You do need multiple paths if you're going to compile Allegro with multiple compilers. After Allegro is compiled, then you can revert to a single path for your compiler of choice.
DanielH: Try typing "SET' alone, it should print out all the environment variables. MINGWDIR should be in there.
Also, what OS are you using?

set MINGDIR = (whatever directory Dev-C++ is in on your computer)

I figured out why Allegro wasn't letting me install it properly. Bob you told us to put "SET PATH=C:\Dev-Cpp\Bin;%path%" and "SET MINGDIR=C:\Dev-Cpp" into the Autoexec.bat file, but you forgot to tell us to type "set mingdir=c:\dev-cpp" before we type "make install". I typed "set mingdir=c:\dev-cpp" into the ms-dos prompt right before I typed "make install" and it completely installed the Allegro library and copied the files into the appropriate directories when it installed. I finally got Allegro up and running because it finally let me compile the small "Hello world!" example you gave at the very start of this thread. I stumbled upon this minor over site when I decided to compare your instructions with the original readme.mgw file and I noticed you didn't put to type "set mingdir=c:\dev-cpp" into the ms-dos prompt before you type "make" or "make install". I decided that worse thing that could happen if I typed it was that it would tell me that it was a "Bad command or file name" so I typed it out and sure enough my hunch was right and it let me install the Allegro library and compile the example you gave . So in my mind your instructions are flawless as long as you include that simple line of typing the "set mingdir=c:\dev-cpp" into the ms-dos prompt before you run the "make install" command. But thanks a lot for all the help you have offered me and everyone else and now I hope that I can start to help others now that I have the Dev-C++ and Allegro up and running together. I can help a little with DJGPP and Allegro since they were my first compiler and library combination on my parents Windows 98 system before I left to move in with my fiancee and saw her Windows 95 computer. Then I found out about MinGW and Dev-C++ and decided to try and use it, but I ran into problems that you helped me and others like me out with (and you actually kept you cool about the whole thing ). Thanks again Bob .

What goodbytes said

Whew ! Great job Bob. I've been using a really old version of Allegro for some time now since I didn't want to stumble my way through compiling everything again. Now I'm finally updated. Much easier. If 4.0 comes out soon, however, I hope someone just posts everything ready to go. Be about the same amount of downloading.

DanielH: What could be happening is that Norton detects that a new windows executable is being installed (you just compiled it!). The only thing I can suggest is that you either uninstall Norton's installer monitoring thing, and that you e-mail Norton's custommer support about the problem.

But why did I only get the problem when I compiled allegro with ming. when I compiled the allegro (same verison) with djgpp and msvc there wasn't any problem. I emailed bloodshed and they also told me it was norton.
I don't think it is.
I think there is a bug in the ming compiler. I had to recompile the allegro library again (with djgpp) just so I could run my msvc programs without norton popping up.

How come I get the feeling that I'm not being understood?
It is not Norton.

When I compiled the same library with DJGPP for MSVC nothing unusual happened.

When I compiled the same library with MingW for dev-cpp or msvc, that is when I got problems.
I first thought is was just dev-cpp, until I recompiled the library for msvc and then got the SAME Problem.

I recompiled the SAME library again for DJGPP and MSVC and NO Problems.
Now, How can everyone keep telling me it's Norton? It doesn't make sense. Maybe the compiler has one too many flags set or something that makes the executable look different.
I don't mind uninstalling Norton, but what about other people that use my program. Should I tell all of them that if they have Norton, they should uninstall it because my program and the compiler I use is superior to a larger team of experts?
[ September 07, 2001: Message edited by: DanielH ]

Daniel: Are you saying that just running a program you make freaks Norton out, or compiling it? It sounds like your saying that every allegro program you create that isn't DJGPP looks like it is installing something every time you run it....
Either way, it may be something unique to your system. Computers are funny that way. I have a new version of Norton, MSVC, and Dev-C++, with high security on my Norton, and I haven't experienced this problem. Hopefully that means other people won't have the same problems you are experiencing if you distribute your software. I'll double check my Norton settings later to see if I can reproduce it.

Argh. I followed your instructions, bob, right to the T. And - well, I tried to run MAKE and it pumped out a load of crap. The problem is, (I think), when I type "make -v" it says it's built for "i386-pc-msdosdjgpp" and NOT for mingw32 or whatever! And yes, I DID run "fix mingw32" like 6 TIMES!!!! Please help me before i throw my computer into the bathtub Oh. Here's the exact output.
quote:
C:\devcpp\allegro>fix mingw32
Configuring Allegro for Windows (Mingw32)...
Done!
C:\devcpp\allegro>make -v
GNU Make version 3.79.1, by Richard Stallman and Roland McGrath.
Built for i386-pc-msdosdjgpp
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>.

C:\devcpp\allegro> NARF!!!!

I compiled a simple game in both msvc and dev-cpp, (allegro was compiled for both with mingw) and I got about the same frame rate.
The only difference is that the size.

MSVC 44kb;
DEV 9kb;

For anyone that is interested.

--------------------
And for CageCode, did you download the same files that bob listed, and then move make.exe in dev.cpp directory to the bin directory? Fix mingw32 just fixes the allegro library to compile for ming. It has nothing to do with make.exe.
My make-v is built for mingw32.
Also 23yrold3yrold
Make -v gives the version of make and that is what he wanted.
[ September 08, 2001: Message edited by: DanielH ]

DanielH: THe difference in size is due to the options selected for compilation. Dev-C++ prolly has symbols stripped, no debug info and optimizations enabled, while the MXVC version has some debug inside.