# Build (and not run) CUDA app on docker windows image
**URL:** https://discourse.cmake.org/t/build-and-not-run-cuda-app-on-docker-windows-image/3403
**Category:** Usage
**Tags:** os:windows
**Created:** [May 25, 2021, 2:17pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/build-and-not-run-cuda-app-on-docker-windows-image/3403 "2021-05-25T14:17:16Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@soroush](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/soroush)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2021, 2:17pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/build-and-not-run-cuda-app-on-docker-windows-image/3403/1 "2021-05-25T14:17:16Z")
I am trying to streamline the build process of my application. The idea is to execute a build pipeline of several docker images, each compiling either dependencies or parts of a big C++/CUDA codebase.
The problem I face is that it seems not possible to compile CUDA code inside a docker windows container. As I traced the roots of the failure, found that CMake’s FindCUDAToolkit tries to compile a sample `.cu` file to see if the `nvcc.exe` works properly (in [CMakeDetermineCUDACompiler.cmake:262](https://gitlab.kitware.com/cmake/cmake/-/blob/v3.19.2/Modules/CMakeDetermineCUDACompiler.cmake#L262), and then [CMakeDetermineCompilerId.cmake:34](https://gitlab.kitware.com/cmake/cmake/-/blob/v3.19.2/Modules/CMakeDetermineCompilerId.cmake#L34)), but then tries to run it.
Since it is not possible to run a CUDA-enabled executable inside a docker container; the whole process fails and CMake reports that it has not found any suitable CUDA compiler.
While this makes sense for some scenarios, it doesn’t for mine. I just need to compile my libraries and executables, pack them and export them to some FTP server. I have no intention to execute any of them inside the container. Any workarounds? All my buildsystem files look like this one:
```auto
cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.16.0)
project(sample VERSION 0.1.3 LANGUAGES CXX CUDA)
find_package(CUDA REQUIRED)
add_library(libsample a.h a.cpp b.cuh b.cu)
```
---
### Author:  [@ben.boeckel](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/ben.boeckel)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2021, 4:54pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/build-and-not-run-cuda-app-on-docker-windows-image/3403/2 "2021-05-25T16:54:45Z")
@robert.maynard
---
### Author:  [@robert.maynard](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/robert.maynard)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2021, 6:07pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/build-and-not-run-cuda-app-on-docker-windows-image/3403/3 "2021-05-25T18:07:17Z")
Compiler detection in CMake across all languages ( C++, C, CUDA ) is the expectation that it is possible to run a simple executable in the current environment to extract compiler vendor name, and other information.
You can try to setup a toolchain file that specifies all the required information ( compiler vendor, etc ) that the executable outputs, and set `CMAKE_TRY_COMPILE_TARGET_TYPE` to STATIC\_LIBRARY.
---
### Author:  [@jwm](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/jwm)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2021, 8:00pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/build-and-not-run-cuda-app-on-docker-windows-image/3403/4 "2021-05-25T20:00:46Z")
I build CUDA in Docker where there is no GPU. You can do this without being able to run anything.
Is there a reason why you still have `find_package(CUDA)`? Now that CUDA is a first-class language, you don’t need it.
I don’t know if there is a nuance related to doing this on Windows; my Docker hosts are all Linux; Windows support for Docker is potentially iffy.
---
### Author:  [@soroush](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/soroush)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2021, 11:02am UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/build-and-not-run-cuda-app-on-docker-windows-image/3403/5 "2021-05-26T11:02:29Z")
> [@jwm](#):
>
> I build CUDA in Docker where there is no GPU. You can do this without being able to run anything.
Indeed. I performed some experiments to confirm that nvcc works perfectly fine and generates executable. The generated executable also works fine (in case there is no actual usage of the GPU).
> [@jwm](#):
>
> Is there a reason why you still have `find_package(CUDA)`? Now that CUDA is a first-class language, you don’t need it.
Yes. I need thrust include dirs.
> [@jwm](#):
>
> I don’t know if there is a nuance related to doing this on Windows; my Docker hosts are all Linux; Windows support for Docker is potentially iffy.
I think there is either a problem with a msbuild/cuda integration or CMake on docker. Because MSVC compiler and NVCC are working fine in standalone mode. Thoug CMake can’t find CUDA compiler. I tried setting `CMAKE_CUDA_HOST_COMPILER` also didn’t work. I whish CMake would tell us why!
The output of `cmake .` is:
```
-- Building for: Visual Studio 16 2019
-- Selecting Windows SDK version 10.0.18362.0 to target Windows 10.0.19042.
-- The CXX compiler identification is MSVC 19.28.29915.0
CMake Error at C:/Program Files/cmake/cmake-3.19.2-win64-x64/share/cmake-3.19/Modules/CMakeDetermineCompilerId.cmake:412 (message):
No CUDA toolset found.
Call Stack (most recent call first):
C:/Program Files/cmake/cmake-3.19.2-win64-x64/share/cmake-3.19/Modules/CMakeDetermineCompilerId.cmake:34 (CMAKE_DETERMINE_COMPILER_ID_BUILD)
C:/Program Files/cmake/cmake-3.19.2-win64-x64/share/cmake-3.19/Modules/CMakeDetermineCUDACompiler.cmake:262 (CMAKE_DETERMINE_COMPILER_ID)
CMakeLists.txt:2 (project)
-- Configuring incomplete, errors occurred!
```
---
### Author:  [@soroush](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/soroush)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2021, 11:14am UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/build-and-not-run-cuda-app-on-docker-windows-image/3403/6 "2021-05-26T11:14:30Z")
> [@robert.maynard](#):
>
> Compiler detection in CMake across all languages ( C++, C, CUDA ) is the expectation that it is possible to run a simple executable in the current environment to extract compiler vendor name, and other information.
I can confirm that nvcc works outside CMake. I can compile `CMakeCUDACompilerId.cu` and it return `0` after execution. But CMake still refuses to take CUDA as a valid language. It looks for a `CUDA toolset` apparently (output below). All env vars (CUDA\_PATH, etc.) look good. NVCC and MSVC work fine.
```
-- Building for: Visual Studio 16 2019
-- Selecting Windows SDK version 10.0.18362.0 to target Windows 10.0.19042.
-- The CXX compiler identification is MSVC 19.28.29915.0
CMake Error at C:/Program Files/cmake/cmake-3.19.2-win64-x64/share/cmake-3.19/Modules/CMakeDetermineCompilerId.cmake:412 (message):
No CUDA toolset found.
Call Stack (most recent call first):
C:/Program Files/cmake/cmake-3.19.2-win64-x64/share/cmake-3.19/Modules/CMakeDetermineCompilerId.cmake:34 (CMAKE_DETERMINE_COMPILER_ID_BUILD)
C:/Program Files/cmake/cmake-3.19.2-win64-x64/share/cmake-3.19/Modules/CMakeDetermineCUDACompiler.cmake:262 (CMAKE_DETERMINE_COMPILER_ID)
CMakeLists.txt:2 (project)
```
---
### Author:  [@soroush](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/soroush)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2021, 12:15pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/build-and-not-run-cuda-app-on-docker-windows-image/3403/7 "2021-05-26T12:15:54Z")
So, It seems:
1. Visual Studio Integration from CUDA is necessary for CMake. ([CMakeDetermineCompilerId.cmake:427](https://gitlab.kitware.com/cmake/cmake/-/blob/v3.19.2/Modules/CMakeDetermineCompilerId.cmake#L427))
2. Only Visual Studio is supported. Microsoft Build Tools has different installation paths. I assume even the CUDA installer does not support Microsoft Build Tools (I can’t find `.props` files accordingly)
Can you confirm?
---
### Author:  [@jwm](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/jwm)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2021, 3:46pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/build-and-not-run-cuda-app-on-docker-windows-image/3403/8 "2021-05-26T15:46:28Z")
> [@soroush](#):
>
> Yes. I need thrust include dirs.
Assuming you are running a modern (\>10) version of CUDA, the CUDA include dirs are added when `nvcc` is invoked, so I assume you are talking about pure C++ code. I handle this with
```
target_include_directories( ${myTarget} SYSTEM PRIVATE
${CMAKE_CUDA_TOOLKIT_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES}
)
```
(or, for a more surgical approach,
```
target_include_directories( ${myTarget} SYSTEM PRIVATE
$<$:${CMAKE_CUDA_TOOLKIT_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES}>
)
```
(at least, this works for Linux)
I also use a CUDA [base layer](https://registry.hub.docker.com/r/nvidia/cuda#!) for my docker image, `nvidia/cuda:11.0-devel-centos7`. Unfortunately, probably due to Microsoft’s licensing of Window images, I don’t see any Windows versions.
Hope that helps.
---
### Author:  [@robert.maynard](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/robert.maynard)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2021, 7:10pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/build-and-not-run-cuda-app-on-docker-windows-image/3403/9 "2021-05-26T19:10:54Z")
For the Visual Studio Generator, CMake relies on the MSBuild extensions provided by the CUDA Toolkit. I don’t know if they support only a Microsoft Build Tools installation.
The Ninja and Makefile generator on windows don’t rely on the MSBuild extensions, and should work with your current setup