Thanks Bob my computer actually compiled Allegro (well my fiancees computer did). But I've still got a few minor problems. I followed your instructions to a T and it still gave me a few minor problems. When I type "make install" and press enter I recieve the following:
C:\Dev-Cpp\Allegro>make install
makefile.mgw:205: warning: overriding commands for target 'C:\Dev-Cpp'
makefile.mgw:202: warning: ignoring old commands for target 'C:\Dev-Cpp'
makefile.mgw:208: warning: overriding commands for target 'C:\Dev-Cpp'
makefile.mgw:205: warning: ignoring old commands for target 'C:\Dev-Cpp'
makefile.mgw:211: warning: overriding commands for target 'C:\Dev-Cpp'
makefile.mgw:208: warning: ignoring old commands for target 'C:\Dev-Cpp'
makefile.mgw:214: warning: overriding commands for target 'C:\Dev-Cpp'
makefile.mgw:211: warning: ignoring old commands for target 'C:\Dev-Cpp'
C:\DEV-CPP\BIN\MAKE.EXE *** No rule to make target 'include\allegro\%.h' needed by 'C:\Dev-Cpp'. Stop.
What does that mean and how do I go about correcting it? Then when I tried to run the demo.exe file I got the following error in a dialog box titled "Error starting program":
A required .DLL file, ALL3937.DLL, was not found.
That error I can understand. It's telling me that it can't find the .DLL to run the programs, but the problem is that I've downloaded the all3937_bin.zip file from allegro.cc and put it into the Dev-Cpp folder so that it would put the files in the appropriate places. The .bat files and exe. files from all3937_bin.zip into the allegro directory and the .dll files into the allegro\lib\msvc... What do I do because they are where they are supposed to be, but Allegro still won't run on the computer because of not being able to find the .DLL files or not being able to install itself all the way. Thanks in advance for any and all help with theses two problems Bob .
--Clayton Weaver

I usually put the dlls in c:\windows\system... that way it doesn't have to be copied and put into many folders where .exe files are :-).

vgdes2000: You had the DLL problem because make install failed. Now, are you sure you got the correct version of make? Type make -v and see if it shows 3.79.1, built for mingw.
If not, then reinstall package #4.
If you have the correct version, then are you sure you didn't modify makefile.mgw in anyway, including opening it with edit.com?
What does it print when you type:
PATH
MINGDIR
(on seperate lines of course)?

Finally, can you try compiling as so:
make install UNIX_TOOLS=1
[ September 02, 2001: Message edited by: Bob ]

I downloade the one you posted, and unzipped it with WinRAR. Should I try that Power Archiver thingie? Might that work? I know I had this problem with winapi before ......

I just downloaded all the files at home (28.8k slow).
here is the make-v and gcc-v output.
code:
make -v
GNU Make version 3.79.1, by Richard Stallman and Roland McGrath.
Built for mingw32
Copyright (C) 1988, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 2000
Free Software Foundation, Inc.
This is free software; see the source for copying conditions.
There is NO warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
Report bugs to <bug-make@gnu.org>.

gcc -v
Reading specs from C:/DEV-CPP/BIN/../lib/gcc-lib/mingw32/2.95.3-6/specs
gcc version 2.95.3-6 (mingw special)

Now when I ran make, it got to the same point (dibsound) and it tried to access my drive a. There isn't anything in drive a so I got the
general error reading device
<A>bort <R>etry <F>ail.
I aborted and my computer locked up.
I restarted my computer and got the same error. I retried and still got the same error, so I hit f and it skipped it and went to compile scrsave and got the same error. I failed that and everything else compiled fine.
I made your simple program.
It compiled fine and when it ran it ran fine, but I have norton utilities loaded on my computer and when I try to install a program it asks if you want it to monitor the installation.
When I run my program it asks if I want it to monitor it because it thinks it is an installation. What to do?
Also, forgot to mention, I upgraded to dev-cpp 4.01.
[ September 02, 2001: Message edited by: DanielH ]

DanialH: What happens if you temporarily disable Norton Utilities, and try compiling and running programs.

What I think is going on is that the compiler created an EXE, and Norton thinks the compiler is an installation program that unzips files...

Something else I want you to try. If you run windres without any paraters, it will display a GCC command line, then hang until you press Ctrl+C. Can you post the command line?

Bob> I assume you were talking to be about the DLL I was missing. After compiling the project, I renamed the DLL and it still ran - so it doesn't look like the compiled program is dependent on it.

I'll be f*cked. It worked.

Of course, "Hello World" don't impress me none How about my current DJGPP project? I'm pretty sure I can't just cut & paste the files and expect it to work. What do I need to change? I think I add END_OF_MAIN(); after int main(), and I have to add acquire_bitmap() and release_bitmap() calls around my drawing code. What effect does that have to the DJGPP version? Should I surround those function calls with #ifdef MINGW ... #endif's? What's the differences?

Also, does my now using DirectX (through Allegro, if I'm not mistaken) mean the game might run faster? Just curious ....

Well, you do need the END_OF_MAIN();, you don't really need acquire and release bitmap. They may or may not help you. You don't need to use #if junk ... it will work with end_of_main(); even if you dos compile (I think that the dos compiled allegro examples have end_of_main(); in them.)
Since dx will be handling the functions, they might behave slightly differently: although I don't remember seeing any significant speed difference when I made the switch, some annoying screen flickering - that happened when I used the page flip method - went away.

I haven't messed with any of the makefiles in the allegro directory. I just typed the "SET PATH" and "SET MINGDIR" paths like you showed. I entered them into the autoexec.bat file using the notepad. I entered them under @Echo Off on their own separate lines. I can't figure out what is going wrong because I have the right version of the file you told me to check on. What else could it be? I'm wanting to use it with Dev-C++, but I don't know what other options I have to make it install appropriately. Please help me figure this out .

Zaphos: Yes, but what I understand is that if you make the acquire/release_bitmap calls yourself, it's faster. That way the individual draw_sprite calls don't have to do it themselves.

I'm a little iffy on what acquire and release really do, anyway .....

quote:
Now is the time to set up your path. If you're running Windows 95 or Windows 98, then open notepad, and edit your c:\autoexec.bat. Add those lines at the end of the file: SET PATH=C:\Dev-Cpp\bin;%path% SET MINGDIR=C:\Dev-Cpp

quote:
Just wondering; I can remove that path crap from autoexec.bat when I'm done setting up, right?

I used to have problems with this, because I use 3 different compilers at the same time, and they were having a conflict because all of them have a different kind of "make". Here is my solution:
for each compiler you want to use
- create a quicklink to c:\command.com
- create a batch file for each compiler in which the necessary environment variables are set
- In the properties of the quicklink, enter the name of the batch file.
Now when you want to start using a certain compiler, you can just double click on the quick link, and a dos box opens up with the right environment variables set.
For example, my devc.bat looks like this:
code:
set PATH=d:\devc\bin;%path%
set MINGDIR=d:\devc

and my djgpp.bat looks like this:
code:
set PATH=d:\DJGPP\BIN;d:\djgpp\allegro\tools;%PATH%
set DJGPP=d:\DJGPP\DJGPP.ENV