Jamyskis

I’ve just started developing my games for Windows again for the first time since my PC died last year and had to reinstall Windows XP. I can tell you - it is an absolute nightmare.

I initially tried installing Code::Blocks and manually installing MinGW as a compiler. I then had a go at trying to build and install Allegro 4.2.1 from scratch, which I have absolutely no problem in doing under Linux. Under Linux it’s well documented, clear, concise, and you know where you stand.

Under Windows however, it was a different kettle of fish. Not only was it a job to get MinGW installed properly (setting up the MinGW directory as a path was one of the problems I encountered), there was no really sensible way to ./configure, make, make install the package. There were some instructions on how to get Allegro installed from scratch using MinGW, but they were about as useful as a chocolate saucepan.

Eventually I did manage to find some precompiled Allegro libraries together with the headers, but they refused to work properly. Eventually, by sheer guess work, I found the DevPak function in Code::Blocks (excellent IDE, by the way) and figured out that I had to get the DevPaks installed into the MinGW directory, as the DevPaks would install include, lib, doc etc. directories there, and that is where MinGW was getting its includes and libraries from. All of this, of course, not at all well documented, although no doubt hidden in the mass/mess of documentation available.

Anyway, I did eventually manage to get it to work, so after a few aborted attempts which for reasons I still don’t understand didn’t work the first time, but did work the second time under exactly the same conditions, I finally have Windows ports of the latest versions of Open Invaders and Naughts and Crosses. Sorted.

Proper installer versions of the games will appear in the near future.