windows-2025: CMake + Ninja + MinGW GCC compilation fails

[kschwan]

Description

Some time after Oct. 15th our build/test pipelines have broken on windows-2025. I tried changing to windows-2022 and that works.

We use CMake with Ninja and GCC.

Running locally with CMake 4.1.1, Ninja 1.13.1 and GCC 14.3 / MinGW 13.0 also works.

Platforms affected

• Azure DevOps
• GitHub Actions - Standard Runners
• GitHub Actions - Larger Runners

Runner images affected

• Ubuntu 22.04
• Ubuntu 24.04
• macOS 13
• macOS 13 Arm64
• macOS 14
• macOS 14 Arm64
• macOS 15
• macOS 15 Arm64
• macOS 26 Arm64
• Windows Server 2019
• Windows Server 2022
• Windows Server 2025

Image version and build link

20251014.59.1

Is it regression?

Yes, 20250929.44.1 was working

Expected behavior

Starting: Build
==============================================================================
Task         : Command line
Description  : Run a command line script using Bash on Linux and macOS and cmd.exe on Windows
Version      : 2.250.1
Author       : Microsoft Corporation
Help         : https://docs.microsoft.com/azure/devops/pipelines/tasks/utility/command-line
==============================================================================
Generating script.
========================== Starting Command Output ===========================
"C:\Windows\system32\cmd.exe" /D /E:ON /V:OFF /S /C "CALL "D:\a\_temp\82102a18-512d-4f2b-ba03-1fb970ea5672.cmd""
Preset CMake variables:

  CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE="Release"
  CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_INIT="-Wall -Wextra"
  CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD="23"
  CMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS="ON"

-- The C compiler identification is GNU 14.2.0
-- The CXX compiler identification is GNU 14.2.0
-- Detecting C compiler ABI info
-- Detecting C compiler ABI info - done
-- Check for working C compiler: C:/mingw64/bin/cc.exe - skipped
-- Detecting C compile features
-- Detecting C compile features - done
-- Detecting CXX compiler ABI info
-- Detecting CXX compiler ABI info - done
-- Check for working CXX compiler: C:/mingw64/bin/c++.exe - skipped
-- Detecting CXX compile features
-- Detecting CXX compile features - done
-- The ASM compiler identification is GNU
-- Found assembler: C:/mingw64/bin/cc.exe
-- lvglpp/test/lv_conf.h
-- Using configuration: lvglpp/test/lv_conf.h
-- Converted to absolute path: D:/a/1/s/lvglpp/test/lv_conf.h
-- Enabling the building of ThorVG internal
-- Configuring done (20.8s)
-- Generating done (0.3s)
-- Build files have been written to: D:/a/1/s/build/release

<build objects...>

Actual behavior

Starting: Build
==============================================================================
Task         : Command line
Description  : Run a command line script using Bash on Linux and macOS and cmd.exe on Windows
Version      : 2.250.1
Author       : Microsoft Corporation
Help         : https://docs.microsoft.com/azure/devops/pipelines/tasks/utility/command-line
==============================================================================
Generating script.
========================== Starting Command Output ===========================
"C:\Windows\system32\cmd.exe" /D /E:ON /V:OFF /S /C "CALL "D:\a\_temp\2ad68b70-69c8-40db-a938-96097390a2a3.cmd""
Preset CMake variables:

  CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE="Release"
  CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_INIT="-Wall -Wextra"
  CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD="23"
  CMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS="ON"

-- The C compiler identification is unknown
-- The CXX compiler identification is unknown
-- Detecting C compiler ABI info
-- Detecting C compiler ABI info - failed
-- Check for working C compiler: C:/mingw64/bin/cc.exe
-- Check for working C compiler: C:/mingw64/bin/cc.exe - broken
CMake Error at C:/Program Files/CMake/share/cmake-3.31/Modules/CMakeTestCCompiler.cmake:67 (message):
  The C compiler

    "C:/mingw64/bin/cc.exe"

  is not able to compile a simple test program.

  It fails with the following output:

    Change Dir: 'D:/a/1/s/build/release/CMakeFiles/CMakeScratch/TryCompile-gk447q'
    
    Run Build Command(s): C:/ProgramData/chocolatey/bin/ninja.exe -v cmTC_37e4f
    [1/2] C:\mingw64\bin\cc.exe    -o CMakeFiles\cmTC_37e4f.dir\testCCompiler.c.obj -c D:\a\1\s\build\release\CMakeFiles\CMakeScratch\TryCompile-gk447q\testCCompiler.c
    FAILED: [code=1] CMakeFiles/cmTC_37e4f.dir/testCCompiler.c.obj 
    C:\mingw64\bin\cc.exe    -o CMakeFiles\cmTC_37e4f.dir\testCCompiler.c.obj -c D:\a\1\s\build\release\CMakeFiles\CMakeScratch\TryCompile-gk447q\testCCompiler.c
    ninja: build stopped: subcommand failed.
    
    

  

  CMake will not be able to correctly generate this project.
Call Stack (most recent call first):
  CMakeLists.txt:2 (project)


-- Configuring incomplete, errors occurred!
ninja: error: loading 'build.ninja': The system cannot find the file specified.

Repro steps

Sorry, this is private company repos in Azure DevOps.
If necessary I'll provide a separate minimal example.

The CMake build scripts are fairly simple. The CI pipeline is as follows:

trigger:
  - develop

pool:
  vmImage: 'windows-2025'

steps:
  - checkout: self
    submodules: true
    persistCredentials : true
  - script: |
      cmake --preset release
      cmake --build --preset release
    env:
      HTTP_AUTH_BEARER_TOKEN: $(System.AccessToken)
    displayName: 'Build'
  - script: |
      ctest --preset release
    displayName: 'Test'

[erik-bershel]

Hey @kschwan!

I suppose it's a result of a massive update here (security and maintenance concerns):

• PR: [Windows] Update MinGW on 2022 and 2025, disable alert for 2019 #13120
• Image: Windows Server 2025 (20251014) Image Update #13170

MinGW version on Windows Server 2025 image was set to latest minor.patch for 15 major version. It also affects MinGW dependencies. Please check, if your project is compatible with that version.

At the same time I'll check if any relevant bugs were landed with the specified version of MinGW/CMake/Ninja.

[kschwan]

Thanks @erik-bershel, I'll investigate further on my end

[kschwan]

Ok, I've tried upgrading CMake to v4.1.2 (choco install cmake --installargs 'ADD_CMAKE_TO_PATH=System') and using the CMake -G"MinGW Makefiles" generator without any luck

I suspect there's something wrong with the image MinGW/MSYS2 installation but I'm not yet sure how to check it

[kschwan]

Maybe one should use the CMake and Ninja from MSYS rather than the "normal" ones installed with choco... I'll try it tomorrow

[erik-bershel]

Maybe one should use the CMake and Ninja from MSYS rather than the "normal" ones installed with choco... I'll try it tomorrow

Yes, MSYS is very picky about dependencies. 😞

However, if it turns out that the problem is in the release itself, we are ready to consider rolling back to version 14 or pinning one of the releases of version 15 for a while.