How to fix "fatal error C1083: Cannot open include file: 'stdlib.h': No such file or directory" when building openssl3 with conan?

Question

When I try to build my app, which depends on openssl3, with conan, I get the following error while conan is trying to build openssl3:

> conan install . --build=missing --profile:build=default_windows_x64_release --profile=default_windows_x64_debug
...
openssl/3.0.8: Generating aggregated env files
openssl/3.0.8: Generated aggregated env files: ['conanbuild.bat', 'conanrun.bat']
openssl/3.0.8: Calling build()
openssl/3.0.8: RUN: C:/Users/username/.conan2/p/straw898fb56546adc/p/bin/perl.exe ./Configure "VC-conan-Debug-Windows-x86_64-msvc-191" no-shared --prefix=/ --libdir=lib --openssldir="C:\Users\username\.conan2\p\b\opens4a3ff4f862506\p\res" no-unit-test threads PERL=C:/Users/username/.conan2/p/straw898fb56546adc/p/bin/perl.exe no-tests --debug enable-fips no-md2 zlib --with-zlib-include="C:/Users/username/.conan2/p/b/zlib69dc6f0d4df93/p/include" --with-zlib-lib="C:/Users/username/.conan2/p/b/zlib69dc6f0d4df93/p/lib/zlib.lib"
conanvcvars.bat: Activating environment Visual Studio 15 - amd64 - winsdk_version=None - vcvars_ver=14.1
[vcvarsall.bat] Environment initialized for: 'x64'
Configuring OpenSSL version 3.0.8 for target VC-conan-Debug-Windows-x86_64-msvc-191
Using os-specific seed configuration
Created configdata.pm
Running configdata.pm
Created makefile.in
Created makefile
Created include\openssl\configuration.h

**********************************************************************
***                                                                ***
***   OpenSSL has been successfully configured                     ***
***                                                                ***
***   If you encounter a problem while building, please open an    ***
***   issue on GitHub <https://github.com/openssl/openssl/issues>  ***
***   and include the output from the following command:           ***
***                                                                ***
***       perl configdata.pm --dump                                ***
***                                                                ***
***   (If you are new to OpenSSL, you might want to consult the    ***
***   'Troubleshooting' section in the INSTALL.md file first)      ***
***                                                                ***
**********************************************************************

openssl/3.0.8: RUN: nmake
conanvcvars.bat: Activating environment Visual Studio 15 - amd64 - winsdk_version=None - vcvars_ver=14.1
[vcvarsall.bat] Environment initialized for: 'x64'

Microsoft (R) Program Maintenance Utility Version 14.16.27051.0
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.

        "C:/Users/username/.conan2/p/straw898fb56546adc/p/bin/perl.exe" "-I." -Mconfigdata "util\dofile.pl" "-omakefile" "include\crypto\bn_conf.h.in" > include\crypto\bn_conf.h
        ...
        "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Professional\VC\Tools\MSVC\14.16.27023\bin\HostX64\x64\nmake.exe" /                   depend

Microsoft (R) Program Maintenance Utility Version 14.16.27051.0
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.

        "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Professional\VC\Tools\MSVC\14.16.27023\bin\HostX64\x64\nmake.exe" /                   _build_sw

Microsoft (R) Program Maintenance Utility Version 14.16.27051.0
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.

        "cl"  /Zi /Fdossl_static.pdb /MTd /Zl /Gs0 /GF /Gy -MTd -Zi -Ob0 -Od -FS -MTd -Zi -Ob0 -Od -FS -I"." -I"include" -I"apps\include" -D"L_ENDIAN" -D"OPENSSL_PIC" -D"OPENSSLDIR=\"C:\\Users\\username\\.conan2\\p\\b\\opens4a3ff4f862506\\p\\res\"" -D"ENGINESDIR=\"\\lib\\engines-3\"" -D"MODULESDIR=\"\\lib\\ossl-modules\"" -D"OPENSSL_BUILDING_OPENSSL" -D"ZLIB" -D"OPENSSL_SYS_WIN32" -D"WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN" -D"UNICODE" -D"_UNICODE" -D"_CRT_SECURE_NO_DEPRECATE" -D"_WINSOCK_DEPRECATED_NO_WARNINGS" -D"DEBUG" -D"_DEBUG" -I"C:/Users/username/.conan2/p/b/zlib69dc6f0d4df93/p/include"   -c /Foapps\lib\libapps-lib-app_libctx.obj "apps\lib\app_libctx.c"
Microsoft (R) C/C++ Optimizing Compiler Version 19.16.27051 for x64
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.

app_libctx.c
C:\Users\username\.conan2\p\b\opens4a3ff4f862506\b\src\include\openssl/crypto.h(25): fatal error C1083: Cannot open include file: 'stdlib.h': No such file or directory
NMAKE : fatal error U1077: '"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Professional\VC\Tools\MSVC\14.16.27023\bin\HostX64\x64\cl.EXE"' : return code '0x2'
Stop.
NMAKE : fatal error U1077: '"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Professional\VC\Tools\MSVC\14.16.27023\bin\HostX64\x64\nmake.exe"' : return code '0x2'
Stop.

I suspect this happens because MSVS doesn't set all of the includes and paths correctly. I think so, because when I execute "set INCLUDE" in Developer Command Prompt for VS 2017, I get this:

>set include
INCLUDE=C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Professional\VC\Tools\MSVC\14.16.27023\ATLMFC\include;C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Professional\VC\Tools\MSVC\14.16.27023\include;C:\PROGRA~1\IBM\SQLLIB\INCLUDE;C:\PROGRA~1\IBM\SQLLIB\LIB

On the other hand, when I manually add missing includes in my Developer Command Prompt, like this:

set INCLUDE=%INCLUDE%;C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\Include\10.0.16299.0\winrt;C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\Include\10.0.16299.0\shared;C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\Include\10.0.16299.0\um;C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Professional\VC\Auxiliary\VS\UnitTest\include;C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\Include\10.0.16299.0\ucrt;C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Professional\VC\Auxiliary\VS\include;C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Professional\VC\Tools\MSVC\14.16.27023\atlmfc\include;C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Professional\VC\Tools\MSVC\14.16.27023\include;C:\3coreserver\commlib2a\openssl\windows\vs2012\include;C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Professional\VC\PlatformSDK\include;C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\Source\10.0.16299.0\ucrt;C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Professional\VC\Auxiliary\VS\src;C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Professional\VC\Tools\MSVC\14.16.27023\crt\src;C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Professional\VC\Tools\MSVC\14.16.27023\atlmfc\src\atl;C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Professional\VC\Tools\MSVC\14.16.27023\atlmfc\src\mfcm;C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Professional\VC\Tools\MSVC\14.16.27023\atlmfc\src\mfc;

I get different error:

legacyprov.c
        cmd /C ""cl" /Zs /showIncludes  /Zi /Fddso.pdb /Gs0 /GF /Gy -MTd -Zi -Ob0 -Od -FS -MTd -Zi -Ob0 -Od -FS -I"include" -I"providers\implementations\include" -I"providers\common\include" -D"OPENSSL_BUILDING_OPENSSL" -D"ZLIB" -D"OPENSSL_SYS_WIN32" -D"WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN" -D"UNICODE" -D"_UNICODE" -D"_CRT_SECURE_NO_DEPRECATE" -D"_WINSOCK_DEPRECATED_NO_WARNINGS" -D"DEBUG" -D"_DEBUG" -I"C:/Users/username/.conan2/p/b/zlib69dc6f0d4df93/p/include"   "providers\legacyprov.c" > providers\legacy-dso-legacyprov.d 2>&1"
        "C:/Users/username/.conan2/p/straw898fb56546adc/p/bin/perl.exe" "util\mkrc.pl" legacy > providers\legacy.rc
        "rc"  /foproviders\legacy-dso-legacy.res "providers\legacy.rc"
Microsoft (R) Windows (R) Resource Compiler Version 10.0.10011.16384
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.
        "C:/Users/username/.conan2/p/straw898fb56546adc/p/bin/perl.exe" "util\mkdef.pl" --type dso --ordinals util\providers.num --name legacy --OS windows > providers\legacy.def
        IF EXIST providers\legacy.dll.manifest DEL /F /Q providers\legacy.dll.manifest
        cmd /C ""link" -debug /dll -debug -debug @C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Temp\2\nm17C5.tmp || (DEL /Q legacy.* providers\legacy.* & EXIT 1)"
Microsoft (R) Incremental Linker Version 14.16.27051.0
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.
providers\legacy-dso-legacyprov.obj
/out:providers\legacy.dll
providers\liblegacy.lib
providers\libcommon.lib
libcrypto.lib
C:/Users/username/.conan2/p/b/zlib69dc6f0d4df93/p/lib/zlib.lib ws2_32.lib gdi32.lib advapi32.lib crypt32.lib user32.lib
/def:providers\legacy.def providers\legacy-dso-legacy.res
LINK : fatal error LNK1104: cannot open file 'ws2_32.lib'
Could Not Find C:\Users\username\.conan2\p\b\opensdbeefee112c1f\b\src\legacy.*
NMAKE : fatal error U1077: 'cmd' : return code '0x1'
Stop.
NMAKE : fatal error U1077: '"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Professional\VC\Tools\MSVC\14.16.27023\bin\HostX64\x64\nmake.exe"' : return code '0x2'
Stop.

I have Microsoft SDK (10.0.16299.0) installed for VS 2017 but its include and libs paths are not set by default.

I don't understand how do I fix this, please help.

Answer 1

Hi @John Smith, 

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A! 

Visual Studio 2017 is out of mainstream support. Could you use the Visual Studio 2019 or 2022? 

You can also report it in conan or openssl forum and check if it is a known issue or not. Thanks for your understanding! 

Sincerely,

Anna

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