The MASM Forum Archive 2004 to 2012

General Forums => The Campus => Topic started by: themaster on May 04, 2012, 09:40:59 AM

Title: ml.exe do not want to create obj file!
Post by: themaster on May 04, 2012, 09:40:59 AM
My configuration: Win 7 x64, use masm32 with ml.exe version 6.14.8444. Trying to assemble one of example files, "minimum.asm", using my bat file. Assembler works without error messages, but - do not create obj file. So linker can not work and prints error message. My bat file is:

\assembler\masm32\bin\ml /c /nologo \assembler\pdf\pdf.asm
\assembler\masm32\bin\Link /nologo /SUBSYSTEM:WINDOWS /DEBUG /DEBUGTYPE:CV \assembler\pdf\pdf.obj

Example file renamed to pdf.asm.
On another computer with WinXP all works fine. Current user have full rights to the folder c:\assembler\pdf, write, create files, etc.
I tried to use Windows utility Process Monitor to catch events of process "ml.exe", which are about file pdf.obj. Log file in csv format attached. Can somebody make a hint where should I look for a cause?
Title: Re: ml.exe do not want to create obj file!
Post by: dedndave on May 04, 2012, 11:06:22 AM
\assembler\masm32\bin\ml /c /coff /nologo \assembler\pdf\pdf.asm
for win32 PE applications, the OBJ format is COFF
Title: About coff parameter
Post by: themaster on May 04, 2012, 09:28:20 PM
I added it. Log file changed: now it is much longer (attached). Here is a string:

08:14:21,34 ml.exe 392 CloseFile C:\assembler\pdf\pdf.obj SUCCESS

Does it mean that no access problems with dest. directory? But - the next string:

08:14:21,56 link.exe 4052 CreateFile C:\assembler\pdf\pdf.obj NAME NOT FOUND [next str...]
Desired Access: Read Attributes, Disposition: Open, Options: Open Reparse Point, Attributes: n/a, [next str...]
ShareMode: Read, Write, Delete, AllocationSize: n/a

Of course, there is no obj file in dest. dir. Why?
And - there are some strings of "System" process name, at the end of log, with mark "success". Does it mean that file was created by OS in RAM, and OS wanted to write it on disk later, when it will have time to it? (I understand that it may seems stupid, but - I have no other ideas :-( )
Title: Re: ml.exe do not want to create obj file!
Post by: jj2007 on May 04, 2012, 10:34:48 PM
Try renaming the folder to pdf2.
Title: Re: ml.exe do not want to create obj file!
Post by: P1 on May 04, 2012, 11:40:31 PM
Quote from: themaster on May 04, 2012, 09:40:59 AM
My bat file is:\assembler\masm32\bin\ml /c /nologo \assembler\pdf\pdf.asm
\assembler\masm32\bin\Link /nologo /SUBSYSTEM:WINDOWS /DEBUG /DEBUGTYPE:CV \assembler\pdf\pdf.obj
Please post whole batch file.

Has this batch file worked at all ???

Masm32 is design to be at the root of a drive, not in a sub-directory.

Regards,  P1   :8)
Title: Re: ml.exe do not want to create obj file!
Post by: dedndave on May 04, 2012, 11:54:18 PM
yah - i think that may be a problem   :P

read this page, carefully
http://masm32.com/installation.htm

of course, it can work elsewhere, but you won't be compatible with most forum members
if you try to build one of the many examples or posted projects, you'll have to modify them
Title: Solved. Really the problem was in root directory.
Post by: themaster on May 05, 2012, 09:50:33 AM
Thanks to P1! The problem really was that masm was installed not in root directory. But - at page
http://masm32.com/installation.htm
is no mention about this fact. And, the program gives no error message about it. May be it is a good idea to make changes in installation page, or readme file, or perhaps error message of program? Or I did not noticed something somewhere?
Title: Re: ml.exe do not want to create obj file!
Post by: dedndave on May 05, 2012, 12:30:00 PM
you are right - there is no mention   :eek

sorry about that - there used to be
Hutch recently updated that page and must have accidently left it out
Title: Re: Solved. Really the problem was in root directory.
Post by: P1 on May 08, 2012, 06:06:24 AM
Quote from: themaster on May 05, 2012, 09:50:33 AM
Thanks to P1! The problem really was that masm was installed not in root directory. But - at page
http://masm32.com/installation.htm
is no mention about this fact. And, the program gives no error message about it. May be it is a good idea to make changes in installation page, or readme file, or perhaps error message of program? Or I did not noticed something somewhere?
BTW, Masm32 is best installed on C drive, but after that, can be copied to root of most any storage media and works fine, for starting Qeditor in place on the storage media.

I program on the go too.  Have Masm, will Travel.   :U

Regards,  P1   :8)