Poll

How should we offer nightly builds?

x64 Only
x86 Only
Both x64 and x86

Author Topic: 64-bit builds on Windows  (Read 3139 times)

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Offline The E

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64-bit builds on Windows
As those of you following along on SCP or the github page know, m!m has recently made it possible for us to compile native 64-bit builds of FSO and FRED on Windows. The question is now whether or not we should offer these as part of the nightly menu, as it were. While discussing the issue on #scp, we were unsure about how much of the people currently using nightlies would be impacted by, for example, cutting the x86 builds. This topic should serve as a small, highly unscientific survey.

(The scientific surveys, like the Steam Hardware Survey, show that about 83% of PC gamers use an x64 OS)

I should probably also make a few things clear about the x64 builds: Do not expect certain limits like the bitmap limit or object limit to just disappear with them. Right now, they're functionally identical to the x86 builds, with no added features beyond the ability to allocate more memory, and it is unlikely that that will change in the near future. We do not want to create a situation analoguous to the Inferno build madness again, after all.
Also, regardless of our decision whether to include or exclude x64 or x86 from the nightlies, we will of coure still offer x86 builds for our official releases.
« Last Edit: August 12, 2016, 03:02:40 am by The E »
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Offline jr2

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Re: 64-bit builds on Windows
How about x64, with x86 available upon request (make a note of that in the nightly release thread), and if x86 is requested too often to bother, just switch and do both by default?

 
Re: 64-bit builds on Windows
Back when you took over the SCP you decided to keep XP compatibility, so unless you're planning on revising that you'll have to keep 32-bit builds available.

e: oops, you're talking about nightlies. Remove them and see if anyone even notices IMO.
« Last Edit: August 13, 2016, 11:19:31 am by Phantom Hoover »
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Offline chief1983

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Re: 64-bit builds on Windows
I'd really rather we keep them both available for a time for comparison of any potential differences.  If we become relatively certain there aren't any maybe we'd discuss dropping 32bit nightly builds then, but we had the Inferno builds around for a while for the same reason, no one was ever really sure they weren't doing something they weren't supposed to.  Having otherwise identical builds readily available for comparison would be helpful.  I'm curious how 32bit and 64bit builds might play together on multiplayer too, for instance.
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Re: 64-bit builds on Windows
Surely you can create an installer that detects the OS and installs the appropriate version. (or let the user choose) In which case what does it matter if they are both included or not in the installer.

 

Offline AdmiralRalwood

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Re: 64-bit builds on Windows
To be clear: releases will have both 32- and 64-bit builds. The question is entirely about nightly builds, which nobody feels the need to use installers for.
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Offline The E

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Re: 64-bit builds on Windows
Based on the results of this, we have now switched the Windows nightlies to be x64 only.
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Offline Yarn

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Re: 64-bit builds on Windows
Now that the nightly builds are 64-bit, shouldn't the CMake files be configured by default to produce 64-bit projects?
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Offline m!m

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Re: 64-bit builds on Windows
There is no way to force CMake to build 64-bit executables. You will have to select the Win64 platform manually.

 

Offline Yarn

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Re: 64-bit builds on Windows
Then how do you make 64-bit binaries? Visual Studio is only showing Win32, and I don't see any obvious way of making CMake create 64-bit projects. (If I tick the "Advanced" check box in CMake, I do see some values that include "X86" or point to the "Program Files (x86)" folder, but I don't know if those are the values that need to be changed.)
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Offline The E

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Re: 64-bit builds on Windows
You have to open the cmake gui, delete the cache file using File->Delete Cache, then click on Configure. A dialogue should appear where you can specify the generator to use, and you have to set that to Visual Studio 2015 Win64.
If I'm just aching this can't go on
I came from chasing dreams to feel alone
There must be changes, miss to feel strong
I really need lifе to touch me
--Evergrey, Where August Mourns