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How to Compile Mesa for UWP

This guide provides step-by-step instructions for compiling Mesa for the Universal Windows Platform (UWP). This process requires specific versions of tools and some environment configuration.

1. Prerequisites​

Before you begin, you must install and configure the following software:

Step 1: Download and Install Visual Studio 2022 Community​

  1. Visit the Visual Studio Downloads page.

  2. Under "Community 2022", click the Free download button.

  3. Once the installer is downloaded, open it to start the installation process.

  4. In the Visual Studio Installer, select Visual Studio Community 2022 and click Install.

  5. When the installer prompts you to select the workloads, check the Windows application development workload:

    • This includes the Windows 11 SDK, and Windows app runtime.

  6. (Optional) You can also select other workloads depending on your needs, such as:

    • .NET Desktop Development for WPF/WinForms applications.
    • Desktop development with C++ if you plan to work with C++ Win32 applications.

  7. Under the Individual Components tab (if needed), ensure the following are checked:

    • C++ (v143) Universal Windows Platform tools
    • Universal Windows Platform Tools

  8. Click Install to begin the installation process.

  • Git for Windows:

    • Download and install Git for Windows: https://git-scm.com/downloads. Accept the default installation options unless you have specific preferences.

  • Python 3.x: The Meson build system and its dependencies require Python.

    caution

    During installation, make sure to check the box that says "Add Python to PATH".

  • winflexbison: A port of Flex and Bison for Windows.

  • Custom Meson Executable: A specific version of the Meson executable is required for this build.

  • Required Python Packages: You'll need to install a few packages using Python's package manager, pip.

    • pyyaml
    • packaging
    • setuptools
    • mako

2. Environment Setup​

Follow these steps carefully to set up your build environment.

Step 1: Install Python and Pip Packages​

  1. Install Python if you haven't already, ensuring it's added to your system's PATH.
  2. Open a PowerShell or Windows Terminal window.
  3. Install the required packages by running the following command: 
    pip3 install pyyaml packaging setuptools mako

Step 2: Prepare Tools Directory​

  1. Create a new folder on your C: drive named C:\uwp_tools.
  2. Download meson.exe and place it directly inside C:\uwp_tools.
  3. Extract the contents of the win_flex_bison-2.5.25.zip file you downloaded into the C:\uwp_tools folder. This will create a subfolder, and the path to the executables should be C:\uwp_tools\win_flex_bison-2.5.25\.

Step 3: Update Environment Variables​

To allow the system to find meson, flex, and bison from any command line, you need to add their locations to the PATH.

  1. Press Win + S and search for "Edit the system environment variables".
  2. Click the "Environment Variables..." button.
  3. In the "System variables" section, find and select the Path variable, then click "Edit...".
  4. Click "New" and add the path: C:\uwp_tools
  5. Click "New" again and add the path: C:\uwp_tools\win_flex_bison-2.5.25
  6. Click OK to close all windows. You may need to restart your PowerShell or Windows Terminal for the changes to take effect.

3. Cloning the Mesa-UWP Repository​

  1. Open a new PowerShell or Windows Terminal window.
  2. Navigate to the directory where you want to store the project (e.g., C:\dev).
  3. Clone the repository using the following command:
git clone -b uwp-25.3.3 https://github.com/SternXD/mesa-uwp.git

4. Compilation Process​

  1. Open a new PowerShell or Windows Terminal window.

  2. Navigate to the mesa-uwp directory you cloned earlier.

    cd C:\dev\mesa-uwp

  3. Setup the build. Run the Meson setup command to generate the build files. This command creates a new directory named build_release.

    • For PowerShell: (Note the backticks ` for line continuation) 
      meson setup build_release --wipe --backend=vs --uwp --buildtype=release `
      --prefix="C:\mesa_build" `
      -Dcpp_std=vc++17 `
      -Dc_args="-D_XBOX_UWP" `
      -Dcpp_args="-D_XBOX_UWP" `
      -Db_pch=false `
      -Dc_winlibs="" `
      -Dcpp_winlibs=""

  4. Compile the project. Use the Meson compile command, pointing it to your build directory.

    meson compile -C build_release

  5. Install the compiled files. This final step will copy the resulting libraries to your selected prefix e.g. C:\mesa_build

    meson install -C build_release

Then it should all be done. By default, the final, usable files will be placed in C:\mesa_build (if you selected that for your prefix) in the bin, include, lib, and share directories.