bazel_pcloudy/hyl7dsma/external/bazel_tools/tools/cpp/lib_cc_configure.bzl:115:5:
Auto-Configuration Warning: Looking for VS%VERSION%COMNTOOLS environment variables, eg. VS140COMNTOOLS
DEBUG: C:/users/pcloudy/_bazel_pcloudy/hyl7dsma/external/bazel_tools/tools/cpp/lib_cc_configure.bzl:115:5:
Auto-Configuration Warning: Looking for Visual C++ through registry
INFO: Analysed target //:bin (4 packages loaded).
INFO: Found 1 target...
[0 / 5] [-----] Writing script bin.exe
Target //:bin up-to-date:
  C:/users/pcloudy/_bazel_pcloudy/hyl7dsma/execroot/__main__/bazel-out/x64_windows-fastbuild/bin/bin
  C:/users/pcloudy/_bazel_pcloudy/hyl7dsma/execroot/__main__/bazel-out/x64_windows-fastbuild/bin/bin.exe
INFO: Elapsed time: 1.109s, Critical Path: 0.03s
INFO: 0 processes.
INFO: Build completed successfully, 5 total actions
INFO: Build completed successfully, 5 total actions

pcloudy@laszlocsomor-windows-testing MSYS ~/workspace/test
$ ./bazel-bin/bin
hallo

pcloudy@laszlocsomor-windows-testing MSYS ~/workspace/test
$ vim BUILD

pcloudy@laszlocsomor-windows-testing MSYS ~/workspace/test
$ vim bin.cc

pcloudy@laszlocsomor-windows-testing MSYS ~/workspace/test
$ ./bazel-0.15.0-windows-x86_64.exe build :bin
Loading:
Loading: 0 packages loaded
DEBUG: C:/users/pcloudy/_bazel_pcloudy/hyl7dsma/external/bazel_tools/tools/cpp/lib_cc_configure.bzl:115:5:
Auto-Configuration Warning: 'BAZEL_VC' is not set, start looking for the latest Visual C++ installed.
DEBUG: C:/users/pcloudy/_bazel_pcloudy/hyl7dsma/external/bazel_tools/tools/cpp/lib_cc_configure.bzl:115:5:
Auto-Configuration Warning: Looking for VS%VERSION%COMNTOOLS environment variables, eg. VS140COMNTOOLS
DEBUG: C:/users/pcloudy/_bazel_pcloudy/hyl7dsma/external/bazel_tools/tools/cpp/lib_cc_configure.bzl:115:5:
Auto-Configuration Warning: Looking for Visual C++ through registry
INFO: Analysed target //:bin (3 packages loaded).
INFO: Found 1 target...
[0 / 4] [-----] BazelWorkspaceStatusAction stable-status.txt
ERROR: C:/msys64/home/pcloudy/workspace/test/BUILD:1:1: C++ compilation of rule '//:bin' failed (Exit -1)

The target you are compiling requires Visual C++ build tools.
Bazel couldn't find a valid Visual C++ build tools installation on your machine.
Please check your installation following https://docs.bazel.build/versions/master/windows.html#using

Target //:bin failed to build
Use --verbose_failures to see the command lines of failed build steps.
INFO: Elapsed time: 0.637s, Critical Path: 0.07s
INFO: 0 processes.
FAILED: Build did NOT complete successfully
FAILED: Build did NOT complete successfully

[laszlocsomor]

Just tested on the VM with 0.15.0.

Thanks for looking into this!

If I build a sh_binary, it worked without setting BAZEL_VC or BAZEL_VS.

For me too. That is WAI.

If I build a cc_binary, it threw an error asking me to install VC. This is working as expected.

For me too, and this is my primary concern. Isn't the cc_toolchain supposed to discover where VC is installed?

But in both case it gives some warning about setting BAZEL_VC, I guess that what we should improve?

That's an annoyance because it spams the output and the yellow-colored DEBUG messages look like warnings, but this is only my secondary concern.

[meteorcloudy]

Hmm, I see VS 2017 is installed on the VM, but the registry info is somehow missing. Normally, bazel should be able to detect that through registry by
reg query HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\VisualStudio\SxS
It worked on my workstation for VS 2017.

[laszlocsomor]

Could you update cc_configure to fall back on checking the default installation path if the registry key is missing?

[meteorcloudy]

That's a good idea!

[darthbinamira]

Want to add one issue I've encountered while following the java tutorial on Windows 10.

1. The bazel query command seems to only work in PowerShell. I tried running with the default cmd.exe terminal in IntelliJ and it just gives the following error:

bazel query  --nohost_deps --noimplicit_deps 'deps(//:ProjectRunner)' --output graph
ERROR: The package part of 'deps(//:ProjectRunner)' should not end in a slash

2. The same query can't be copy-pasted due to the \ and should be written in a single line.

[meteorcloudy]

@darthbinamira
Thanks for reporting the issue.
In cmd.exe, we should use double quote. And indeed, there's no need to write --output graph in a separate line. I'll fix the documentation.

[malkia]

Need to verify this (I'm on my Chromebook right now), but I think under windows "bazel.exe" actually runs "java.exe" (as expected), but unlike Linux, the name still comes as "java" during "tasklist" or "pslist" (from Sys Internals). Probably all it takes to rename "java.exe" to "bazel.exe", and then it can be killed.

Again need to verify this next week, when I have windows machine again!

[laszlocsomor]

True, it's "java.exe" in Task Manager.

@philwo : WDYT of renaming the embedded JDK's java.exe to bazel-server.exe or something?

[philwo]

Quite a hack, but yeah, why not 😅 It would get confusing if we ever used the embedded JDK to run something other than the Bazel server, but I don't think that should happen anymore (@meisterT maybe knows?).

[dslomov]

I like this. "Java? Who is Java? I am Bazel Server!"

[meisterT]

We should not run anything else than Bazel itself on the embedded JDK anymore, so feel free to rename (or symlink).

[laszlocsomor]

Thanks for the feedback!
Let's rename then. (And not symlink, because that's still not supported widely enough on Windows.)

[laszlocsomor]

Updated the OP with current status.

[laszlocsomor]

Rest of the stuff won't get done before 1.0, removing tag.

[ofek]

Any update?

[philwo]

@ofek Are you looking for something specific?

Recently, we've been doing some light improvements for Bazel's Windows port, but are not prioritizing it very highly, because we feel like it's currently working well enough for the known users. But if you have concrete issues that we should address, please let me know here and I'll make sure we look at them!

[ofek]

Nothing in particular, just curious if the checklist is current

[lucasjinreal]

Error in fail: BAZEL_SH environment variable is not set

I cannot bare it anymore in 2023 on windows

[github-actions]

Thank you for contributing to the Bazel repository! This issue has been marked as stale since it has not had any activity in the last 1+ years. It will be closed in the next 90 days unless any other activity occurs. If you think this issue is still relevant and should stay open, please post any comment here and the issue will no longer be marked as stale.

[github-actions]

This issue has been automatically closed due to inactivity. If you're still interested in pursuing this, please post @bazelbuild/triage in a comment here and we'll take a look. Thanks!

[ofek]

@bazelbuild/triage

[meteorcloudy]

I think most of the points in the original issues have been fixed or obsolete. Please file new issue for specific Windows bugs. Thanks!