Devastating Deployment Issues

[xtlc]

I really am totally clueless after reading http://qt-project.org/doc/qt-5.0/qtd...t-windows.html and many similar articles and googeling the last 4 hours. I cant deploy my app. I wrote it in QT5.1.0 and I am completely confused... please help me.

- I am using Qt5.1.0
- MS Visual Studio 2012
- QExtSerialPort
- QCustomPlot

I tried the static and the shared library approach, but failed on both - usually in the first line of the tutorial. For example where it says:

Now run qmake to create a new makefile for the application, and do a clean build to create the dynamically linked executable:

nmake clean
qmake -config release
nmake

So I do: WIN+R, Enter -> CMD -> Enter
If I type "nmake clean" I get:Microsoft Windows [Version 6.2.9200]
(c) 2012 Microsoft Corporation. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

c:\Users\rt\Desktop\GUI>nmake clean
Der Befehl "nmake" ist entweder falsch geschrieben oder
konnte nicht gefunden werden.

Which means Command nmake cannot be found in english.

My program is called GUI and I can execute it just fine from inside the QT Creator. When I press STRG + R I see an folder being created in my programs directory, which is called build-GUI-Desktop_Qt_5_1_0_MSVC2012_64bit-Release - but I cant open the GUI.exe which is located there. It is only 383Kb big too. Which is awkwardly small I think, bc some of the to be included files are already bigger. I just want one big executable with all I need inside. I will update this thread if I try / find out more.

[anda_skoa]

You will have to open a command shell that has the necessary paths set to include the path that contains nmake.

There is usually a link for that in the start menu folder of visual studio.

Cheers,
_

[xtlc]

you mean the Visual Studio Developers CMD or however its named? I did try that. I got an error when I did "nmake clean" there.

[wysota]

Google for "visual studio command prompt"

[ChrisW67]

The "first line of the tutorial" is part of the instructions for building your Qt project from a command line. If you have already built your project from an IDE then start here.

Perhaps you can tell us what you files and directories you deployed for your dynamically linked Qt application and what "Devastating Deployment Issue" you experienced etc.

[xtlc]

When I use the VS CMD I get:

c:\Users\rt\Desktop\GUI>nmake GUI.pro

Microsoft (R) Program Maintenance Utility, Version 11.00.50727.1
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

GUI.pro(7) : fatal error U1036: Syntaxfehler: Zu viele Namen links von "="
Stop.

c:\Users\rt\Desktop\GUI

Which says sth like "Syntax error: Too many names left from "=" stop.".

pro folder.JPG
Here is also my GUI.pro file:

#-------------------------------------------------
#
# Project created by QtCreator 2013-07-25T11:53:23
#
#-------------------------------------------------
 
QT       += core gui\     #<--- this would be line 7, is it where nmake throws an error?
 
 
greaterThan(QT_MAJOR_VERSION, 4): QT += widgets printsupport
 
TARGET = GUI
TEMPLATE = app
 
include(qextserialport-1.2rc/src/qextserialport.pri)
 
SOURCES += main.cpp\
        mainwindow.cpp \
    protokoll.cpp \
    multireturn.cpp \
    qcustomplot.cpp
 
HEADERS  += mainwindow.h \
    protokoll.h \
    multireturn.h \
    qcustomplot.h
 
FORMS    += mainwindow.ui
 
DEFINES += QT_DISABLE_DEPRECATED_BEFORE=0
 
#CONFIG += static

#-------------------------------------------------
#
# Project created by QtCreator 2013-07-25T11:53:23
#
#-------------------------------------------------

QT       += core gui\     #<--- this would be line 7, is it where nmake throws an error?


greaterThan(QT_MAJOR_VERSION, 4): QT += widgets printsupport

TARGET = GUI
TEMPLATE = app

include(qextserialport-1.2rc/src/qextserialport.pri)

SOURCES += main.cpp\
        mainwindow.cpp \
    protokoll.cpp \
    multireturn.cpp \
    qcustomplot.cpp

HEADERS  += mainwindow.h \
    protokoll.h \
    multireturn.h \
    qcustomplot.h

FORMS    += mainwindow.ui

DEFINES += QT_DISABLE_DEPRECATED_BEFORE=0

#CONFIG += static

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depends.jpg

The german words next to "error opening file" can be translated as "System can't find specified file".

[ChrisW67]

When I use the VS CMD I get:

Which says sth like "Syntax error: Too many names left from "=" stop.".

I don't know why you did that. It certainly doesn't say to do that in the instructions. A PRO file is an input to qmake, qmake produces a Makefile which is the input to nmake.

In any case, as I said above, if your project builds in your IDE then you do not need to build it again from the command line.

Your Dependency Walker screen shot indicates that you made no progress following the Creating the Application Package. There are some difference with Qt5, so you should read the Qt5 version of the same document. You need to start by copying the missing Qt5 DLLs into a deployment folder along with your compiled program.

[xtlc]

I will proceed with the *.dll thing But the other question I mentioned above: My GUI.exe I can find in the release folder is so tiny... 383kb. I think that is to small?

[xtlc]

depends2.jpgI managed to remove all the warnings. So what would be the next step? I read in ChrisW67's link I have to insert the msvcp90.dll
(because I use VS) too. Is that correct? Or is this just for a VS 2008 version? I use VS 2012.

If I know double click my GUI.exe I get:error.JPGTranslated word by word this says "The application could not be started correctly (0xc000007b). Click Ok, to close ...".

EDIT: I copied the *.dll's in the folder "release" which is created, when I press STRG+R in QT.
This is what the folder looks like right now:folder.jpg. I just wanna have one big exe that I can move from PC to PC.

[ChrisW67]

depends2.jpgI managed to remove all the warnings. So what would be the next step? I read in ChrisW67's link I have to insert the msvcp90.dll
(because I use VS) too. Is that correct? Or is this just for a VS 2008 version? I use VS 2012.

You will need the Visual C++ 11 version of that file. I guess it is called msvcp110.dll but someone with the Microsoft tools would have to verify that.

If I know double click my GUI.exe I get: ... Translated word by word this says "The application could not be started correctly (0xc000007b). Click Ok, to close ...".

Have you created the "platforms" folder and copied "qwindows.dll" into it?
Have you copied the DLLs for the third-party libraries in to the folder or have you built their sources directly into your executable?

I just wanna have one big exe that I can move from PC to PC.

To get your "one big executable", that I assume you want to work without an installation step requires:

• building Qt itself (and its dependencies) from source for static linking,
• building your third-party libraries from source for static linking,
• building your application to statically link against the libraries above after modifying it to account for any plugins it needs, and
• complying with any license requirements when distributing the executable.

It is easier to create a folder with a dynamically linked executable that you either wrap into an installer (using NSIS, Innosetup or similar) or distribute as a zip file. In short, walk before you try to run.

[xtlc]

I am not quite curtain of what you mean with "platforms" folder? Have you seen the 9720 screenshot?

[wysota]

I am not quite curtain of what you mean with "platforms" folder? Have you seen the 9720 screenshot?

Qt5 requires a QPA plugin that resides in a subdirectory called "platforms".

[ChrisW67]

Your deployment folder for a release Qt5 widgets application using the distributed Qt bundle should contain (minimum):

Folder/
    your.exe
 
    mylibrary.dll  // any DLLs you have built as part your project (maybe none)
 
    qextserialport.dll  // Any DLLs from third parties that your application depends on (I guessed names)
    qcustomplot.dll
    ...
 
    plugins/  // any plugins you have written and built for your project (maybe none)
        myplugin.dll
        myotherplugin.dll
 
    Qt5Core.dll  // Qt 5 libraries your program needs
    Qt5Gui.dll
    Qt5Core.dll
    ...
 
    icudtXX.dll  // Things the Qt5 libraries depend on
    icuinXX.dll
    icuucXX.dll
    libEGL.dll
    libGLESv2.dll
    d3dcompiler_XX.dll
 
    msvcr110.dll  // Dependencies your compiler imposes, in this case MS VC 11
    msvcp110.dll
 
    platforms/ // Qt plugins required at run time to support platform
        qwindows.dll
 
    imageformats/   // Other Qt plugins your program may require
        qjpeg.dll 
        ...
    iconengines/
        qsvgicon.dll
    ...

Folder/
    your.exe

    mylibrary.dll  // any DLLs you have built as part your project (maybe none)

    qextserialport.dll  // Any DLLs from third parties that your application depends on (I guessed names)
    qcustomplot.dll
    ...

    plugins/  // any plugins you have written and built for your project (maybe none)
        myplugin.dll
        myotherplugin.dll

    Qt5Core.dll  // Qt 5 libraries your program needs
    Qt5Gui.dll
    Qt5Core.dll
    ...
    
    icudtXX.dll  // Things the Qt5 libraries depend on
    icuinXX.dll
    icuucXX.dll
    libEGL.dll
    libGLESv2.dll
    d3dcompiler_XX.dll
    
    msvcr110.dll  // Dependencies your compiler imposes, in this case MS VC 11
    msvcp110.dll

    platforms/ // Qt plugins required at run time to support platform
        qwindows.dll

    imageformats/   // Other Qt plugins your program may require
        qjpeg.dll 
        ...
    iconengines/
        qsvgicon.dll
    ...

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The distributed packages are ICU and ANGLE-based.

[xtlc]

I succeded a little bit - after gathering all these files with the help of Dependency Walker and putting them all in my directory:

30.10.2013  09:24    <DIR>          .
30.10.2013  09:24    <DIR>          ..
16.06.2013  04:17             3.072 API-MS-Win-Core-Kernel32-Private-L1-1-1.dll
16.06.2013  04:17             3.072 api-ms-win-core-privateprofile-l1-1-1.dll
16.06.2013  04:17             3.584 api-ms-win-service-private-l1-1-1.dll
28.10.2013  14:21           391.680 GUI.exe
23.04.2013  10:45        22.317.056 icudt51.dll
23.04.2013  10:45         2.236.928 icuin51.dll
23.04.2013  10:45         1.690.112 icuuc51.dll
30.09.2013  02:46           346.624 IEShims.dll
02.07.2013  18:59            48.128 libEGL.dll
02.07.2013  09:00           329.216 libEGLd.dll
02.07.2013  09:00           860.160 libGLESv2.dll
02.07.2013  09:00         3.763.712 libGLESv2d.dll
26.07.2012  14:22           661.448 msvcp110.dll
26.07.2012  14:22           828.872 msvcr110.dll
28.10.2013  15:34    <DIR>          platforms
24.07.2013  15:28         4.598.784 Qt5Core.dll
24.07.2013  15:28        10.124.800 Qt5Cored.dll
02.07.2013  09:05         3.678.720 Qt5Gui.dll
02.07.2013  09:06         7.675.904 Qt5Guid.dll
02.07.2013  09:11           528.896 Qt5PrintSupportd.dll
02.07.2013  18:59         4.269.568 Qt5Widgets.dll
02.07.2013  09:10        10.223.616 Qt5Widgetsd.dll
02.07.2013  09:12         1.043.456 qwindows.dll
02.07.2013  09:12         2.217.472 qwindowsd.dll
              23 Datei(en),     77.844.880 Bytes
               3 Verzeichnis(se), 38.681.681.920 Bytes frei

30.10.2013  09:24    <DIR>          .
30.10.2013  09:24    <DIR>          ..
16.06.2013  04:17             3.072 API-MS-Win-Core-Kernel32-Private-L1-1-1.dll
16.06.2013  04:17             3.072 api-ms-win-core-privateprofile-l1-1-1.dll
16.06.2013  04:17             3.584 api-ms-win-service-private-l1-1-1.dll
28.10.2013  14:21           391.680 GUI.exe
23.04.2013  10:45        22.317.056 icudt51.dll
23.04.2013  10:45         2.236.928 icuin51.dll
23.04.2013  10:45         1.690.112 icuuc51.dll
30.09.2013  02:46           346.624 IEShims.dll
02.07.2013  18:59            48.128 libEGL.dll
02.07.2013  09:00           329.216 libEGLd.dll
02.07.2013  09:00           860.160 libGLESv2.dll
02.07.2013  09:00         3.763.712 libGLESv2d.dll
26.07.2012  14:22           661.448 msvcp110.dll
26.07.2012  14:22           828.872 msvcr110.dll
28.10.2013  15:34    <DIR>          platforms
24.07.2013  15:28         4.598.784 Qt5Core.dll
24.07.2013  15:28        10.124.800 Qt5Cored.dll
02.07.2013  09:05         3.678.720 Qt5Gui.dll
02.07.2013  09:06         7.675.904 Qt5Guid.dll
02.07.2013  09:11           528.896 Qt5PrintSupportd.dll
02.07.2013  18:59         4.269.568 Qt5Widgets.dll
02.07.2013  09:10        10.223.616 Qt5Widgetsd.dll
02.07.2013  09:12         1.043.456 qwindows.dll
02.07.2013  09:12         2.217.472 qwindowsd.dll
              23 Datei(en),     77.844.880 Bytes
               3 Verzeichnis(se), 38.681.681.920 Bytes frei

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The only thing Dependency Walker shows right now (and I cant find these two dlls on my pc?):
depend_3.jpg
But when I double click my exe, just nothing happens. If I try to open it via comand prompt, it just does nothing too. No error, no reaction. Nothing. How shall I proceed now

[ChrisW67]

You are missing d3dcompiler_xx.dl.
Put qwindows.dll in the platforms folder where it came from.

Remove the debug libraries, e.g. Qt5Widgetsd.dll.
Remove IEShims.dll, it is a non redistributable part of Windows (if it exists at all on a machine) and typically is not required despite what Dependency Walker would indicate.
I do not know what the api-ms-* files are but I suspect they are not required. Try removing them after you get the program starting.

[xtlc]

Still the same: No error, no nothing

Dependency Walker now shows this (i deleted the IEShims.dll, put the qwindows.dll in the platforms folder (its empty except that one file, correct?) and removed the *d.dll files and/or replaced them with the *.dll's).

depend_4.jpg
The red C++ lines on the right side there make me nervous...
And this is how the folder looks like right now:
files_1.PNG

EDIT: Ah and I used the d3dcompiler_47.dll - is that kinda correct?

[xtlc]

anyone got any idea?

[ChrisW67]

You said you were building your project with VS2012(VC11) yet the Qt5Widgets DLL you are deploying appears to be linked against the runtime for VS2010(VC10, msvcr100.dll). Are you sure you do not have mixed versions and that you are getting the correct Qt5 library binaries?

[xtlc]

no i am not. i am not sure about anything regarding deployment

How can I check this / undo my mistake?

[ChrisW67]

It is difficult because I cannot see your machine and do not have a VS2010 or 2012 install.

Exactly which version of Qt have you downloaded and installed?
What directories do you have in your Qt install directory?
Is there more than one Qt5Widgets.dll on your machine (other than the one in your deployment folder)? Which paths?