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Link Windows contributors to the existing Windows setup docs - #133

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djkees:up/windows-quickstart-links
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Link Windows contributors to the existing Windows setup docs#133
djkees wants to merge 1 commit into
nasa:mainfrom
djkees:up/windows-quickstart-links

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@djkees djkees commented Sep 3, 2026

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Summary

README's plain source-build quickstart and CONTRIBUTING's recommended dev preset both fail immediately on Windows, with no signal that Windows needs different handling and no link to the doc page that already has it.

djkees#51
djkees#52

Changes

  • README.md: added a Windows callout after the basic cmake/cmake --build/cmake --install quickstart, explaining that an explicit -G generator is required on Windows (no Visual Studio means CMake silently defaults to NMake Makefiles and fails before reaching the Fortran compiler), linking to installation.rst's Windows Notes section.
  • CONTRIBUTING.md: added a note under "Choose a development preset" that dev/dev-intel/dev-ub-hunt all lock the Unix Makefiles generator and target GNU toolchains, so they fail outright on Windows (CMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM is not set), pointing to the same Windows Notes section instead.

Both link to installation.rst's existing Windows Notes / Windows + Intel oneAPI sections, which already have validated Windows instructions — this PR only makes sure Windows readers get routed there instead of hitting an unexplained failure first.

Testing

  • Documentation-only change. Confirmed by reading docs/source/installation.rst that the "Windows Notes" heading exists and produces the #windows-notes anchor both new links target, and by reading CMakePresets.json to confirm the gnu/intel base presets (which dev/dev-intel/dev-ub-hunt all inherit) hard-code the Unix Makefiles generator, which is what actually causes the Windows failure described in resolve duplicate names for release artifact #51.

Compatibility / Numerical behavior

  • No expected changes to numerical results

Drafted with Claude's assistance

  • The root cause claims (CMake defaulting to NMake without -G on Windows; the gnu/intel presets locking Unix Makefiles) were verified by direct read of CMakePresets.json rather than taken from the issue text alone.
  • The Windows Notes anchor target was confirmed by reading the actual heading in docs/source/installation.rst.

* Link Windows contributors to the existing Windows setup docs (#51, #52)

README's plain source-build quickstart and CONTRIBUTING's dev preset both fail immediately on Windows with no pointer to the working Windows flow already documented in installation.rst.

* Show a concrete Windows cmake command in README's Windows callout

The callout named the fix (-G flag) without a runnable example; add one for the common Visual Studio case, matching installation.rst's own generator guidance.

(cherry picked from commit f73a700)
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