V8 ABSEIL Build Fails On Windows

[mirceagoga]

v8 version: 12.7.138
OS: Windows 11
Build Tools: Clang and Visual Studio 2022

Hello,

I'm trying to upgrade from v8 11.6 to the latest 12.7 on Windows but it fails at third_party_abseil-cpp_absl link step.

How to reproduce:

1. run config: python3 tools\dev\v8gen.py -b x64.release x64.release -- is_debug=false is_clang=true is_component_build=true use_custom_libcxx=false use_lld=false v8_static_library=false v8_monolithic=false v8_use_external_startup_data=true v8_enable_test_features=false v8_enable_i18n_support=false treat_warnings_as_errors=false v8_enable_pointer_compression=false
2. run ninja -v -C out.gn/x64.release third_party_abseil-cpp_absl.dll

The log is huge but it cosists of "error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol ...":

ninja -C out.gn/x64.release third_party_abseil-cpp_absl.dll ninja: Entering directory 'out.gn/x64.release' [1/1] LINK(DLL) third_party_abseil-cpp_absl.dll third_party_abseil-cpp_absl.dll.lib third_party_abseil-cpp_absl.dll.pdb " FAILED: third_party_abseil-cpp_absl.dll third_party_abseil-cpp_absl.dll.lib third_party_abseil-cpp_absl.dll.pdb "C:/depot_tools/bootstrap-2@3_11_8_chromium_35_bin/python3/bin/python3.exe" ../../build/toolchain/win/tool_wrapper.py link-wrapper environment.x64 False link.exe "/OUT:./third_party_abseil-cpp_absl.dll" /nologo "/IMPLIB:./third_party_abseil-cpp_absl.dll.lib" /DLL "/PDB:./third_party_abseil-cpp_absl.dll.pdb" "@./third_party_abseil-cpp_absl.dll.rsp" third_party_abseil-cpp_absl.dll.exp : error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol "public: __cdecl absl::AlphaNum::AlphaNum<class std::__Cr::allocator<char> >(class std::__Cr::basic_string<char,struct std::__Cr::char_traits<char>,class std::__Cr::allocator<char> > const &)" (??$?0V?$allocator@D@__Cr@std@@@AlphaNum@absl@@QEAA@AEBV?$basic_string@DU?$char_traits@D@__Cr@std@@V?$allocator@D@23@@__Cr@std@@@Z) third_party_abseil-cpp_absl.dll.exp : error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol "public: __cdecl absl::Cord::Cord<class std::__Cr::basic_string<char,struct std::__Cr::char_traits<char>,class std::__Cr::allocator<char> >,0>(class std::__Cr::basic_string<char,struct std::__Cr::char_traits<char>,class std::__Cr::allocator<char> > &&)" (??$?0V?$basic_string@DU?$char_traits@D@__Cr@std@@V?$allocator@D@23@@__Cr@std@@$0A@@Cord@absl@@QEAA@$$QEAV?$basic_string@DU?$char_traits@D@__Cr@std@@V?$allocator@D@23@@__Cr@std@@@Z)

Things I tried:

1. build with MSVC build tools: abseil works, other v8 project fails
2. use /std:c++20, /std:c++17: the same
3. build only abseil with MSVC (is_clang=false) and modify v8/BUILD.gn to use that one: other link issues on mksnapsot step:
   ninja -C out.gn/release v8 v8_libplatform v8_libbase ninja: Entering directory 'out.gn/x64.release' [1/11] LINK mksnapshot.exe mksnapshot.exe.pdb FAILED: mksnapshot.exe mksnapshot.exe.pdb "C:/depot_tools/bootstrap-2@3_11_8_chromium_35_bin/python3/bin/python3.exe" ../../build/toolchain/win/tool_wrapper.py link-wrapper environment.x64 False link.exe "/OUT:./mksnapshot.exe" /nologo "/PDB:./mksnapshot.exe.pdb" "@./mksnapshot.exe.rsp" wasm-revec-phase.obj : error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol "private: void __cdecl absl::container_internal::HashSetResizeHelper::InitControlBytesAfterSoo(enum absl::container_internal::ctrl_t *,enum absl::container_internal::ctrl_t,unsigned __int64)" (?InitControlBytesAfterSoo@HashSetResizeHelper@container_internal@absl@@AEAAXPEAW4ctrl_t@23@W4423@_K@Z) wasm-gc-optimize-phase.obj : error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol "private: void __cdecl absl::container_internal::HashSetResizeHelper::InitControlBytesAfterSoo(enum absl::container_internal::ctrl_t *,enum absl::container_internal::ctrl_t,unsigned __int64)" (?InitControlBytesAfterSoo@HashSetResizeHelper@container_internal@absl@@AEAAXPEAW4ctrl_t@23@W4423@_K@Z) wasm-gc-typed-optimization-reducer.obj : error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol "private: void __cdecl absl::container_internal::HashSetResizeHelper::InitControlBytesAfterSoo(enum absl::container_internal::ctrl_t *,enum absl::container_internal::ctrl_t,unsigned __int64)" (?InitControlBytesAfterSoo@HashSetResizeHelper@container_internal@absl@@AEAAXPEAW4ctrl_t@23@W4423@_K@Z) wasm-lowering-phase.obj : error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol "private: void __cdecl absl::container_internal::HashSetResizeHelper::InitControlBytesAfterSoo(enum absl::container_internal::ctrl_t *,enum absl::container_internal::ctrl_t,unsigned __int64)" (?InitControlBytesAfterSoo@HashSetResizeHelper@container_internal@absl@@AEAAXPEAW4ctrl_t@23@W4423@_K@Z) wasm-optimize-phase.obj : error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol "private: void __cdecl absl::container_internal::HashSetResizeHelper::InitControlBytesAfterSoo(enum absl::container_internal::ctrl_t *,enum absl::container_internal::ctrl_t,unsigned __int64)" (?InitControlBytesAfterSoo@HashSetResizeHelper@container_internal@absl@@AEAAXPEAW4ctrl_t@23@W4423@_K@Z)

From what I know, Clang compiler is a must on Windows.
Does anyone know a workaround for this issue ?

[quirkyli]

We have the same issue now, and hope for a solution..... @mathiasbynens @RReverser
@mirceagoga Do you find any solution?

[mirceagoga]

@quirkyli I used an older version, 11.6, which doesn`t have dependency on this dll.

[quirkyli]

@mirceagoga Thanks for your comment. But we have to upgrade v8, since security requirement.....So, still for hope for a solution for high version....

[LeszekSwirski]

Does it work with is_component_build = false? This looks like abseil has symbol export issues.

[quirkyli]

Hi @LeszekSwirski , I also tried this parameter, but still didn't work. I found the same issue in this website https://groups.google.com/g/v8-users/c/NT1_kNtE-hE/m/F8JgWM4EAAAJ. It seems that compiling static library is ok, but compiling version 12.X of dynamic library is failed.

[caoccao]

I always build v8_monolith, then build a DLL on top of it. It works well with v12.x.

[lexusv8ls600h]

The issue seems to be in symbols_x64_rel.def, which attempts to export some unavailable symbols.
One possible workaround is:

1. remove all unavailable symbols to let the build go
2. then you will have the problematic abseil dlls
3. build abseil with cmake to generate new abseil dlls
4. use the new dlls to replace the problematic ones

[mirceagoga]

@lexusv8ls600h Than you for the istructions. I managed to get the build working (v13.1.131) and after some headaches with linking from a Visual Studio project, I found the configuration that works for me:

python3 tools\dev\v8gen.py -b x64.release clang -- is_debug=false is_clang=true is_component_build=true use_custom_libcxx=false use_lld=false v8_static_library=false v8_monolithic=false v8_use_external_startup_data=true v8_enable_test_features=false v8_enable_i18n_support=false treat_warnings_as_errors=false v8_enable_pointer_compression=false

I suspect use_lld=false is a must if you link from a VC project.
I kept the same absl lib since the application seems to work fine, I'll replace with my build if it has issues.
I've attached my /third_party/abseil-cpp/symbols_x64_rel.def
symbols_x64_rel.txt

To build abseil you have to do something like this (using Visual Studio):
cd ./third_party/abseil-cpp/
mkdir .build
cd .build
cmake .. -G "Visual Studio 17 2022" -DABSL_PROPAGATE_CXX_STD=On -DABSL_BUILD_MONOLITHIC_SHARED_LIBS=ON -DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS=ON
Open Solution, set name to match v8 abseil, build tools to clang and std standard to C++20 and build absl_dll

@quirkyli