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DevCpp-Mingw Install & Compilation Sept 2005
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==================================
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Reference Emails available at curl@haxx.se:
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Libcurl Install and Use Issues
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Awaiting an Answer for Win 32 Install
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res = curl_easy_perform(curl); Error
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Having previously done a thorough review of what was available that met my
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requirements under GPL, I settled for Libcurl as the software of choice for
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many reasons not the least of which was the support.
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This quest started when I innocently tried to incorporate the libcurl library
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into my simple source code. I figured that a few easy steps would accomplish
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this without major headaches. I had no idea that I would be facing an almost
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insurmountable challenge.
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The main problem lies in two areas. First the bulk of support for libcurl
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exists for a Unix/linux command line environments. This is of little help when
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it comes to Windows O/S.
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Secondly the help that does exist for the Windows O/S focused around mingw
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thru a command line argument environment.
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You may ask "Why is this a problem?"
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I'm using a Windows O/S with DevCpp. For those of you who are unfamiliar with
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DevCpp, it is a window shell GUI that replaces the command line environment
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for gcc. A definite improvement that I am unwilling to give up. However using
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DevCpp presented its own set of issues. Inadvertently I also made some
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careless errors such as compiling the 7.14 version of Makefile with an older
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version of source code. Thanks to Dan Fandrich for picking this up.
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I did eventually with the help of Daniel, Phillipe and others manage to
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implement successfully (the only mingw available version)
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curl-7.13.0-win32-ssl-devel-mingw32 into the DevCpp environment. Only the
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dynamic libcurl.dll libcurldll.a libraries worked. The static library which I
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was interested in did not. Furthermore when I tried to implement one of the
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examples included with the curl package (get info.c) it caused the executable
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to crash. Tracing the bug I found it in the code and function res =
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curl_easy_perform(curl);.
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At this point I had to make a choice as to whether invest my limited
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time-energy resource to fixing the bug or to compile the new version
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available. After searching the archives I found a very similar or the same bug
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reported from version 7.12x on. Daniel did inform me that he thought that this
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bug had been fixed with the latest version. So I proceeded to compile the
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latest SSL version where I faced other challenges.
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In order to make this process unremarkable for others using the same
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environment I decided to document the process so that others will find it
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routine. It would be a shame if newbies could not implement this excellent
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package for their use.
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I would like to thank the many others in this forum and in the DevCpp forum
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for their help. Without your help I may either have given up or it would have
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taken me many times longer to achieve success.
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This discussion will be confined to a SSL static library compilation and
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installation. Limited mention and comments will be inserted where appropriate
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to help with non-SSL, dynamic libraries and executables.
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Using Makefile from DevCpp to compile Libcurl libraries
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Using the latest version release - curl-7.14.0.tar.gz. Curl source code is
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platform independent. This simply means that the source code can be compiled
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for any Operating System (Linux/Unix Windows etc. and variations of thereof).
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The first thing to note is that inside curl-7.14.0 you will find two folders
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lib and src. Both contain Makefile.m32 (required for win mingw library or exe
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compilation) files which are different. The main difference between these two
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folders and the makefiles is that the src folder contents are used to compile
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an executable file(curl.exe) while the lib folder contents are used to compile
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a static (libcurl.a) and dynamic (libcurl.dll & libcurldll.a) file that can be
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used to compile libcurl with your own source code so that one can use and
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access all libcurl functions.
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Before we start please make sure that DevCpp is installed properly. In
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particular make sure you have no spaces in the name of any of the directories
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and subdirectories where DevCpp is installed. Failure to comply with the
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install instructions may produce erratic behaviour in DevCpp. For further info
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check the following sites
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http://aditsu.freeunixhost.com/dev-cpp-faq.html
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http://sourceforge.net/forum/message.php?msg_id=3252213
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As I have mentioned before I will confine this to the SSL Library compilations
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but the process is very similar for compilation of the executable - curl.exe;
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just substitute the src folder makefile in its stead.
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First use a text processor Notepad, or your own favourite text processor. To
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engage your favourite text processor, select Makefile.m32 click once with your
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mouse on file icon; icon turns blue, press the shift key and right-click on
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mouse, menu appears select "Open with", select your favourite text processor.
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Next read the contents of Makefile.m32. It includes instructions on its use.
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Method I - DOS Command Line
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---------------------------
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Note - The only reason I have included this method is that Method II which is
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the preferred method for compiling does not allow for the setting of option
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switches (e.g. SSL = 1 or SSL =0). At least that's what they tell me at the
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1 - Make a copy of (D:\Dev-Cpp\bin) bin folder and name it "bin Original"
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place it in the Dev-Cpp installed directory (D:\Dev-Cpp\ for this example)
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2 - Copy the entire contents of the LIB folder of curl-7.14.0.tar.gz or zip
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version into the bin folder above (D:\Dev-Cpp\bin). The reason being is that
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the make.exe file resides in this folder. Make.exe will use - Makefile.m32,
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Makefile.inc, and the source code included in the lib folder to compile the
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source code. There is a PATH issue with make.exe that remains unresolved at
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least for me. Unless the entire source code to be compiled is placed entirely
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within the directory of make.exe an error message will be generated - "file
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xxxx.yyy not available".
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3- Go to Dev-Cpp\bin and double click on make .exe. You will see a DOS window
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quickly pop up and close very quickly. Not to worry! Please do not skip this
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4- Click on the start button\Programs\MS-DOS Prompt.Once the DOS Window is up
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Type the disk drive letter (e.g. E: ) engage the enter button. The path should
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automatically take you to the directory of the make.exe file.
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5- To compile the source code simply type at the DOS prompt make -f
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Makefile.m32 as per instructions contained in the Makefile.m32 file (use any
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text processor to read instructions). I don't believe that this makefile
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allows for the option of non SSL. Ignore any warnings.
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6- Collect and make copies of libcurl.a, libcurl.dll, libcurldll.a and any *.o
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compilations you might need in another directory outside of the bin directory
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as you will need this files shortly to set up libcurl for use with
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Dev-cpp. For most apps *.o is not required. Later on we will show what to do
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7- You are finished but before closing we need to do cleanup - erase the bin
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folder and rename the "bin Original" folder created in step 1 to bin.
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Note to compile a curl executable the process is probably similar but instead
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of using the LIB folder contents use the SRC folder contents and Makefiles in
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curl-7.14.0.tar.gz. File directories relative placements must be respected for
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compiling to take place successfully. This may not be possible with the PATH
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problem that make.exe experiences. If anyone has solved this PATH issue and
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please make sure it actually works on Win 9x/2000/XP before letting me
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know. Then please let me or Daniel in on the solution so that it can be
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included with these instructions. Thanks.
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Method II - Dev-Cpp GUI
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-----------------------
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1- Copy the entire contents of the LIB folder of curl-7.14.0.tar.gz or zip
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version into any folder outside of (Dev-Cpp\bin).
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2- Drop the File/New/click on Project.
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3- New Project Dialogue box appears. Double click on the Static Library.
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4- Create Project Dialogue box appears. Select the LIB folder location to
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place and locate your Project File Name. Placing the Project File Name
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elsewhere may cause problems (PATH issue problem again).
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5- Drop down the Project/Project Options. Project Options Dialogue box
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6- Select the Makefile tab in the Project Options Dialogue Box. Check Box -
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Use Custom Makefile. Click on the Folder icon at the extreme right of the
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Check Box. Select Makefile.m32 in the folder wherever you have placed the
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contents of the LIB Folder. Press OK and close the Dialogue Box.
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7- Drop the Menu Project/Click on Add to Project. Open File Dialogue Box
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appears. The Dialogue Box should open in the folder wherever you have placed
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the contents of the LIB Folder. If not go there.
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8- Select Crtl-A to select all files in the LIB folder. Click on open to add
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files and close box. Wait till all files are added. This may take 30 seconds
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9- Drop the Menu Execute/Click on Compile.
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The following steps must be completed if Curl is to work properly
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=================================================================
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LIB folder inclusions (*.a placement)
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-------------------------------------
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1- Refer to Method I - DOS Command Line point # 6 Take libcurl.a, libcurldll.a
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and install it in the directory C( or whichever drive Dev is installed)
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1- Create a new folder by the name of curl (do not change the name curl to
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some other name as it will cause major issues) in the directory
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2- Copy the entire contents of the curl folder of curl-7.14.0.tar.gz or zip
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version into the newly created curl directory - C:\Dev-Cpp\include\curl.
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Links To Include And Lib Folder
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-------------------------------
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1- Drop the Menu - Tools\Compiler Options\Directories\Libraries. Make sure
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that C( or whichever drive Dev is installed):\DEV-CPP\lib is included.
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2- Next select the Menu - Tools\Compiler Options\Directories\C Includes. Make
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sure that C:\DEV-CPP\include and C:\Dev-Cpp\include\curl are included.
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3- Next select the Menu - Tools\Compiler Options\Directories\C++
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Includes. Make sure that C:\DEV-CPP\include and C:\Dev-Cpp\include\curl are
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1- Drop the Menu - Tools\Compiler Options\Directories\Compiler.
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2- Make sure that the box "Add these commands to the linker command line" is
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3- Include in the white space immediately below the box referred in 2 -lcurl
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1- Get the latest openSSL (as of time of this writing)
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openssl-0.9.7e-win32-bin.zip for the minimalist package of the openssl-0.9.7e
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binaries ported to MS Windows 95/98/NT/XP using the MingW32/GCC-3.1
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development environment. The file may be downloaded at
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http://curl.haxx.se/download/.
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2- Open the above zip file. You will find two files - SDL.dll,
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SDL_mixer.dll. Install them in the directory C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32 for Win 9x
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users and c:\winnt\system32 for NT-family users.
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1- Make sure that your program includes the following - #define CURL_STATICLIB
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must be declared FIRST before any other define functions may be
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added. Otherwise you may experience link errors.
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2- Don't forget to include #include "curl/curl.h".
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#define CURL_STATICLIB
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#include "curl/curl.h"
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Static or Dynamic Library
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-------------------------
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The above steps apply for the use by a static library. Should you choose to
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use a dynamic library you will be required to perform these additional steps.
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1- Refer to Method I - DOS Command Line point # 6. Install libcurl.dll in the
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directory C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32 for Win 9x users and c:\winnt\system32 for
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2- Refer to Linker Links point 3 - Replace -lcurl with -lcurldll.
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The non-SSL static Library build may not be possible to use at least as of the
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time of this writing - v7.14. Check reference emails - Phillipe and I found it
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impossible to fully compile as certain files were missing for linking. No big
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loss as SSL is a major plus.