Background

Let us review the steps one will take to build a Rust application that will be ran on a 32-bit MS Windows application.

 

Lineage

1. Rust:- Cargo Build Error – “error: linker `link.exe` not found”
   Date Published:- 2023-March-28th
   Link

Outline

Here are the steps that we will follow:-

1. Targeted Platforms
   • Review Targeted Platforms ( Pre )
   • Add Specific Target Platforms
     • Review Target Platforms ( Post )
2. Project
   • Build Project
3. Artifacts
   • List Artifacts
   • Inspect Artifacts
4. Test App
   • Watch
     • Task Manager

 

Targeted Platforms

Review Targeted Platforms ( Pre )

Let us list available targeted platforms.

Command:- Rustup target list

Syntax

rustup target list

Sample

Sample – List Target – Windows

rustup target list | findstr /i "windows"

Output

Output – List Target – Windows

>rustup target list | findstr /i "windows"
aarch64-pc-windows-msvc
i586-pc-windows-msvc
i686-pc-windows-gnu
i686-pc-windows-msvc
x86_64-pc-windows-gnu
x86_64-pc-windows-msvc (installed)
>

Images – List – Target – Windows

Explanation

Explanation – List – Target – Windows

1. A lone MS Windows Platform is targeted
   • x86_64-pc-windows-msvc (installed)

Add Targeted Platforms

Let us go over how to target new platforms.

Command:- Rustup target add

Syntax

rustup target add [platform]

Sample

Sample – Add Target – Windows

rustup target add i686-pc-windows-msvc

Output

Output – Add Target – Windows

>rustup target add i686-pc-windows-msvc
info: downloading component 'rust-std' for 'i686-pc-windows-msvc'
info: installing component 'rust-std' for 'i686-pc-windows-msvc'
26.9 MiB / 26.9 MiB (100 %) 8.9 MiB/s in 2s ETA: 0s

Image – Add Target – Windows

Explanation

Explanation – List – Target – Windows

1. Component
   • i686-pc-windows-msvc
     • Tasks
       • Downloading component
       • Installing component
     • Size
       • 26.9 MB
       • 8 MiB/s
       • 2s ETA

 

Review Targeted Platforms ( Post )

For those who targeted platforms were not currently available, and they needed to add it, please review targeted platforms post installing a new target.

Command:- Rustup target list

Syntax

rustup target list

Sample

Sample – List Target – Windows

rustup target list | findstr /i "windows"

Output

Output – List Target – Windows

>rustup target list | findstr /i "windows"
aarch64-pc-windows-msvc
i586-pc-windows-msvc
i686-pc-windows-gnu
i686-pc-windows-msvc (installed)
x86_64-pc-windows-gnu
x86_64-pc-windows-msvc (installed)

>

Images – List – Target – Windows

Explanation

Explanation – List – Target – Windows

We reviewed available targets and filtered on Windows, here are our “installed” matches

1. i686-pc-windows-msvc (installed)
2. x86_64-pc-windows-msvc (installed)

 

Build Project

Build MS Windows 32-bit Project

Command:- Cargo Build

Syntax

cargo build

Sample

Sample – Build – Target – Windows – 32 Bit

cargo build --release --target x86_64-pc-windows-msvc

Output

Output – Build – Target – Windows – 32 Bit – Text

>cargo build --release --target x86_64-pc-windows-msvc
Compiling hello_world v0.1.0 (C:\personal\dadeniji\script\rust\hello_world)
Finished release [optimized] target(s) in 1.18s

Output – Build – Target – Windows – 32 Bit – Image

Build MS Windows 64-bit Project

Command:- Cargo Build

Syntax

cargo build

Sample

Sample – Build – Target – Windows – 64 Bit

cargo build --release --target x86_64-pc-windows-msvc

Output

Output – Build – Target – Windows – 64 Bit – Text

>cargo build --release --target x86_64-pc-windows-msvc

Compiling hello_world v0.1.0 (C:\personal\dadeniji\script\rust\hello_world)
Finished release [optimized] target(s) in 0.49s

Output – Build – Target – Windows – 64 Bit – Image

Artifacts

List Artifacts

Dir Command

Syntax

dir *.exe /s

Sample

List Windows Binaries ( *.exe )

dir target\*.exe /s /b

Output

List Windows Binaries ( *.exe )

>dir target\*.exe /s /b | findstr /V "\deps\"
C:\personal\dadeniji\script\rust\hello_world\target\i686-pc-windows-msvc\release\hello_world.exe
C:\personal\dadeniji\script\rust\hello_world\target\x86_64-pc-windows-msvc\release\hello_world.exe
>

Explanation

1. target\i686-pc-windows-msvc\release\hello_world.exe
2. target\x86_64-pc-windows-msvc\release\hello_world.exe

Inspect Artifacts

Determine Artifact Bitness

Dumpbin.exe

Syntax

dumpbin [file]

Sample – Windows – 32 Bit

Inspect Windows Binaries – 32 Bit

dumpbin /headers target\i686-pc-windows-msvc\release\hello_world.exe | findstr /I "machine"

Output

Text

>dumpbin /headers target\i686-pc-windows-msvc\release\hello_world.exe | findstr /I "machine"
14C machine (x86)
32 bit word machine

>

Image

Explanation

1. Looked at the executable’s header
   • Filtered on machine
   • Matched:-
     • (x86)
     • 32 bit

Sample – Windows – 64 Bit

Inspect Windows Binaries – 64 Bit

dumpbin /headers target\x86_64-pc-windows-msvc\release\hello_world.exe | findstr /I "machine"

Output

Text

>dumpbin /headers target\x86_64-pc-windows-msvc\release\hello_world.exe | findstr /I "machine"
            8664 machine (x64)

Image

Explanation

1. Looked at the executable’s header
   • Filtered on machine
   • Matched:-
     • 8664 machine (x64)

Test App

Watch

Task Manager

We will run application and watch via Task Manager

Run Application

Syntax

[application-name]

Sample

Sample – Windows – x32

target\i686-pc-windows-msvc\release\hello_world.exe

Output

Image – Windows -x32 – Console

Image – Windows -x32 – Task Manager

Explanation

1. Task Manager
   • Columns
     • Platform:- 32 bit

Tools

1. Find – Option /v
   • find /? ( Command Help )
     • /V Displays all lines NOT containing the specified string.
   • Skipped files in the deps folder
     • find /V “\deps\”
2. Findstr – Option /V
   • findstr /? ( Command Help )
     • /V Prints only lines that do not contain a match.
   • Skipped files in the deps folder
     • findstr /V “\deps\”

 

Summary

__,  I am really a son of Rakim.

Everything takes too long around here!