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.