Fully static linkage using VS2017 and SFML2

[CyanDog]

Software versions:

• Visual Studio 2017 Community Edition
• SFML 2.4.2, official 32-bit binaries for Visual Studio 2015

Intent:

• Creating a simple SFML test program that has no .DLL dependencies.

Problem:

• Cannot link¹ with SFML if choosing a non-DLL Runtime Library option in:
  Project -> MyProj Properties -> C/C++ -> Code Generation -> Runtime Library
  
• Otherwise, resulting executable cannot run due to dependencies on:
  
  • MSVCP140.dll
  • VCRUNTIME140.dll
  • API-MS-WIN-CRT-*.dll

Suggestion:
Please release the upcoming binaries of SFML for VS2017 such that if static linkage is desired (SFML_STATIC) then the program will not depend on developer .DLLs.

¹ Error message listing:

Code: [Select]

sfml-graphics-s.lib(RenderStates.cpp.obj) : error LNK2038: mismatch detected for 'RuntimeLibrary': value 'MD_DynamicRelease' doesn't match value 'MT_StaticRelease' in main.obj
sfml-graphics-s.lib(Transformable.cpp.obj) : error LNK2038: mismatch detected for 'RuntimeLibrary': value 'MD_DynamicRelease' doesn't match value 'MT_StaticRelease' in main.obj
sfml-graphics-s.lib(Font.cpp.obj) : error LNK2038: mismatch detected for 'RuntimeLibrary': value 'MD_DynamicRelease' doesn't match value 'MT_StaticRelease' in main.obj
sfml-graphics-s.lib(RenderWindow.cpp.obj) : error LNK2038: mismatch detected for 'RuntimeLibrary': value 'MD_DynamicRelease' doesn't match value 'MT_StaticRelease' in main.obj
sfml-graphics-s.lib(Color.cpp.obj) : error LNK2038: mismatch detected for 'RuntimeLibrary': value 'MD_DynamicRelease' doesn't match value 'MT_StaticRelease' in main.obj
sfml-graphics-s.lib(RenderTarget.cpp.obj) : error LNK2038: mismatch detected for 'RuntimeLibrary': value 'MD_DynamicRelease' doesn't match value 'MT_StaticRelease' in main.obj
sfml-graphics-s.lib(Text.cpp.obj) : error LNK2038: mismatch detected for 'RuntimeLibrary': value 'MD_DynamicRelease' doesn't match value 'MT_StaticRelease' in main.obj
sfml-graphics-s.lib(Transform.cpp.obj) : error LNK2038: mismatch detected for 'RuntimeLibrary': value 'MD_DynamicRelease' doesn't match value 'MT_StaticRelease' in main.obj
sfml-graphics-s.lib(Image.cpp.obj) : error LNK2038: mismatch detected for 'RuntimeLibrary': value 'MD_DynamicRelease' doesn't match value 'MT_StaticRelease' in main.obj
sfml-graphics-s.lib(Texture.cpp.obj) : error LNK2038: mismatch detected for 'RuntimeLibrary': value 'MD_DynamicRelease' doesn't match value 'MT_StaticRelease' in main.obj
sfml-graphics-s.lib(View.cpp.obj) : error LNK2038: mismatch detected for 'RuntimeLibrary': value 'MD_DynamicRelease' doesn't match value 'MT_StaticRelease' in main.obj
sfml-graphics-s.lib(Shader.cpp.obj) : error LNK2038: mismatch detected for 'RuntimeLibrary': value 'MD_DynamicRelease' doesn't match value 'MT_StaticRelease' in main.obj
sfml-graphics-s.lib(GLExtensions.cpp.obj) : error LNK2038: mismatch detected for 'RuntimeLibrary': value 'MD_DynamicRelease' doesn't match value 'MT_StaticRelease' in main.obj
sfml-graphics-s.lib(VertexArray.cpp.obj) : error LNK2038: mismatch detected for 'RuntimeLibrary': value 'MD_DynamicRelease' doesn't match value 'MT_StaticRelease' in main.obj
sfml-graphics-s.lib(ImageLoader.cpp.obj) : error LNK2038: mismatch detected for 'RuntimeLibrary': value 'MD_DynamicRelease' doesn't match value 'MT_StaticRelease' in main.obj
sfml-graphics-s.lib(Glsl.cpp.obj) : error LNK2038: mismatch detected for 'RuntimeLibrary': value 'MD_DynamicRelease' doesn't match value 'MT_StaticRelease' in main.obj
sfml-window-s.lib(Window.cpp.obj) : error LNK2038: mismatch detected for 'RuntimeLibrary': value 'MD_DynamicRelease' doesn't match value 'MT_StaticRelease' in main.obj
sfml-window-s.lib(VideoMode.cpp.obj) : error LNK2038: mismatch detected for 'RuntimeLibrary': value 'MD_DynamicRelease' doesn't match value 'MT_StaticRelease' in main.obj
sfml-window-s.lib(Context.cpp.obj) : error LNK2038: mismatch detected for 'RuntimeLibrary': value 'MD_DynamicRelease' doesn't match value 'MT_StaticRelease' in main.obj
sfml-window-s.lib(GlContext.cpp.obj) : error LNK2038: mismatch detected for 'RuntimeLibrary': value 'MD_DynamicRelease' doesn't match value 'MT_StaticRelease' in main.obj
sfml-window-s.lib(WindowImpl.cpp.obj) : error LNK2038: mismatch detected for 'RuntimeLibrary': value 'MD_DynamicRelease' doesn't match value 'MT_StaticRelease' in main.obj
sfml-window-s.lib(VideoModeImpl.cpp.obj) : error LNK2038: mismatch detected for 'RuntimeLibrary': value 'MD_DynamicRelease' doesn't match value 'MT_StaticRelease' in main.obj
sfml-window-s.lib(WglContext.cpp.obj) : error LNK2038: mismatch detected for 'RuntimeLibrary': value 'MD_DynamicRelease' doesn't match value 'MT_StaticRelease' in main.obj
sfml-window-s.lib(JoystickManager.cpp.obj) : error LNK2038: mismatch detected for 'RuntimeLibrary': value 'MD_DynamicRelease' doesn't match value 'MT_StaticRelease' in main.obj
sfml-window-s.lib(SensorManager.cpp.obj) : error LNK2038: mismatch detected for 'RuntimeLibrary': value 'MD_DynamicRelease' doesn't match value 'MT_StaticRelease' in main.obj
sfml-window-s.lib(WindowImplWin32.cpp.obj) : error LNK2038: mismatch detected for 'RuntimeLibrary': value 'MD_DynamicRelease' doesn't match value 'MT_StaticRelease' in main.obj
sfml-window-s.lib(WglExtensions.cpp.obj) : error LNK2038: mismatch detected for 'RuntimeLibrary': value 'MD_DynamicRelease' doesn't match value 'MT_StaticRelease' in main.obj
sfml-window-s.lib(Joystick.cpp.obj) : error LNK2038: mismatch detected for 'RuntimeLibrary': value 'MD_DynamicRelease' doesn't match value 'MT_StaticRelease' in main.obj
sfml-window-s.lib(JoystickImpl.cpp.obj) : error LNK2038: mismatch detected for 'RuntimeLibrary': value 'MD_DynamicRelease' doesn't match value 'MT_StaticRelease' in main.obj
sfml-system-s.lib(String.cpp.obj) : error LNK2038: mismatch detected for 'RuntimeLibrary': value 'MD_DynamicRelease' doesn't match value 'MT_StaticRelease' in main.obj
sfml-system-s.lib(Err.cpp.obj) : error LNK2038: mismatch detected for 'RuntimeLibrary': value 'MD_DynamicRelease' doesn't match value 'MT_StaticRelease' in main.obj
sfml-system-s.lib(ThreadLocal.cpp.obj) : error LNK2038: mismatch detected for 'RuntimeLibrary': value 'MD_DynamicRelease' doesn't match value 'MT_StaticRelease' in main.obj
LINK : warning LNK4098: defaultlib 'MSVCRT' conflicts with use of other libs; use /NODEFAULTLIB:library
MSVCRT.lib(_chandler4gs_.obj) : error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol __except_handler4_common


[Laurent]

You can recompile SFML yourself with the proper CMake option (see the tutorial). Takes no longer than posting on this forum

[CyanDog]

You can recompile SFML yourself with the proper CMake option (see the tutorial). Takes no longer than posting on this forum

Yes; my post was a suggestion, not a help request.

I believe that people who want to statically link SFML probably also want to statically link the VC runtime library. If this is true, doing so should be supported in future releases of the official binaries.

Thank you for your time.

[Hapax]

people who want to statically link SFML probably also want to statically link the VC runtime library.

I don't think this would be an accurate assumption.

The VC redistributable runtime library, once installed, can be easily shared amongst many programs. SFML libraries, however, have a few problems with that so often end up being stored alongside executables.
"Installing" SFML so that it can be shared is troublesome not least it can be difficult to determine which version is installed and there isn't much in the way of a standard way to locate or name them so multiple programs wouldn't share them. Avoiding sharing the DLLs with the executable is an understandable reason for people to want to statically "link them away" (although, DLLs in the folder aren't really going to harm anything, are they?).
VC redist, though, are installed identically on all systems and all versions are kept entirely separate. If one program installs this, all other programs can use it easily.

Whether you allow your installer to install the VC redistributable automatically or just give out the link, it's simple enough for the user to install.

That said, there are, of course, times when people do want to statically link the redist. Who is to say whether or not that is with statically linking or dynamically linking SFML?