Compiling and Installing OpenSSL for 32 bit Windows

What is OpenSSL? @Wikipedia: “OpenSSL is an open-source implementation of the SSL and TLS protocols. The core library, written in the C programming language, implements the basic cryptographic functions and provides various utility functions.” Enough for the explanation of OpenSSL. 🙂 Let’s go for the real tutorial on how you can install OpenSSL into you 32 bit Windows. I am using 32 bit Windows 7 for this tutorial. Before we can start the installation, please make sure that you have the following items ready or installed in your system: MS Visual Studio

Install MS Visual Studio. It will work even with MS Visual Studio 2010 Express edition.

OpenSSL

Create a new folder C:\openssl-1.0.1g
Download latest OpenSSL source from https://www.openssl.org/source/. I am using “openssl-1.0.1g.tar.gz” in this tutorial.
Extract the file to C:\openssl-1.0.1g

Perl

Download & install ActiveState Perl @ ActiveState Perl
Make sure you set “C:\perl\bin\” in the system path.

With the readiness of above mentioned items, we are now ready to build the OpenSSL library.

Create a new folder “C:\openssl-1.0.1g-bin” which will hold all the built libraries in later.
Open the command prompt windows.
Run “C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 10.0\Common7\Tools\vsvars32.bat” to get visual studio environment setup.
Browse to C:\openssl-1.0.1g
Run “perl Configure VC-WIN32 no-asm – -prefix=C:\openssl-1.0.1g-bin”. This will configure to build using visual C++ in Win32 platform. Also, it will configure to install to “C:\openssl-1.0.1g-bin” in later step.

NOTE:
If you wish to compile with debugging symbols. Then run the
following command:

"perl Configure debug-VC-WIN32 no-asm --prefix=C:\openssl-1.0.1g-bin"

Run “ms\do_ms”.
Run “nmake -f ms\ntdll.mak”. Compilation should start now and it will take some time to compile.
Once the compilation is completed. You may test the output by running this command “nmake -f ms\ntdll.mak test”. You should get all the tests pass.
It’s time to install the library now. Run this command “nmake -f ms\ntdll.mak install”. It will copy all the libraries to C:\openssl-1.0.1g-bin.

At this point, the OpenSSL libraries for 32 bit Windows should be ready.

9 Comments to Compiling and Installing OpenSSL for 32 bit Windows

Jhon on November 10, 2012 22:01:57

Error!
Not “perl Configure VC-WIN32 no-asm –prefix=C:\openssl-1.0.1b” but “perl Configure VC-WIN32 no-asm –-prefix=C:\openssl-1.0.1b”
askyb on November 26, 2012 21:46:24

Arr…good spot. 🙂
I’ve updated with the correct one now.
Cal on November 27, 2012 06:12:27

You are missing a step between the perl Configure step and the nmake step:

ms\do_ms
tcp on February 28, 2013 16:45:13

Hi..
I tried to install openssl using all the steps u’ve posted here,
But when I tried to do:
perl Configure VC-WIN32 no-asm –prefix=C:\openssl-1.0.1b

it always say:
Can’t open perl script “Configure”: No such file or directory

I did all the steps u’ve posted exactly.
I have MS Visual Studio, downloaded and extracted openssl-1.0.1b.tar.gz into C:\openssl-1.0.1b-dev, then downloaded and install ActiveState Perl version 5.16.2.1602 for Windows (x86) MSI from the site u gave.
I also created the C:\openssl-1.0.1b and set the environment for using MS Visual Studio tools. and browse to C:\openssl-1.0.1b-dev before trying to do the configuration.

Can you please help me how to solve this problem?
Thanks in advance!
askyb on February 28, 2013 17:01:37

Your CMD need to browse to C:\openssl-1.0.1b-dev\ and run the perl command again. The Configure file is located in C:\openssl-1.0.1b-dev\

C:\openssl-1.0.1b-dev> perl Configure ......
Allan on April 9, 2013 07:06:08

Hi,

I am getting the following error after using nmake -f ms\ntdll.mak

C:\build\openssl-1.0.1b-dev>nmake -f ms\ntdll.mak

Microsoft (R) Program Maintenance Utility Version 10.00.30319.01
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

NMAKE : fatal error U1052: file ‘ms\ntdll.mak’ not found
Stop.

C:\build\openssl-1.0.1b-dev>
hannibal on April 20, 2013 09:53:57

perl Configure VC-WIN32 no-asm –prefix=c:\openssl
ms\do_ms (…this step been missed,next step will respond ms\ntdll.mak not found )
nmake -f ms\ntdll.mak
nmake -f ms\ntdll.mak test
nmake -f ms\ntdll.mak install
Alex on May 17, 2014 15:29:59

What a pitiful guide really
John Dawson on October 14, 2014 16:05:41

Good and clear guide, trolls should drive their wheelchairs somewhere else.