Error building LLVM+Clang "Too many open files" on Windows

Beginners
1

Hello,
I am trying to build LLVM and Clang according to the instructions found here: Getting Started with the LLVM System — LLVM 17.0.0git documentation.

My goal is to use clang-format source code in a project I am working on so that I can format code snippets in real time.

I have attempted to generate the build with the following commands:
cmake -S llvm -B build -G “Ninja” -DLLVM_ENABLE_PROJECTS=“clang” -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=“/install” -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=“Release” -DLLVM_PARALLEL_LINK_JOBS=1

And then finally ran the build with:
ninja -j 1

Unfortunately I get the following error:

[2970/3426] Linking CXX shared library bin\libLTO.dll
FAILED: bin/libLTO.dll lib/libLTO.dll.a
cmd.exe /C “cd . && C:\Strawberry\c\bin\c++.exe -Wa,-mbig-obj -Werror=date-time -Wall -Wextra -Wno-unused-parameter -Wwrite-strings -Wcast-qual -Wno-missing-field-initializers -pedantic -Wno-long-long -Wimplicit-fallthrough -Wno-maybe-uninitialized -Wno-class-memaccess -Wno-noexcept-type -Wdelete-non-virtual-dtor -Wno-comment -Wno-misleading-indentation -ffunction-sections -fdata-sections -O2 -DNDEBUG -Wl,–gc-sections “D:/libraries/llvm-project/build/tools/lto/LTO.def” -shared -o bin\libLTO.dll -Wl,–out-implib,lib\libLTO.dll.a -Wl,–major-image-version,0,–minor-image-version,0 @CMakeFiles\LTO.rsp && cd .”
C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find lib/libLLVMIRReader.a: Too many open files
C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find lib/libLLVMBitReader.a: Too many open files
C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find lib/libLLVMAsmParser.a: Too many open files
C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find lib/libLLVMCore.a: Too many open files
C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find lib/libLLVMRemarks.a: Too many open files
C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find lib/libLLVMBitstreamReader.a: Too many open files
C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find lib/libLLVMTextAPI.a: Too many open files
C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find lib/libLLVMBinaryFormat.a: Too many open files
C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find lib/libLLVMTargetParser.a: Too many open files
C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find lib/libLLVMSupport.a: Too many open files
C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find lib/libLLVMDemangle.a: Too many open files
C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find -lpsapi
C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find -lshell32C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find -lole32
C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find -luuid
C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find -ladvapi32
C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find C:/Strawberry/c/lib/libz.a: Too many open files
C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find -lkernel32
C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find -luser32
C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find -lgdi32
C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find -lwinspool
C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find -lshell32C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find -lole32
C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find -loleaut32
C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find -luuid
C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find -lcomdlg32
C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find -ladvapi32
C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find -lstdc++
C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find -lmingw32C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find -lgcc_s
C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find -lgcc
C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find -lmoldname
C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find -lmingwexC:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find -lmsvcrt
C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find -lpthreadC:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find -ladvapi32
C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find -lshell32C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find -luser32
C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find -lkernel32
C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find -liconv
C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find -lmingw32C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find -lgcc_s
C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find -lgcc
C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find -lmoldname
C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find -lmingwexC:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find -lmsvcrt
C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/…/…/…/…/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find C:/Strawberry/c/bin/…/lib/gcc/x86_64-w64-mingw32/8.3.0/crtend.o: Too many open files
collect2.exe: error: ld returned 1 exit status
ninja: build stopped: subcommand failed.

I am running Windows 11 on a Microsoft Surface Go 3.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, thank you for your time.

2

I remember running into an open-file limit on Linux, and using the ulimit utility to increase it. I don’t know how you would get the same effect with mingw but it’s a direction to research.

3

Are you using the 64 bit version of whatever linker you are using? From the pathing x86_64-w64-mingw32 it might be that you are using a 32 bit version of the linker?

Eye balling the 64 bit mingw32 CRT’s stdio header, there seems to be a limit of 512 files. Perhaps it might be worthwhile to use MSVC to build?

4

Unrelated, but I’d be surprised if you don’t run into memory issues later on in your build, once you’ve resolved these issues: I regularly see links in my LLVM builds that can take over 8GB of RAM (which is the standard spec of that device as far as I can tell).