ARM Windows build and release

[Sjors]

This was brought up recently:

• https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5517601.0
• https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/bitcoindev/e5b06aaa-1fe9-4c8f-a0ea-db10f8a7e48cn%40googlegroups.com

[Sjors]

I believe @ZenulAbidin asked on the Bitcoin Dev list?

cc @hebasto

[maflcko]

I am not sure how easy it would be to ship windows arm release binaries in guix, or if it is even possible today. I guess not, based on https://github.com/Windows-on-ARM-Experiments/mingw-woarm64-build?tab=readme-ov-file#known-issues .

As for the MSVC build, someone would have to go through https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/blob/master/doc/build-windows-msvc.md with a recent ARM64 MSVC, see https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/install/visual-studio-on-arm-devices?view=vs-2022#get-started-with-arm64-visual-studio and then report the findings or fixups.

[hebasto]

As for the MSVC build, someone would have to go through https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/blob/master/doc/build-windows-msvc.md with a recent ARM64 MSVC, see https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/install/visual-studio-on-arm-devices?view=vs-2022#get-started-with-arm64-visual-studio and then report the findings or fixups.

I performed a quick check without building the GUI on Windows 11 Pro 24H2 ARM and noticed no issues.

[maflcko]

I performed a quick check without building the GUI on Windows 11 Pro 24H2 ARM and noticed no issues.

Thanks!

I guess this means the issue can be closed for now. Maybe the docs could be updated to mention that ARM has been tested as well? About ARM windows builds in guix, there could be a new tracking issue.

[Sjors]

@maflcko the original posts were asking for a release as well, so might as well track that here. I renamed the issue.

I also suspect most Windows users will want the GUI. @hebasto do you think it's better to wait for QT6 for that?

[hebasto]

I also suspect most Windows users will want the GUI. @hebasto do you think it's better to wait for QT6 for that?

According to Qt6 documentation, MinGW-w64 is not supported for building Windows binaries targeting ARM.

[Sjors]

We're at qt6 since #30997 landed. But it still needs to be natively compiled. I don't know if cross-compilation is a priority for QT? If not, then there's probably no point in keeping this open until the end of time.

[hebasto]

I don't know if cross-compilation is a priority for QT?

As far as I know, the required toolchain isn’t even provided by major distributions.

[maflcko]

Closing for now. This can be re-opened when there is a toolchain to achieve this. Even then, the toolchain would need to make it into guix and ideally other package managers as well.