Step by step building guide on Windows

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This page is intended as a collection of simple step-by-step recipes to build Apache OpenOffice from source code on Windows. A more thorough explanation of what the individual steps do and why they are necessary can be found in the building guide.

This version limits itself to either relatively recent versions of operating systems, or systems in which the OpenOffice PMC are activity using. A historical version of the step-by-step instructions for different platforms can be found here.

Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, Windows 11

Complete requirements found at General Build Requirements and Building on Windows.

This is a sample step-by-step guide - check the complete requirements and report on dev@openoffice.apache.org, if problems with this step-by-step guide occur.

  • Install Cygwin, 32-bit version
    • Browse to https://www.cygwin.com and click on the setup-x86.exe link to download the 32-bit version (the last Cygwin DLL known to work is 3.3.6-1) or use this direct link.
      Note: As of November 11, 2022 Cygwin-x86 is deprecated. It is highly recommended to build with Cygwin 64-bit now.
    • Run the installer and click through the questions
    • On the "Choose A Download Site" select a nearby download server
    • Expect a "Setup Alert" dialog box on the first cygwin install on the computer: click OK to close it
    • On the page that allows you to select additional packages select:

      From the Archive category:
      zip, unzip
      From the Devel category:
      autoconf, gperf, gcc-g++, bison, flex, patch, git, make
      From the Net category:
      rsync
      From the Perl category:
      perl, perl-XML-SAX-Expat, perl-Archive-Zip, perl-LWP-Protocol-https, perl-XML-parser, perl-libwww-perl, perl-Digest-SHA, perl-Net-SSLeay
      As a shortcut you can install everything needed with one command:
      setup-x86.exe -P zip -P unzip -P autoconf -P gperf -P gcc-g++ -P bison -P flex -P patch -P git -P make -P rsync -P perl -P perl-XML-SAX-Expat -P perl-Archive-Zip -P perl-LWP-Protocol-https -P perl-XML-parser -P perl-libwww-perl -P perl-Digest-SHA -P perl-Net-SSLeay
      (If you prefer to install packages with a Linux kind of touch, you can skip selecting the packages and instead select just the package lynx (enter lynx in the Search box and select the lynx entry in the Web/Default section). You would then install the other packages from the cygwin command line using lynx as explained ahead. However, selecting the packages from the Cygwin interface is recommended.)
    • Click  Next  to finish package selection.
    • Click  Next  to resolve dependencies.
    • After installation is finished click the  Finish  button to close the dialog.
  • Start Cygwin bash in a terminal
In Windows 7 and later you can just type "cygwin" into the Start Menu search bar and then click on the Cygwin App. Or you can:
  • Press  Windows  +  R 
  • Type "C:\cygwin\Cygwin.bat" (if that's the path you installed Cygwin to)
  • Hit  Return .
(If you haven't installed the necessary packages from the Cygwin interface yet because you would prefer to install them using lynx from the Cygwin command line, then you should do so now. First install apt-cyg from the Github repository:)
cd /cygdrive/c/temp
(or any other temporary directory of your choice)
lynx -source rawgit.com/transcode-open/apt-cyg/master/apt-cyg > apt-cyg
chmod +x apt-cyg
mv apt-cyg /usr/local/bin/
Use apt-cyg to install missing cygwin packages:
apt-cyg install perl zip unzip gperf autoconf rsync gcc-g++ bison flex patch git make
(You must also provide to install the missing perl packages, for example with "cpan -i Archive::Zip LWP::UserAgent LWP::Protocol XML::Parser" etc. however there can be some dependency conflicts, the recommended method is installing the packages from the cygwin interface)
  • Replace symlinked awk with copy of gawk.exe:
    rm /bin/awk
    mv /bin/gawk.exe /bin/awk.exe
    Note that if the rm command fails then the mv is not necessary.
  • Install Java, 32-bit version
Choose between JDK or OpenJDK. Versions 1.7 and 1.8 are known to work.
(We need the 32-bit version because JNI requires the JVM's bitness to match the C/C++ bitness).
  • Install Apache Ant
    • Browse to https://ant.apache.org/bindownload.cgi
    • Choose a mirror near you.
    • Download the zip archive (currently that is apache-ant-1.9.16-bin.zip or apache-ant-1.10.14-bin.zip).
      Note that Apache Ant 1.10.x will only work with Java 8.
    • Open downloaded archive in file explorer and unzip it to a location of your choice, eg c:\. Note that C:\Program Files (x86) will not work due to problems of quoting the spaces and parentheses.
  • Install Microsoft Windows SDK for Windows 7 and .NET Framework 3.5. SP1 (recommended by Microsoft. Note: later versions of the Windows SDK will not work. AOO can not be built with MSVC 2010 or 2012 - MSVC 2008 is needed and is found in the Windows 7 SDK)
    • This is now an obsolete piece of software that is no longer on Microsoft's website. It was available as a web installer, or a DVD ISO image file.
    • The web installer could be downloaded from http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=3138 and the ISO from http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=18950 but neither exist now.
    • Thankfully, the Internet Archive hosts copies of many old websites and their files, and happens to contain a copy of these files. You cannot use the web installer as the server it connects to is no longer around, but the ISO files at http://web.archive.org/web/20160112223658/http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=18950 are offline installers and still work. The download takes long to start and is very slow.
    • You cannot install the 32 bit ISO on 64 bit Windows. Use 32 bit ISO on 32 bit Windows, and the 64 bit ISO on 64 bit Windows.
    • The ISO file can either be burned to a DVD, or simply unzipped and run from that directory.
    • You can use the default values in the installation dialog, except when prompted with the installation path use a path that has no spaces or parentheses (e.g. "C:\Microsoft_SDKs\Windows\v7.0"), because otherwise the build process will choke on those spaces or parentheses.
  • Download MS Visual C++ 2008 SP1 Redistributable Package (x86)
    • https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=26368 (There have been security updates, which are not included in older versions)
    • Download files vcredist_x86.exe and vcredist_x64.exe
      We need both 32 and 64-bit versions because we build 64-bit shell extensions. If you download the most recent version of Apache OpenOffice and unpack it, you will find the files vcredist_x86.exe and vcredist_x64.exe in folder redist. You can use them as well.
  • Optional: Install DirectX SDK (for graphics hardware support in the slide show)
    • Browse to https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=6812
    • Download and run DXSDK_Jun10.exe. Choose to install to a custom path, and use a path that has neither spaces nor parentheses (e.g. C:\Microsoft_DirectX_SDK_June_2010), because otherwise the build will not be able to parse the path and will choke on the spaces or parentheses. (If you receive an S1023 error towards the end of the installation, the fix is simple. The issue occurs because a newer version of the Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable is present on the computer. The June 2010 DirectX SDK installs version 10.0.30319 of the Visual C++ Redistributable. To resolve this issue, you must uninstall all versions of the Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable before installing the June 2010 DirectX SDK. You may have one or more of the following products installed: Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable x86, Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable x64. You can use Add or Remove Programs in Control Panel to uninstall the products. Or, you can run the following commands from an administrator command prompt:
      MsiExec.exe /passive /X{F0C3E5D1-1ADE-321E-8167-68EF0DE699A5} 
      MsiExec.exe /passive /X{1D8E6291-B0D5-35EC-8441-6616F567A0F7}
      and then run the DirectX SDK installer. After installing the June 2010 DirectX SDK, you may then reinstall the most current version of the Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package.)
  • Optional: Install Windows Driver Kit 7.1.0 (for enabling activex)
    • Download WDK 7.1.0 (is an ISO image). Cannot use later versions of Windows Driver Kit because they do not have ATL which is needed to build AOO with ActiveX. (I recommend to download using Internet Explorer, otherwise the install may fail a Windows Authenticity test, whereas this does not happen using Internet Explorer to download the ISO image.)
    • Mount the ISO image and install.
  • Optional: Install NSIS installer (for creating the EXE installer)
    • Browse to https://sourceforge.net/projects/nsis/files/
    • Download and run the installer (note that versions of NSIS >= 3.* are only compatible with branch 4.1.3 or later! otherwise you will have to install at most NSIS 2.51). Recommended to install to custom location, choose a path without any spaces (e.g. "C:\NSIS").
    • For Asian languages (ja, ko, zh-CN, zh-TW) the language files have to be edited, otherwise the graphics in the first installer windows don't fit. In "{NSISDIR}\Contrib\Language files\Japanese.nlf" (Korean.nlf, TradChinese.nlf, SimpChinese.nlf accordingly) change:
      Font and size - dash (-) means default
      {font-name}
      {font-size}
      to:
      Font and size - dash (-) means default
      -
      -
  • Optional: Install the MozillaBuild tools. These are needed to build the NSS ("Network Security Services") module. Download from here. Install to a custom path without any spaces, such as C:\mozilla-build. MozillaBuild tools version 3.0 or newer require a 64-bit Windows. When building on 32-bit Windows it is recommended to use version 2.2.0.
  • Get AOO source code. You can use the source release or check out from SVN. Build from source release if you want to build OpenOffice once but don't want to contribute patches. If you will contribute patches, you need to generate them against an actual version of trunk. In this case check out from SVN to be able to rebase before generating patches. You can work with subversion or with git-svn. Do not use a tool that changes line endings, such as the default configuration of TortoiseSVN. NOTE: Do not place the source directory under the Cygwin file system. This means that placing it, for example, at '/home/aoo/source' is not recommended.
Source release
  • Browse to https://www.openoffice.org/download/other.html#tested-sdk and locate the table row that starts with "Source code"
  • Download source code in an archive format of your choice (note that tar.bz2 is typically smaller than tar.gz and zip)
  • Optional: Verify the archive - following given link or instructions.
  • Unpack source (in cygwin-terminal). Use the file name exactly as downloaded.
    cd /tmp
    tar -xjf <download-location>/<downloaded-source-release.tar.bz2>
    cd <unpacked-source>/main
    
    Do not use Windows unpacker, they might cause access right problems.
Checkout from SVN using subversion 
  • (If you haven't installed the subversion package from the cygwin interface, please do so now by re-running the cygwin installer, or if you used lynx and apt-cyg then:)
    apt-cyg install subversion
  • Start with creating a parent directory for the source code:
    mkdir /cygdrive/c/source
    cd /cygdrive/c/source
  • Check out source from Apache SVN repository
    svn co https://svn.apache.org/repos/asf/openoffice/trunk aoo-trunk
    cd aoo-trunk/main
Checkout from Gitbox using git (Since 2019-08-03)
  • (If you haven't installed the git package from the cygwin interface, please do so now by re-running the cygwin installer, or if you used lynx and apt-cyg then:)
    apt-cyg install git
  • Start with creating a parent directory for the source code:
    mkdir /cygdrive/c/source
    cd /cygdrive/c/source
  • Check out source from Apache Git repository
    git clone https://gitbox.apache.org/repos/asf/openoffice.git aoo
    cd aoo/main
Checkout from SVN using git-svn 
  • (If you haven't installed git and git-svn from the cygwin interface, please do so now by re-running the cygwin installer, or if you used lynx and apt-cyg then:)
    apt-cyg install git git-svn
  • Get the actual revision number from https://svn.apache.org/viewvc/openoffice/trunk/, e.g. 1234567
  • Create an empty directory and change to it, e.g.
    mkdir /cygdrive/c/source
    cd /cygdrive/c/source
  • Check out source from Apache SVN repository
    git svn clone --revision 1234567:HEAD https://svn.apache.org/repos/asf/openoffice/trunk
    cd trunk/main
  • Remember the source path (this is optional, it makes for an easy reference):
    SourceMain=`pwd`
    [Why? I have not used it. Regina (talk) 21:42, 24 February 2013 (UTC)]
[Added explanation above Andre]
  • Optional: Get dbghelp.dll (for using the --enable-dbgutil configure option)
    • This dll is part of MS Visual Studio. If you do not have it installed, download and install "Visual Studio Community" from https://www.visualstudio.com/en-us/downloads/download-visual-studio-vs.aspx
    • Copy file to main/external/dbghelp. Use Windows file manager or in cygwin terminal
      cp /cygdrive/c/Program\ Files\ \(x86\)/Microsoft\ Visual\ Studio\ 9.0/Common7/IDE/dbghelp.dll $SourceMain/external/dbghelp
  • Copy vcredist_x86.exe and vcredist_x64.exe (see above) to main/external/vcredist.
    • Use Windows file manager or in cygwin terminal
      cp <download-location>/vcredist_x86.exe $SourceMain/external/vcredist
      cp <download-location>/vcredist_x64.exe $SourceMain/external/vcredist
  • Get GDI+ redistributable:
  • Make sure that you are in the main source directory:
    cd $SourceMain
  • Run autoconf to create the configure script:
    autoconf
  • Call configure
    • For those paths that do have spaces, use the cygpath tool to get a shortened version without any spaces, which you can then use in the configuration directives without any trouble (adapt paths as necessary):
      $ cygpath -m -s "C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jdk1.8.0_73" 
      C:/PROGRA~2/Java/JDK18~1.0_7 
      $ cygpath -m -s "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC" 
      C:/PROGRA~2/MI1DCA~1.0/VC
      Run configure (again adapt paths as necessary)
      SDK_PATH="/cygdrive/c/Microsoft_SDKs/Windows/v7.0"
      ./configure \
          --with-frame-home="$SDK_PATH" \
          --with-psdk-home="$SDK_PATH" \
          --with-midl-path="$SDK_PATH/bin" \
          --with-ant-home="/cygdrive/c/apache-ant-1.9.16" \
          --with-jdk-home="C:/PROGRA~2/Java/JDK18~1.0_7" \
          --with-csc-path="C:/Windows/Microsoft.NET/Framework/v3.5" \
          --with-cl-home="C:/PROGRA~2/MI1DCA~1.0/VC" \
          --with-asm-home="C:/PROGRA~2/MI1DCA~1.0/VC/bin" \
          --with-dmake-url="https://github.com/jimjag/dmake/archive/v4.13.1/dmake-4.13.1.tar.gz" \
          --disable-pch \
          --disable-atl \
          --disable-activex \
          --disable-nss-module \
          --without-junit
      If you have installed the optional DirectX SDK then you can add the switch:
          --with-directx-home="C:/Microsoft_DirectX_SDK_June_2010"
      If you have installed Windows Driver Kit 7.1.0 and would like to build with ATL and ActiveX functionality then remove the --disable-activex and the --disable-atl directives, and add the atl home directives:
          --with-atl-include-dir=/cygdrive/c/WinDDK/7600.16385.1/inc/atl71 \
          --with-atl-lib-dir=/cygdrive/c/WinDDK/7600.16385.1/lib/ATL/i386 \
          --with-mfc-include-dir=/cygdrive/c/WinDDK/7600.16385.1/inc/mfc42 \
          --with-mfc-lib-dir=/cygdrive/c/WinDDK/7600.16385.1/lib/Mfc/i386
      If you have installed NSIS you can use the relative directive
          --with-nsis-path="C:/NSIS"
      If you have installed MozillaBuild tools you can use the relative switch:
          --with-mozilla-build="/cygdrive/d/mozilla-build"
      You may also enable a few more switches (used for official releases: --enable-win-x64-shellext):
          --enable-win-x64-shellext \
          --enable-wiki-publisher \
          --enable-category-b \
          --enable-bundled-dictionaries
      and if you would like to build for different locales you can use the lang switch (in this example, for English United States and for Italian):
          --with-lang="en-US it"
      If you have copied over the dbghelp.dll and would like these extra features you can enable the debug switch:
          --enable-dbgutil
  • Finish configuration and download missing external source tarballs and extensions
    ./bootstrap
  • Include the configured environment
    source winenv.set.sh
  • Build
    cd instsetoo_native/
    build --all
    Depending on your computer this will take one or more hours to finish. You may want to experiment with the -P options for multi process builds to reduce the build time.
    build --all -P<m> -- -P<n>
    tells build to use m processes (build up to m modules in parallel) and n threads for each module.


  • Install
    There are three options:
    1. Regular install with integration into Windows.
      This allows only one instance of AOO to be installed.
      • Start setup.exe and click through dialog:
        $SourceMain/instsetoo_native/wntmsci12.pro/OpenOffice/msi/install/en-US/setup.exe
      • Apache OpenOffice can be started via the Windows start menu.
    2. Install without integration into Windows.
      This allows several instance of AOO, based on the same version, to be installed side by side.
      It still requires Administrator permissions.
      • Start setup.exe with option -a:
        $SourceMain/instsetoo_native/wntmsci12.pro/OpenOffice/msi/install/en-US/setup.exe -a
      • Enter an installation path into the dialog and click through the dialog to finish installation.
      • Start AOO by running
        <installation-path>/program/soffice.exe
    3. Unpack archive without installation.
      This does not require Administrator permissions
      • Go to installation directory:
        cd <installation-target>
      • Unzip archive:
        unzip $SourceMain/instsetoo_native/wntmsci12.pro/Apache_OpenOffice/msi/install/en-US/Apache_OpenOffice_4.1.4_Win_x86_install-arc_en-US.zip
      • Start AOO by running:
        ./Apache_OpenOffice_4.1.4_Win_x86_install-arc_en-US/program/soffice.exe
(Change the version number in the file name to match the version you built)

Build with Cygwin 64-bit

  • Install Cygwin, 64-bit version
    • Browse to https://www.cygwin.com and click on the setup-x86_64.exe link to download the 64-bit version (the latest Cygwin DLL known to work is 3.5.1-1) or use this direct link.
      Note: Cygwin 3.4.10 was the last major version supporting Windows 7 / 8.
    • Run the installer and click through the questions
    • On the "Choose A Download Site" select a nearby download server
    • Expect a "Setup Alert" dialog box on the first cygwin install on the computer: click OK to close it
    • On the page that allows you to select additional packages select:

      From the Archive category:
      zip, unzip
      From the Devel category:
      autoconf, gperf, gcc-g++, bison, flex, patch, git, make
      From the Net category:
      rsync
      From the Perl category:
      perl, perl-XML-SAX-Expat, perl-Archive-Zip, perl-LWP-Protocol-https, perl-XML-parser, perl-libwww-perl, perl-Digest-SHA, perl-Net-SSLeay
      As a shortcut you can install everything needed with one command:
      setup-x86_64.exe -P zip -P unzip -P autoconf -P gperf -P gcc-g++ -P bison -P flex -P patch -P git -P make -P rsync -P perl -P perl-XML-SAX-Expat -P perl-Archive-Zip -P perl-LWP-Protocol-https -P perl-XML-parser -P perl-libwww-perl -P perl-Digest-SHA -P perl-Net-SSLeay
    • Click Next to finish package selection.
    • Click Next to resolve dependencies.
    • After installation is finished click the Finish button to close the dialog.
  • Start Cygwin bash in a terminal and follow all the steps for 32-bit Cygwin up to and including './configure' with relative parameters
    • Finish configuration and download missing external source tarballs and extensions
      ./bootstrap
    • Include the configured environment
      source winenv.set.sh
    • Build
      cd instsetoo_native/
      build --all
      Depending on your computer this will take one or more hours to finish. You may want to experiment with the -P options for multi process builds to reduce the build time.
      build --all -P<m> -- -P<n>
      tells build to use m processes (build up to m modules in parallel) and n threads for each module.
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