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added some notes about development to the README.md #789

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60 changes: 60 additions & 0 deletions README.md
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Expand Up @@ -39,6 +39,66 @@ information you think necessary. Refer to [the Npcap Guide section on reporting
bugs](https://npcap.com/guide/npcap-users-guide.html#npcap-issues) for more
complete directions.

## Contribution

If you want to contribute to the development of this project, first you need to setup the development environment.

### Development Environment

Install a Windows. For example, use Windows 11, version 21H2.
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@guyharris guyharris May 11, 2025

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"Install a version of Windows."


When you install Visual Studio 2022, select the Desktop development with C++ workload, then under Individual Components add:
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@guyharris guyharris May 11, 2025

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"Install Visual Studio 2022" should explicitly be stated as a step, for example:

Install Visual Studio 2022. When you do so, select the Desktop development with C++ workload, then under Individual Components add:


- MSVC v143 - VS 2022 C++ ARM64/ARM64EC Spectre-mitigated libs (Latest)
- MSVC v143 - VS 2022 C++ x64/x86 Spectre-mitigated libs (Latest)
- C++ ATL for latest v143 build tools with Spectre Mitigations (ARM64/ARM64EC)
- C++ ATL for latest v143 build tools with Spectre Mitigations (x86 & x64)
- C++ MFC for latest v143 build tools with Spectre Mitigations (ARM64/ARM64EC)
- C++ MFC for latest v143 build tools with Spectre Mitigations (x86 & x64)
- Windows Driver Kit

Install Windows SDK from https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/downloads/windows-sdk/ if you get the error "The Windows SDK version 10.0.26100.0 was not found.".

You also need WDK for Windows 11, version 21H2. Download and install it from https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2166289

For addition tasks, like building the documentation, you need roffit. Clone it from
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@guyharris guyharris May 11, 2025

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"For additional tasks".

```
cd C:\Users\Measurement\
git clone https://github.com/bagder/roffit.git
```

Also, download 7z from https://www.7-zip.org/a/7z2409-x64.exe

As this version of Visual Studio does not support the compilation for Win32 drivers out of the box, please follow the instructions given in
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/75509242/compiling-32-bits-driver-using-msvc-2022
In addition, you might need additional files (TODO).

Next, download AirPCAP Devpack from https://support.riverbed.com/bin/support/download?sid=l3vk3eu649usgu3rj60uncjqqu
and unpack it to, for example to %USERPROFILE%\Airpcap_Devpack

Then, download https://npcap.com/dist/ npcap-sdk and install it under, e.g. %USERPROFILE%\npcap-sdk-1.14

We need Winflex, which can be download at https://github.com/lexxmark/winflexbison/releases . Be sure that it is in environment variable 'Path'.
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It's called WinFlexBison, and you need both Flex and Bison to compile libpcap's filter parser.

Test it by entering 'win_flex -V' into a command shell.

You might also need pkg-config from https://download.gnome.org/binaries/win32/dependencies/pkg-config_0.26-1_win32.zip

#### Cloing the reposiory
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"Cloning the repository".


On https://github.com, fork both the repositories npcap https://github.com/nmap/npcap and libpcap https://github.com/the-tcpdump-group/libpcap.
Then, enter the following commands.

```
cd %USERPROFILE%
git clone https://github.com/YOURUSER/npcap
git submodule update --init --recursive
cd wpcap
wpcap-cmake.bat
cd ..
cd installer
build.bat
```

## License

The [Npcap License](https://github.com/nmap/npcap/blob/master/LICENSE) allows
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6 changes: 3 additions & 3 deletions installer/Build.bat
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Expand Up @@ -8,9 +8,9 @@ for /f "usebackq delims=#" %%a in (`"%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Microsoft Visual Studio
:break1
if %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 goto :badenv

msbuild "%NPCAPDIR%\packetWin7\vs14\npcap.sln" /m /t:Build /p:Configuration="%MODE%" /p:Platform="x86"
msbuild "%NPCAPDIR%\packetWin7\vs14\npcap.sln" /m /t:Build /p:Configuration="%MODE% Win10 driver" /p:Platform="x86"
msbuild "%NPCAPDIR%\wpcap\build-win32\wpcap.vcxproj" /m /t:Build /p:Configuration="%MODE%" /p:Platform="Win32"
REM msbuild "%NPCAPDIR%\packetWin7\vs14\npcap.sln" /m /t:Build /p:Configuration="%MODE%" /p:Platform="x86"
REM msbuild "%NPCAPDIR%\packetWin7\vs14\npcap.sln" /m /t:Build /p:Configuration="%MODE% Win10 driver" /p:Platform="x86"
REM msbuild "%NPCAPDIR%\wpcap\build-win32\wpcap.vcxproj" /m /t:Build /p:Configuration="%MODE%" /p:Platform="Win32"

for /f "usebackq delims=#" %%a in (`"%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Microsoft Visual Studio\Installer\vswhere" -version %VSVER% -property installationPath`) do call "%%a\VC\Auxiliary\Build\vcvarsall.bat" x64 & goto :break2
:break2
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