Not Able to Use Build-Windows Guide for WSL #9356

Hello,

This issue is about the windows guide for WSL: https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/blob/master/doc/build-windows.md

I have tried several times by following this guide but it fails to build any version. Even with a fresh clean install of WSL this guide doesn't work. After make HOST=x86_64-w64-mingw32 -j4, it says checking whether we are cross compiling... no. Then if I went on with the configure line I would get this result:

checking for Berkeley DB C++ headers... no configure: error: libdb_cxx headers missing, Bitcoin Core requires this library for wallet functionality (--disable-wallet to disable wallet functionality)

Michagogo gave us on IRC his short guide: https://www.irccloud.com/pastebin/W0iBQZbU/ which does work in building master and 0.13.1 versions but I can't get it to build v0.13.0.

Any help for this issue is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Did you install the general build dependencies with sudo apt-get install build-essential libtool autotools-dev automake pkg-config bsdmainutils curl?

I think you must have missed a step, it is not finding the dependencies that you built in the first step (in depends). This includes berkeleydb. Are you configuring bitcoin core itself using either:

CONFIG_SITE=$PWD/depends/x86_64-w64-mingw32/share/config.site

or

./configure --prefix=$PWD/depends/x86_64-w64-mingw32

Either should work, but if you don't point it at the depends on some way it won't find them.

I took note while following the guide, and this is my note: https://0bin.net/paste/6SnwTiY5pb9Pfomr#Fv8IEhJnHK12V6ptY-P5/8rZdyGrW0C85hL39t/OnU9

I crossed check every line and tested this guide over and over several times.

So did I and for me it just works.

I found the answer to my issue but there's something I don't understand. At the start of this ubuntu system, my screen looks like this:

C:\Users\moli>bash molxyz@LAPTOP-O22LRA5I:/mnt/c/Users/moli$

Then I would start typing in the commands from the guide. What's puzzling is it works with Michagogo's guide but doesn't work with the github guide. Today I looked at it and thought hm maybe there's something wrong with that directory. So I typed "cd" and it went to this directory:

molxyz@LAPTOP-O22LRA5I:~$

From then on everything works! I tested and got master, 0.13.0, and 0.13.1 versions built with no problem. Could not get v0.12.0 and v0.12.1 built though, but I will tinker on that later.
I'm new to linux and this sub system, I thought molxyz@LAPTOP-O22LRA5I:/mnt/c/Users/moli$ and molxyz@LAPTOP-O22LRA5I:~$ should be the same directory but I guess not? @achow101 and @laanwj , thank you for your help and fast replies.

I'm new to linux and this sub system, I thought molxyz@LAPTOP-O22LRA5I:/mnt/c/Users/moli$ and molxyz@LAPTOP-O22LRA5I:~$ should be the same directory but I guess not?

One is your windows "home directory" the other your Linux home directory. They are separate directories on different file systems. Your windows drive is mounted under /mnt/c in the Linux root. The Linux root is not directly accessible from windows (this is why there is an install step to install the executables to the windows drive).

I don't understand why it matters for the build instructions, where you put the files, though. But I don't have time to look into this right now.

May be it will help someone:

I had the issue with error configure: error: libdb_cxx headers missing

My problem was related to the step sudo update-alternatives --config x86_64-w64-mingw32-g++ # Set the default mingw32 g++ compiler option to posix.

During first installation, I did everything like in instructions, but for some reason i didn't have choice to input a number to select appropriate mingw (posix). May be I just didn't see it. I've seen this comment "# Set the default mingw32 g++ compiler option to posix." but thought that may be this command will do everything needed.

But during second clean installation I payed more attention and selected appropriate one with posix and then stem with make HOST=x86_64-w64-mingw32 took much much more time and everything become ok and I didn't have this error.

It's regarding official installation build-windows with WSL ubuntu 16