Building Firefox
The build tools linked here https://firefox-source-docs.mozilla.org/setup/windows_build.html do not like spaces in their paths.
For example, ./mach build step will fail with an error:
"ERROR: GetShortPathName returned a long path name for C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\Community\VC\Tools\MSVC\14.26.28801\bin\Hostx64\x64\cl.exe" or something like that.
A number of solutions suggested here, https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1323381.
This is discussed here https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1323381 I personally do not like enable short names using fsutil because it will slow down directory enumeration. Here is what worked for me,
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Create a link, a directory junction https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/it-pro/windows-server-2012-R2-and-2012/cc753194(v=ws.11). The link will obviously have a shorter name with no spaces, for example Mklink /j C:\VS2019 C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\Community The paths as shown in the example is what worked for me
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Add a new environment path VC_PATH with value C:\VS2019\VC\Tools\MSVC\14.26.28801 make sure the value is actually a valid directory and update it to the latest if necessary.
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Run (or rerun) ./mach configure. You may have to delete the config.cache file. (There is probably a command to clear a config)
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Run ./mach build. My build was successful
Summary
- Mklink /j C:\VS2019 C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\Community
- set VC_PATH=C:\VS2019\VC\Tools\MSVC\14.26.28801 or add it throw the GUI to persist it
- ./mach configure (you have to delete the existing config.cache
- ./mach build
