Rewrite README with real install paths, TOC, and current command surface

Adds the two installation options that now actually exist (Nivora
package, prebuilt GitHub Release binary) alongside building from
source, a table of contents, CI/release/license badges, and a
Language section for VINTNER_LANG. Moves the more implementation-
focused toolrelay.exe/compatibility-patches explanations into
collapsible sections so the top of the page stays focused on using
the tool rather than how it's built.
This commit is contained in:
Cheviiot
2026-07-25 04:16:33 +10:00
parent d11b534fa1
commit e0475101b2
+107 -52
View File
@@ -1,14 +1,32 @@
# vintner
Cross compile with MSVC on Linux, using Wine — a single-binary Go tool
inspired by [mstorsjo/msvc-wine](https://github.com/mstorsjo/msvc-wine)'s
approach (download the real MSVC/WinSDK, wrap the compiler under Wine),
[![CI](https://github.com/Cheviiot/vintner/actions/workflows/ci.yml/badge.svg)](https://github.com/Cheviiot/vintner/actions/workflows/ci.yml)
[![Release](https://img.shields.io/github/v/release/Cheviiot/vintner)](https://github.com/Cheviiot/vintner/releases/latest)
[![License: MIT](https://img.shields.io/badge/license-MIT-blue.svg)](LICENSE.txt)
**vintner** cross compiles with the real MSVC toolchain on Linux, using Wine —
a single Go binary, inspired by [mstorsjo/msvc-wine](https://github.com/mstorsjo/msvc-wine)'s
approach (download the actual MSVC/WinSDK, wrap the compiler under Wine) and
implemented independently.
Once installed, you invoke the real Microsoft toolchain exactly like on
Windows: `cl`, `link`, `lib`, `rc`, `midl`, `mc`, `mt`, `dumpbin`, `msbuild`,
`nmake`, `ml`, `ml64`, `armasm`, `armasm64`, plus trivial `cmd`/`findstr`
shims, all just work from your `PATH`.
shims, all work from your `PATH` — including full MSBuild projects and, with
`--with-wdk`, real KMDF/UMDF Windows drivers.
## Contents
- [How it works](#how-it-works)
- [Installation](#installation)
- [Quick start](#quick-start)
- [Commands](#commands)
- [Building drivers (WDK)](#building-drivers-wdk)
- [Language](#language)
- [Using clang-cl/lld-link instead of Wine](#using-clang-cllld-link-instead-of-wine)
- [Building from source](#building-from-source)
- [How the pieces fit together](#how-the-pieces-fit-together)
- [License](#license)
## How it works
@@ -23,15 +41,50 @@ it's invoked as (a "multi-call binary", like busybox):
back from `z:\...` paths to plain unix paths so your build system's error
parsing keeps working.
- Invoked as `vintner` → it exposes the `download`, `install`, `env` and
`version` management subcommands described below (each also has a short
alias: `dl`, `i`, `e`, `v`; `help`/`h` prints usage).
`version` management subcommands described below (short aliases: `dl`,
`i`, `e`, `v`; `help`/`h` prints usage).
## Installation
**On ALT Linux, via [Nivora](https://github.com/Cheviiot/Nivora):**
```bash
stplr install nivora/vintner
```
**Prebuilt binary**, from the [latest release](https://github.com/Cheviiot/vintner/releases/latest):
```bash
curl -fLo vintner "https://github.com/Cheviiot/vintner/releases/latest/download/vintner-linux-$(uname -m | sed 's/x86_64/amd64/;s/aarch64/arm64/')"
chmod +x vintner
sudo install vintner /usr/local/bin/vintner
```
**From source** — see [Building from source](#building-from-source).
Either way, `wine`/`wine64`, `msitools` (for `msiextract`) and `git` need to
be on `PATH` at run time (see [Prerequisites](#prerequisites) below); Nivora
installs already pull these in as package dependencies.
### Prerequisites
- `wine` (or `wine64`) — runs the real `cl.exe`/`link.exe`/etc.
- `msitools` (`msiextract`) — unpacks the `.msi` payloads MSVC/WinSDK ship as.
- `git` — used to apply the small compatibility patches bundled with
`download` (see [Compatibility patches](#compatibility-patches) below).
On ALT Linux:
```bash
pkcon install wine msitools git
```
## Quick start
```bash
# 1. Download and unpack MSVC + Windows SDK into ~/.vintner (requires
# accepting Microsoft's Visual Studio Build Tools license, and msitools
# for unpacking .msi payloads). Pass --dest <dir> for a different location.
# accepting Microsoft's Visual Studio Build Tools license). Pass
# --dest <dir> for a different location.
vintner download --accept-license
# 2. Wire up the tool wrappers
@@ -42,19 +95,6 @@ export PATH=~/.vintner/bin/x64:$PATH
cl /nologo /EHsc hello.cpp
```
### Prerequisites
- `wine` (or `wine64`) — runs the real `cl.exe`/`link.exe`/etc.
- `msitools` (`msiextract`) — unpacks the `.msi` payloads MSVC/WinSDK ship as.
- `git` — used to apply the small compatibility patches bundled with
`download` (see Compatibility patches below).
On ALT Linux:
```bash
pkcon install wine msitools
```
## Commands
```
@@ -68,40 +108,49 @@ vintner help (h) print usage
`--dest`/`[dir]` both default to `~/.vintner` when omitted.
`download`'s main options: `--msvc-version`, `--sdk-version`,
`--architecture`, `--host-arch`, `--only-host`, `--with-wdk` (also fetch the
Windows Driver Kit, for building KMDF/UMDF drivers), `--ignore`,
`--only-download`, `--only-unpack`, `--keep-unpack`, `--skip-patch`,
`--cache`, `--language`, `--include-optional`, `--skip-recommended`,
`--major`, `--preview`, `--manifest`, `--list-workloads`,
`--list-components`, `--print-deps-tree`. Run `vintner download -h` for the
full list with descriptions.
`--architecture` (repeatable: `x86`/`x64`/`arm`/`arm64`/`host`),
`--host-arch`, `--only-host`, `--with-wdk` (see below), `--ignore`
(repeatable), `--only-download`, `--only-unpack`, `--keep-unpack`,
`--skip-patch`, `--cache`, `--language`, `--include-optional`,
`--skip-recommended`, `--major`, `--preview`, `--manifest`,
`--list-workloads`, `--list-components`, `--print-deps-tree`. Run
`vintner download -h` for the full list with descriptions.
`--list-workloads`/`--list-components` print every workload/component id
(with its human-readable title) available in the fetched manifest and exit
without downloading anything - useful for discovering what to pass as a bare
without downloading anything useful for discovering what to pass as a bare
package id or via `--with-*`. `--print-deps-tree` prints the dependency tree
of whatever would actually be selected (honoring every other flag), also
without downloading.
### Building drivers (WDK)
## Building drivers (WDK)
`vintner download --with-wdk` additionally fetches the Windows Driver Kit
(headers, import libs, and the MSBuild `WindowsKernelModeDriver10.0`/
`WindowsUserModeDriver10.0` PlatformToolsets) so `msbuild` can build real
KMDF/UMDF drivers - compiling, linking, INF stamping and the `Inf2Cat`
signability check (with `SignMode=off`) all work under Wine. Verified
end-to-end against a real sample driver from
```bash
vintner download --accept-license --with-wdk
```
additionally fetches the Windows Driver Kit (headers, import libs, and the
MSBuild `WindowsKernelModeDriver10.0`/`WindowsUserModeDriver10.0`
PlatformToolsets) so `msbuild` can build real KMDF/UMDF drivers —
compiling, linking, INF stamping and the `Inf2Cat` signability check (with
`SignMode=off`) all work under Wine. Verified end-to-end against a real
sample driver from
[microsoft/Windows-driver-samples](https://github.com/microsoft/Windows-driver-samples).
Only x64 and arm64 targets have a WDK package upstream (no x86/arm).
### Language
## Language
CLI messages (usage text, progress lines, prompts) are in English by
default. Set `VINTNER_LANG=ru` (or have a `ru`-prefixed `LC_ALL`/
`LC_MESSAGES`/`LANG`, e.g. `ru_RU.UTF-8`) for Russian. Deeper error text
bubbled up from internal packages stays in English.
CLI messages (usage text, progress lines, prompts) default to English. Set
`VINTNER_LANG=ru` (or have a `ru`-prefixed `LC_ALL`/`LC_MESSAGES`/`LANG`,
e.g. `ru_RU.UTF-8`) for Russian:
### Using clang-cl/lld-link instead of Wine
```bash
VINTNER_LANG=ru vintner help
```
Deeper error text bubbled up from internal packages stays in English.
## Using clang-cl/lld-link instead of Wine
You don't need Wine at all if you drive the (nonredistributable) MSVC/WinSDK
headers and libraries with Clang/LLD in MSVC-compatible mode:
@@ -121,7 +170,15 @@ go build -o vintner ./cmd/vintner
Go 1.23+ is all you need to build it; `wine`/`msitools` are only needed at
run time (`install`/tool invocation and `download` respectively).
## toolrelay.exe
```bash
go vet ./...
go test ./...
```
## How the pieces fit together
<details>
<summary><strong>toolrelay.exe</strong> — surviving Wine's exit-code truncation</summary>
`install` compiles `assets/vendor/toolrelay.cpp` (a small native Windows
launcher, original to this project) with the freshly-installed host-arch
@@ -135,26 +192,24 @@ observing the untranslated code via `GetExitCodeProcess()` can catch it
before Wine marshals the process exit back to Unix and drops everything but
the low byte.
## Compatibility patches
</details>
<details>
<summary><strong>Compatibility patches</strong> — making MSBuild work without a Windows Registry</summary>
`download` applies a handful of small patches (`assets/patches`) to the
downloaded MSVC/WinSDK tree - independently written for this project - that
downloaded MSVC/WinSDK tree independently written for this project that
make `VsDevCmd.bat` and MSBuild's SDK-detection props work without a
Windows Registry (which doesn't exist under Wine): they check the SDK
directly under the VS install root instead of querying the registry, skip
telemetry, and don't hard-fail devcmd setup when an optional component
(ConnectionManagerExe, bundled CMake/Ninja) wasn't downloaded.
## Known gaps
None currently tracked. Download/select/unpack/install, general MSBuild
projects, WDK driver builds, dependency-tree printing, and
workload/component listing are all implemented and verified against real
projects.
</details>
## License
MIT, see [LICENSE.txt](LICENSE.txt) - covers vintner's own source only. The
MIT, see [LICENSE.txt](LICENSE.txt) covers vintner's own source only. The
MSVC Build Tools / Windows SDK / WDK that `download` fetches remain governed
by Microsoft's own license (accepted via `--accept-license`), same as with
any other way of obtaining them.