How to install pkg config in windows?

I did this by installing Cygwin64 from this link https://www.cygwin.com/ Then - View Full, Search gcc and scroll down to find pkg-config. Click on icon to select latest version. This worked for me well.

I would like to extend the answer of @dzintars about the Cygwin version of pkg-config in that focus how should one use it properly with CMake, because I see various comments about CMake in this topic.

I have experienced many troubles with CMake + Cygwin's pkg-config and I want to share my experience how to avoid them.

1. The symlink C:/Cygwin64/bin/pkg-config -> pkgconf.exe does not work in Windows console.

It is not a native Windows .lnk symlink and it won't be callable in Windows console cmd.exe even if you add ".;" to your %PATHEXT% (see https://www.mail-archive.com/cygwin@cygwin.com/msg104088.html).

It won't work from CMake, because CMake calls pkg-config with the method execute_process() (FindPkgConfig.cmake) which opens a new cmd.exe.

Solution: Add -DPKG_CONFIG_EXECUTABLE=C:/Cygwin64/bin/pkgconf.exe to the CMake command line (or set it in CMakeLists.txt).

2. Cygwin's pkg-config recognizes only Cygwin paths in PKG_CONFIG_PATH (no Windows paths).

For example, on my system the .pc files are located in C:\Cygwin64\usr\x86_64-w64-mingw32\sys-root\mingw\lib\pkgconfig. The following three paths are valid, but only path C works in PKG_CONFIG_PATH:

• A) c:/Cygwin64/usr/x86_64-w64-mingw32/sys-root/mingw/lib/pkgconfig - does not work.
• B) /c/cygdrive/usr/x86_64-w64-mingw32/sys-root/mingw/lib/pkgconfig - does not work.
• C) /usr/x86_64-w64-mingw32/sys-root/mingw/lib/pkgconfig - works.

Solution: add .pc files location always as a Cygwin path into PKG_CONFIG_PATH.

3) CMake converts forward slashes to backslashes in PKG_CONFIG_PATH on Cygwin.

It happens due to the bug https://gitlab.kitware.com/cmake/cmake/-/issues/21629. It prevents using the workaround described in [2].

Solution: manually update the function _pkg_set_path_internal() in the file C:/Program Files/CMake/share/cmake-3.x/Modules/FindPkgConfig.cmake. Comment/remove the line:

file(TO_NATIVE_PATH "${_pkgconfig_path}" _pkgconfig_path)

4) CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH, CMAKE_FRAMEWORK_PATH, CMAKE_APPBUNDLE_PATH have no effect on pkg-config in Cygwin.

Reason: the bug https://gitlab.kitware.com/cmake/cmake/-/issues/21775.

Solution: Use only PKG_CONFIG_PATH as an environment variable if you run CMake builds on Cygwin. Forget about CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH, CMAKE_FRAMEWORK_PATH, CMAKE_APPBUNDLE_PATH.

1. Install mingw64 from https://sourceforge.net/projects/mingw-w64/. Avoid program files/(x86) folder for installation. Ex. c:/mingw-w64
2. Download pkg-config__win64.zip from here
3. Extract above zip file and copy paste all the files from pkg-config/bin folder to mingw-w64. In my case its 'C:\mingw-w64\i686-8.1.0-posix-dwarf-rt_v6-rev0\mingw32\bin'
4. Now set path = C:\mingw-w64\i686-8.1.0-posix-dwarf-rt_v6-rev0\mingw32\bin taddaaa you are done.

If you find any security issue then follow steps as well

1. Search for windows defender security center in system
2. Navigate to apps & browser control> Exploit protection settings> Program setting> Click on '+add program customize'
3. Select add program by name
4. Enter program name: pkgconf.exe
5. OK
6. Now check all the settings and set it all the settings to off and apply.

Thats DONE!

for w64-based computers you have to install mingw64. If pkg-config.exe is missing then, you can refer to http://ftp.acc.umu.se/pub/gnome/binaries/win64/dependencies/

Unzip and copy/merge pkg-config.exe into your C:\mingw-w64 installation, eg. into on my pc into C:\mingw-w64\x86_64-8.1.0-posix-seh-rt_v6-rev0\mingw64\bin