Eclipse IDE: How to install and configure MinGW GNU C++ compiler for Windows

Eclipse IDE has the very nice CDT environment for C++ programming.

In order to use it under Windows, you have to install a C++ compiler.

Our suggestion is to install the MinGW compiler, "A MINimalistic Gnu for Windows" Gcc compiler.

Go to http://www.mingw.org/ and download the installer for Windows from here.

Then start the Installer and choose to install the basic package + the g77 compiler + Make for MinGW, as those are the tools needed for compiling C++ code with Eclipse... and not only with Eclipse ;-)

Once installed everything you have to add the MinGW path to your PATH environment variable, to make the compiler findable.

Let's say we have installed the MinGW package on C:\MinGW. Refer to the picture below.
You have to open Start --> Control Panel --> System. In the pop up window that appears select on the left side "Advanced System Settings" and then goes to the tab Advanced and choose "Environment Variables...". There look for the "Path" variable in the System Variables window below (look for PATH, instead, if you want to set the MinGW compiler only for you as user) and click on "Edit...". In the pop up window you'll find a long string to edit. Go to the end of that string line and add ";C:\MinGW\bin". Then "Ok" and again "Ok".





Now your new nice MinGW compiler is ready to be used.

To make a test open a new command prompt (Start --> All Programs --> Accessories --> Command Prompt) and try to type "mingw32-make --version". If everything worked fine you should see a window telling you the version of the newly installed package.

Now open your Eclipse IDE with CDT for C++. Eclipse now should see and should be able to use MinGW C++ compiler!! :-)

So...have fun programming C++! :-)

Finalmente risolto il problema di Windows Vista con la connessione di rete wireless

Erano mesi ormai che nella nuova casa avevo questo problema con Windows Vista: ogni tanto, senza ragione apparente, perdeva la connessione wireless. Magari per dieci ore tutto funzionava...poi all'improvviso...PUM! L'iconcina della rete mostrava una bella "X" rossa e non c'era piu' verso di far rivelare a Windows la rete wireless di casa. Cercando di fare il refresh delle reti disponibili, appariva semplicemente la scritta "no wireless networks found in range". Solo un hibernate o un restart del computer risolvevano il problema. La rete poteva "cadere" in un momento qualsiasi, dopo due minuti come dopo 3 ore, senza un motivo apparente.
E il problema non era del router, perche' con Windows XP la rete restava bella visibile e funzionante.

Oggi ho voluto spulciare un po' su Internet, e alla fine ho trovato la soluzione sul blog di un ragazzo norvegese, che qui ringrazio ;-)

http://www.catonett.com/blog/archives/194

Nei commenti al post ho poi scoperto il link alla pagina Microsoft ufficiale:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928233

In pratica bisogna modificare (aggiungere) una chiave del registro di sistema per far si che Vista non usi un impostazione di rete relativa al DHCP, il protocollo che assegna gli indirizzi di rete in modo dinamico ai computer che richiedono la connessione al router.

Ora ho provato a seguire la procedura descritta nei due post...vediamo se funziona!

Speriamo di si! ;-)

how to show the MAC address, IP, Host Name and Gateway on Windows with ipconfig

Do you want to know your MAC address (the physical address of your Ethernet LAN card) on your Windows machine?

Open a Command Prompt window and type:

ipconfig /all

You'll get many parameters; among them the most useful are:

• Host name --> Your machine name. You can use this name to connect to your machine from within other machines in your LAN;

• Physical address --> Your Ethernet card MAC-address;

• IP address --> The IP address for your machine. If you are connected in a company or university LAN, your IP should not change. And normally it doesn't change even if you connect your desktop or laptop via a router in a domestic LAN. If you use a Ethernet or USB modem (and not a Router) to connect your PC or notebook to your Internet provider (both Dial-Up via telephone or ADSL), your IP should change every time you connect to your provider server;

• Default Gateway --> The IP address of the machine it's physically connected to the Internet and is used like router/filter between the private LAN and the external Internet. In a big LAN the Gateway is usually a physical machine; in small or home LAN it's usually the router box.