[Feature] Default to x64-windows triplet on x64 Windows

[VelocityRa]

Most people don't use 32-bit builds these days, so we have to always specify the triplet which is cumbersome, or set the env-var which is not elegant.

Implementation

Instead of this:

vcpkg/toolsrc/src/vcpkg/triplet.cpp

Line 100 in 22c8e3a

return Triplet::X86_WINDOWS;

there should be a check to see if the host is 64-bit and use the x64-windows triplet if so.

IsWow64Process or IsWow64Process2 can be used for this (will work even if vcpkg is compiled as 32-bit).

[PhoebeHui]

Duplicated to issue #1254

Related PR #11610

[cloudhan]

if I have commit permission, I will change

vcpkg/toolsrc/src/vcpkg/triplet.cpp

Lines 99 to 100 in 22c8e3a

	#if defined(_WIN32)
	return Triplet::X86_WINDOWS;

to

#if defined(_WIN64)
                return Triplet::X64_WINDOWS;
#elif defined(_WIN32)
                return Triplet::X86_WINDOWS;

right now and force push it...

See how many thumb ups in #1254

[VelocityRa]

@cloudhan This is wrong, _WIN64 will only check if vcpkg is compiled in a 64-bit environment, not if the host is a 64-bit operating system. If vcpkg itself was compiled as 32-bit on a 64-bit system it wouldn't work.

See my implementation recommendation above instead.

[cloudhan]

@VelocityRa Good point, and seems the bootstrap script indeed build 32bit version of vcpkg.exe on a 64bit platform. Another feature request, here you go.

[MarkIngramUK]

This has just caught me out on a fresh install (again). 64-bit by default on 64-bit machines seems like a sensible choice.

[PhoebeHui]

Same issue #3882 and #1254

[VelocityRa]

Why was the issue closed? A note in the README it is not a fix to the actual problem.

[PhoebeHui]

@VelocityRa, we doesn't close the thread. if you take a look at the adderss, you will noted that we just moved it to discussions. And in future, we would move other common topics to discussions.

[VelocityRa]

Yes, but why?
There's 1.3k open Issues, what made this one particularly fit for being a "Discussion" instead of an Issue.
There is not much discussion to be done anyway... the fix seems pretty straightforward.

[PhoebeHui]

@VelocityRa, sorry for late response. This is not about how to fix it. It’s a history topic, and we have serveral issues (eg: #3882 #1254) about it, we haven’t accept it before by some reasons, however, this may be changed in future, so I moved it to discussion.

[dg0yt]

The strangest thing in my experience:
The target defaults to x86-windows while the host defaults to x64-windows. E.g. for vcpkg install fmt:

    fmt[core]:x86-windows -> 7.1.3#3
  * vcpkg-cmake[core]:x64-windows -> 2021-02-28#1
  * vcpkg-cmake-config[core]:x64-windows -> 2021-02-26#1

[autoantwort]

The default host triplets is determined by looking at the host system (here), but the default triplet is hardcoded to x86-windows on WIN32 (here). I don't know why they are reluctant to change this.

[SlySven]

there should be a check to see if the host is 64-bit and use the x64-windows triplet if so.

FTR From a MSYS2/Ming-w64 point of view they dropped supporting 32-bit hosts over a year ago - however their toolchains are available for both 32-bit and 64-bit targets. Obviously, due to Windows-On-Windows64 a 32-bit product compiled by that toolchain should run (with the inherit limitations that that number of bits imposes) on both architectures whereas a 64-bit one won't...

[Whotakesmyname]

This is the second most impressive x86 default configuration I have ever come across. And the 1st place belongs to Microsoft Office.

Compatibility hurts.

[AugP]

Bumping this to state that in September we will be changing the default triplet to a detected host system triplet (which on x64 devices will be x64). For now, there is a warning message so users can prepare in case their scripts are calling vcpkg and are assuming the current default. More details: https://devblogs.microsoft.com/cppblog/vcpkg-2023-02-24-release-default-triplet-changes-risc-v-support-bug-fixes-and-more/

[AugP]

Also updating that we did indeed ship this update :)

[vicroms]

The default has been changed since version 2023-10-19.