C++ Compiler and Make Utility Setup

This guide covers installing the C++ compiler (MinGW-w64) and make utility on Windows using Chocolatey package manager. These tools are essential for:

  • Compiling C++ examples from the Red Pitaya streaming library

  • Building C/C++ applications for Red Pitaya

  • Running Makefiles for automated build processes

  • FPGA project generation and builds

Note

Linux/macOS users: These tools are typically pre-installed or available through your system’s package manager (apt, yum, brew). This guide focuses on Windows installation.


Prerequisites

  • Windows 10/11 with administrator access

  • PowerShell or Windows Command Prompt


Installing Chocolatey Package Manager

Chocolatey is a package manager for Windows that simplifies software installation via command line.

Official installation guide: Chocolatey Installation Guide

Quick installation:

  1. Open PowerShell as Administrator (right-click PowerShell → “Run as administrator”)

  2. Run the installation command:

    Set-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Scope Process -Force; [System.Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol = [System.Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol -bor 3072; iex ((New-Object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadString('https://community.chocolatey.org/install.ps1'))

  3. Wait for the installation to complete. You should see a success message.

  4. Verify installation:

    choco --version

    You should see the Chocolatey version number (e.g., 2.3.0).

Note

After Chocolatey installation, you may need to close and reopen PowerShell for the choco command to be recognized.


Installing MinGW-w64 (C++ Compiler)

MinGW-w64 provides the GCC compiler suite for Windows, including g++ for C++ compilation.

Installation via Chocolatey:

choco install mingw -y

This installs:

  • gcc - C compiler

  • g++ - C++ compiler

  • gdb - GNU debugger

  • Standard C/C++ libraries and headers

Verify installation:

g++ --version

You should see output similar to:

g++.exe (MinGW-W64 x86_64-ucrt-posix-seh, built by Brecht Sanders) 14.2.0
Copyright (C) 2024 Free Software Foundation, Inc.

Test compilation:

Create a simple test file test.cpp:

#include <iostream>
int main() {
    std::cout << "C++ compiler works!" << std::endl;
    return 0;
}

Compile and run:

g++ test.cpp -o test.exe
.\test.exe

You should see C++ compiler works! printed to the console.


Installing Make Utility

The make utility automates build processes by reading Makefiles that define compilation rules and dependencies.

Installation via Chocolatey:

choco install make -y

Verify installation:

make --version

You should see output similar to:

GNU Make 4.4.1
Built for Windows32
Copyright (C) 1988-2023 Free Software Foundation, Inc.

Test make:

Create a simple Makefile:

hello:
    @echo "Make utility works!"

Run:

make hello

You should see Make utility works! printed to the console.

Note

Makefiles require TAB characters for indentation, not spaces. Make sure your text editor is configured to use tabs when editing Makefiles.


Environment Variables

Chocolatey automatically adds the installed tools to your system PATH during installation. If the commands are not recognized:

  1. Close and reopen your terminal/PowerShell

  2. Check that the installation directories are in PATH:

    $env:PATH -split ';' | Select-String -Pattern 'mingw|make'

  3. If still not working, log out and log back in to Windows


Using the Tools

Compiling Red Pitaya Streaming Examples

The Red Pitaya C++ streaming examples can now be compiled:

# Navigate to examples directory
cd C:\path\to\RedPitaya-Examples\C\API_Examples\Streaming

# Compile an example
g++ -std=c++20 -o stream_adc_1.exe stream_adc_1.cpp -I..\..\..\include -L..\..\..\lib -lrp-streaming

Building with Makefiles

For projects with Makefiles:

# Build project
make

# Clean build artifacts
make clean

# Build specific target
make target_name

FPGA Project Generation

For FPGA development (see FPGA Getting Started), the make utility is used to generate Vivado projects:

# Generate FPGA project
cd C:\path\to\RedPitaya\fpga\prj\v0.94
make project

Alternative Installation Methods

Manual MinGW-w64 Installation

If you prefer not to use Chocolatey:

  1. Download MinGW-w64 from: MinGW-w64 Downloads

  2. Run the installer and follow the setup wizard

  3. Manually add the bin directory to your system PATH:

    • Right-click “This PC” → Properties → Advanced system settings

    • Click “Environment Variables”

    • Edit the “Path” variable under “System variables”

    • Add the MinGW-w64 bin directory (e.g., C:\mingw64\bin)

Manual Make Installation

If you prefer not to use Chocolatey:

  1. Download Make from: GNU Make for Windows

  2. Extract to a location like C:\Program Files\Make

  3. Add the directory to your system PATH (see steps above)


Troubleshooting

Command not found after installation

  1. Close and reopen your terminal/PowerShell

  2. Verify PATH includes the tool directories:

    $env:PATH

  3. Log out and log back in to Windows

  4. Reboot if the issue persists

Compilation errors with streaming library

Ensure you have:

  1. Downloaded the complete Red Pitaya streaming client package

  2. The streaming library files (rp-streaming.dll, headers) are accessible

  3. Correct include paths (-I) and library paths (-L) in your compile command

Make complains about missing separator

This usually means spaces are used instead of tabs in the Makefile. Configure your editor to use tabs for indentation in Makefiles.

Chocolatey installation fails

  1. Ensure you’re running PowerShell as Administrator

  2. Check your internet connection

  3. Try running the installation command again

  4. Check if antivirus software is blocking the installation